Mathematizing Storytimes: patterns, repetition and life-cycles lesson plan
Books
An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, Chronicle Books, 2006.
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni, Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015.
Looking Closely through the Forest by Frank Serafini, Kids Can Press, 2008.
Pattern Bugs by Trudy Harris, Millbrook Press, 2001.
Patterns at the Seashore by Dawn Bluemel Oldfield, Bearport Publishing, 2015.
Teddy Bear Patterns, by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, McGrath Math, 2013.
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, Little Simon, 2009.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback, 1997.
Songs
“Alphabet Song” to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (0:45), accessed 5-12-16. You can also try to the tune of “Row Row Row your Boat” or “Happy Birthday.”
“Apples and Bananas” - Cooltime Kids, 52 Sing-A-Long Silly Songs (1:32)
“B-I-N-G-O” - Cooltime Kids, 52 Sing-A-Long Silly Songs (1:57)
“I know a chicken” - The Laurie Berkner Band, Whaddya Think of That (3:15) (fast and slow)
“Sleeping Bunnies” - Action song by Russ (2:43), video accessed 5-12-16
“This old man, (knick-knack paddy whack)” - Bob Dylan (3:18), video accessed 3-25-16
Fingerplays & Action Rhymes
Eenie Meenie Sicileeny, clapping game, accessed 5-12-16
Flutter Flutter Butterfly, accessed 5-12-16
Miss Mary Mack, clapping game, accessed 5-12-16
We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop, accessed 5-12-16
Props
Colored Bean Bags for pattern play, accessed 3-25-16
Counting Bears, accessed 5-12-16
Nature objects - Pinecones, flowers, rocks etc. Talk about the patterns on the objects and place the objects in sequential patterns (pinecone, flower, rock, pinecone, flower, rocks)
Play Mags Magnetic Building Blocks, accessed 5-12-16
Hand drum (or cardboard boxes or clapping for playing with patterns in sound), accessed 5-12-16
Art Projects
Draw patterns using crayons, accessed 5-12-16
Other
Opening Song: “These are my glasses,” Laurie Berkner, Whaddaya Think of That? (1:42)
Duck Duck Goose - Play the game. In Minnesota we often use a color pattern and say “gray duck” instead of “goose” for the person who gets to chase us. For example, “red duck, purple duck, blue duck, yellow duck, red duck, purple duck, blue duck...GRAY duck!”
Closing Song: Goodbye Rap, Rob Reid, accessed 5-10-16
Every Child Ready to Read Skills and/or Practices
Print Conventions/Awareness: Talk about the beginning middle and end of a story. What would happen if you changed the order of the story around? Tell (and sing) cumulative tales, like “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.”
Letter Knowledge: Sing the Alphabet song to the tune of other songs. The letters are still in the same order but they sound different. This will help children hear “L”, “M”, “N”, “O” and “P” rather than “elemenopee” and give them a stronger sense of the names of the individual letters.
Vocabulary: Describing visual, sound, and sequential patterns will give children the vocabulary they need to succeed with math and science concepts when they begin to learn about them in school. Explore words and concepts such as, “wavy, straight, bumpy, smooth, zig zaggy, spotted, speckled, striped, spirally, swirly, fast, slow, tempo, beat, pause, before, after, in front of, behind, middle, etc.”
Talk: Talk and Read about life cycles, such as frog/tadpole, chicken/egg, caterpillar/butterfly, seed/plant. Talk about your daily routine. “First we wake up in the morning, then we brush our teeth, afterwards we eat our breakfast, read books, play legos, eat lunch, etc...then we go to bed and wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.”
Play: Look for patterns in nature. Play hopping, skipping and clapping games that develop pattern memory. Line toys or crayons up in a pattern order, (car, truck, Lego, ball, car, truck, Lego, ball) and (red, red, blue, yellow, yellow, yellow, red, red, blue, yellow, yellow, yellow).
Possible Asides to Parents & Caregivers
“We support young children’s numeracy development when we purposefully introduce and use mathematical language and concepts during enjoyable activities and everyday experiences. Some people call this process “mathematizing.” ~authors of Mathematical Language in Early Childhood Settings: What Really Counts?
“Children can learn the connection between the written and spoken word, print awareness, with this personal activity. Have your children tell you a story or something they have learned. Write down what they say as they tell it to you. You and your child can make your own books by stapling sheets of paper together. Then have your children read the book (tell the story) to you.” What Can I Say? By Saroj Ghoting.
Vocabulary: Using sequencing concepts in your conversations throughout your day will help your child develop their general knowledge of the order of events. This understanding will help them build healthy routines, develop patience and their ability to transition for one activity to another. These are all important skills to have in order to be ready for kindergarten. This is also important as children learn to read. The more words and ideas they understand, the better children can comprehend what they read.
Background Knowledge: “Informational books are not shelved in with the picture books. I would be happy to help you find books on topics of interest to your child and to you. Sharing factual information with children is one of the best ways to develop their background knowledge which will later help them understand what they read.” What Can I Say? By Saroj Ghoting.
Reading: Remember to read non-fiction and nursery rhymes with your children. Both types of books will have patterns and repetition that your child will enjoy. “When children say a phrase that is repeated throughout the book with you, they are involved with the story. They also learn the structure of stories. By making an enjoyable experience for your children around books and reading, you are helping them to connect reading with enjoyment. Researchers have noted that this helps them stick longer with learning to read when they get to school.” What Can I Say? By Saroj Ghoting.
Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress
Domain: Language, Literacy and Communications:
Emergent Reading
Listening
Speaking
Domain: Cognitive Development:
Mathematical and Logical Thinking
Scientific Thinking and Problem Solving
Storytime Implemented
Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds
Introduction: Good morning! I think that today is going to be a very exciting storytime! We are going to “Sing, Talk, Read, Write and Play” with patterns. By intentionally exploring patterns we are helping your child build her scientific thinking and problem solving skills at the same time that we are helping her get ready to learn to read.
Pattern Sequencing Activity: Using Nature items or Bean Bags. Give each child one item. Have the children line up according to the pattern that you place in front of them on a whiteboard or flipchart. This is also great kindergarten readiness practice for following instructions and lining up.
Intro Song: “These are my glasses,” Laurie Berkner, Whaddaya Think of That? (1:42)
Parent Aside: The first book we are going to read today is an information book on recognizing patterns and cycles in nature. “Informational books are not shelved in with the picture books. I would be happy to help you find books on topics of interest to your child and to you. Sharing factual information with children is one of the best ways to develop their background knowledge which will later help them understand what they read.” What Can I Say? By Saroj Ghoting.
Book: An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, Chronicle Books, 2006.
Song: “Sleeping Bunnies” - Action song by Russ (2:43), video accessed 5-12-16
Action Rhyme: We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop, accessed 5-12-16
Book: Looking Closely through the Forest by Frank Serafini, Kids Can Press, 2008.
Action Rhyme: Miss Mary Mack, clapping game, accessed 5-12-16
Song: “B-I-N-G-O” - Cooltime Kids, 52 Sing-A-Long Silly Songs (1:57)
Book: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback, 1997.
Parent Aside: Remember to read non-fiction and nursery rhymes with your children. Both types of books will have patterns and repetition that your child will enjoy. “When children say a phrase that is repeated throughout the book with you, they are involved with the story. They also learn the structure of stories. By making an enjoyable experience for your children around books and reading, you are helping them to connect reading with enjoyment. Researchers have noted that this helps them stick longer with learning to read when they get to school.” What Can I Say? By Saroj Ghoting.
Writing Activity: Draw patterns using crayons, accessed 5-12-16
Teddy Bear Patterns, by Barbara Barbieri McGrath is the perfect book for exploring patterns and sequencing at home.
Closing Song: Goodbye Rap, Rob Reid, accessed 5-10-16
Further Resources
15 Simple Ways to Teach Patterns to Preschoolers The Measured Mom. accessed 5-12-2016
Early Numeracy: Oregon Department of Education, accessed 3-25-16
Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition Fun with Science and Math for Parents and Children
Mathematizing Read-Alouds in Three Easy Steps, Allison Hintz and Anthony Smith, The Reading Teacher, Vol. 67 Issue 2 October 2013.
Math Patterns and Picture Books a sample chapter from Picture Book Math by Carol Otis Hurst and Rebecca Otis. accessed 5-12-16
Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress
Saroj Ghoting’s Storytime Resources
Teaching Patterns in Preschool accessed 5-12-16
Valuable Initiatives in Early Learning that Work Successfully (VIEWS2)
What Can I Say? Sampling of Early Literacy Asides By Saroj Ghoting, accessed 5-12-16