Mathematizing Storytimes: Exploring Measurements storytime lesson plan
Books
Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh, Beach Lane Books, 2010
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995
Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! By Janet Stevens, HMH Books for Young Readers, 1999
Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell, Clarion Books, 1993
Fannie in the Kitchen: The Whole Story from Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with Precise Measurements, by Deborah Hopkinson, Aladdin, 2004
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010 (reprint edition)
How long or how Wide?: a Measuring Guide by Brian Cleary, Millbrook Press, 2007
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton, HMH Books for Young Readers, 1973
Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy, Square Fish, 2009 (reprint edition)
Measuring Volumeby Beth Bence Reinke, Cherry Lake Publishing, 2014
The Growing Story by Helen Oxenbury, HarperCollins, 2007 (reprint edition)
Three Feet Small by Michael J. Rosen, Gulliver Books, 2005
Which is Round? Which is Bigger? By Mineko Mamada, Kids Can Press, 2013
Songs
“The Deep End” Recess Monkey, Deep Sea Diver (2:27)
“Fast and Slow” Laurie Berkner Band, The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band (2:26)
“I’m a Little Teapot” Susie Tallman, Classic Nursery Rhymes (1:24)
Fingerplays & Action Rhymes
5 Little Hot Dogs, accessed 6-10-16
Baby Shark, accessed 5-13-16
Sizzling Corn, accessed 6-10-16
Tick Tock, Tick Tock, accessed 3-25-16
Props
That’s Not My Height Chart, accessed 5-26-16
Duplo Brick Set for Preschool Lego Measurement Activity, accessed 5-26-16
Learning Resources Primary Measurement Kit, accessed 6-10-16
Learning Resources Primary Science Mix and Measure Set, accessed 5-26-16
Nature and Miscellaneous objects - Pinecones, flowers, rocks, blocks, egg shakers, books, beanbags, etc. For measuring, weighing and talking about measurement comparisons (tall, short, heavy, light, big, small, long, short)
Art Projects
Adorable Snowman Sticks, accessed 6-10-16
Multimedia
Measurement, PBS Kids & Ozomatli, accessed 6-10-16 (1:01)
Measure, Yeah, Measure, Sesame Street. Accessed 6-10-16 (2:26)
Other
Opening Song: “These are my glasses,” Laurie Berkner, Whaddaya Think of That? (1:42)
Closing Song: Goodbye Rap, Rob Reid, accessed 5-10-16
Preschool Measuring Activities, accessed 5-26-16
Exploring weights and size with scales in preschool, accessed 6-10-16
Every Child Ready to Read Skills and/or Practices
Print Conventions/Awareness: Measuring things around the house and writing them down on paper is a great way to show your child that, just like letters, numbers have meaning. Once classic way to do this is by recording your child’s height on a wall growth chart.
Vocabulary: There are so many vocabulary opportunities related to measuring because there are so very many ways to measure things like length, depth, speed, temperature, weight, volume, time etc. These all come along with vocabulary that describes the unit of measurement like inches, centimeters, yards, miles, miles per hour, fahrenheit, celsius, degrees, pounds, cups, liters, gallons. And then there are adjectives to describe the things we have measured like heavy, light, hot, cold, tall, wide, dense, narrow, deep, etc. The more words that your child understands related to measurement the easier it will be for her to be ready to read and understand these concepts when she learns math at school.
Play: When we think of play we often think that we need to use children’s toys. However, some of the most fascinating toys are the tools that adults use on a daily basis. Let your child cook and measure with you. Have your child hold the ruler as you measure to hang a picture on the wall or cut a board. It may feel like a lot of extra work for you, but this is playful learning for your child!
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?
Vocabulary: The Duplo measuring activity is a very basic way to introduce the concept of measurement. Now that your child understands that things can be measured, you play with rulers and measuring tape and introduce them to vocabulary like inches, centimeters, yards, meters, miles, and kilometers.
Background Knowledge: Learning about measurements is the perfect time to introduce the concepts and words related to comparisons and opposites. When talking about height we use words like tall/taller/tallest and short/shorter/shortest and don’t forget deep and shallow. Weight has heavy and light, big and small, fat and thin. Temperature has hot and cold and fun terms like blistering and freezing. Learning these concepts and vocabulary words through conversations with you will prepare your child to read as well as to excel in math and science.
Reading: When you are reading books, you can talk about the shape of the actual books. Is it wider or taller? Introduce them to the concepts of portrait and landscape. Ask why do you think that this book is so tall? Or why is this book so small? You might be surprised and delighted by their creative answers, and your child will begin to understand another dimension of how books work!
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
Welcome (writing) Activity: As children and adults enter for storytime have the adults help the child write their name on a nametag sticker. AND have them measure themselves at a height chart and write on their nametag how tall they are on their nametag.
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 things that we can measure. You are going to be so surprised by all the ways that you can measure things in your life including yourself! By intentionally talking about measurements we will be helping your child strengthen her mathematic and scientific thinking skills at the same time that we are helping her get ready to learn to read.
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 all about the different ways that things can be measured. Sharing factual books like this with your child is a great way to increase meaningful conversation around the pictures and concepts in a book. This back and forth conversation strengthens your child’s comprehensions skills which is critical to later reading success/proficiency.
Book: How long or how Wide?: a Measuring Guide by Brian Cleary, Millbrook Press, 2007
Measurement Activity: Demonstrate an assortment of measurement instruments that you have displayed at the front of the room. You may use objects from nature, water, ingredients for cooking, and other everyday objects like toys and books to demonstrate how things can be measured.
Song: “The Deep End” Recess Monkey, Deep Sea Diver (2:27)
Multimedia: Measurement, PBS Kids & Ozomatli, accessed 6-10-16 (1:01)
Book: Fannie in the Kitchen: The Whole Story from Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with Precise Measurements, by Deborah Hopkinson, Aladdin, 2004
Action Rhyme: 5 Little Hot Dogs, accessed 6-10-16
Book Choice: Three Feet Small by Michael J. Rosen, Gulliver Books, 2005 or Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton, HMH Books for Young Readers, 1973
Writing Artivity: Adorable Snowman Sticks, accessed 6-10-16 Have the kids decorate their snowmen and/or write the numbers on the sticks then travel around the room and measure how tall and deep things are. Challenge them to find one item each of things that are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 inches. Parent Aside:
Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy is the perfect book for exploring measurement at at home with your child.
Closing Song: Goodbye Rap, Rob Reid, accessed 5-10-16
Further Resources
Early Numeracy: Oregon Department of Education
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.
Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress
Saroj Ghoting’s Storytime Resources
Reading Interactive Math Storybooks, Harvard Family Research Project
Valuable Initiatives in Early Learning that Work Successfully (VIEWS2)
What Can I Say? Sampling of Early Literacy Asides By Saroj Ghoting