Ten Flashing Fireflies

"What do we see in the summer night?
Ten flashing fireflies burning bright!
Catch the one twinkling there
Like a star.
One flashing firefly in our jar."

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting on my grandmother's porch at dusk waiting for the fireflies. Some nights all of the cousins would happily run around and try to catch them other nights we would lazily watch as in unison they seemed to float into the tree tops.

Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges beautifully depicts this summer ritual in an imaginative counting book that is the story of a brother and sister catching and counting fireflies then releasing them back into the night.

Teaching Tip
Counting seems such a simple concept from our adult perspective, but for the young child learning to count can be a daunting task. For starters they must learn the number names and the counting sequence, then it gets more complicated with concepts such as cardinality (knowing that the last number said identifies the total number of objects in a group) and stability (knowing that rearranging the position of objects in a group does not change the cardinality). To help youngsters master these complex mathematical ideas we must give them many opportunities to count. Reading books such as Ten Flashing Fireflies can help. Luckily, children often like books read to them over and over again, so each time we read with them we can ask questions that help them learn to count. First, have them count along with the characters. Then, ask them to predict what comes next. For example, when the children have three fireflies in their jar then catch one more ask how many fireflies are now in the jar. Have objects available such as beans, pennies or some other small item and have children use them to represent the fireflies. They can add a bean to a jar (or pile) each time another firefly is captured. After reading they can count the objects again and again.

What other ideas might you have for using Ten Flashing Fireflies to teach basic counting concepts?

Early Measurement Concepts

A growing number of you are beginning to stop by my blog each day and I thank you. My goal is to build a robust resource that continues to meet your needs throughout the year. I hope that you will take a few minutes to leave a comment or send me an e-mail to let me know how I am doing or make a request.

I thought I'd mix up the format today and begin with a few teaching tips before discussing any specific book titles. Let me know what you think or if you have format preference.

Teaching Tips

A skill that both teachers and students wrestle with year after year is measurement. Teachers struggle with creating meaningful learning opportunities to effectively teach measurement concepts and it is a skill many students find difficult to master. In my opinion, the best solution from both perspectives is finding numerous opportunities to measure through the school year rather than a single one or two week unit that is rushed through near the end of the school year.

Beginning with the youngest students we start with measuring and comparing objects using non-standard units. Ask the children variety of questions that encourage them to ponder their results. There is no need to use store-bought manipulatives if they are not readily available. For example ask How many paper clips wide is your desktop? How many pencil lengths wide is your desktop? Why do you need more paperclips than pencils to measure your desktop? Ask them to predict how wide the desktop might be using a different object as the unit. The more children are able to explore measurement the better they will be able to develop their skills.

You do not have to limit their exploration to linear units. They can measure capacity by filling different size containers with rice or sand. Challenge them to predict then test how many scoops of a smaller container are needed to fill a larger container. Weight can be explored using a balance scale and experimenting how many of one object are needed to balance the scale when a different object is resting in one of the pans.

Carrie Measures's Up by Linda Abner and Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni and Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy are good choices for children as they explore measurement concepts.

"Measuring Experiences for Young Children" published in the February 2004 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics is filled with more ideas for creating measurement investigations using non-standard units.

"Rulers of Different Colors" from the August 2007 issue of TCM offers teaching ideas for transitioning students from non-standard to standard units.

Drop by again tomorrow for more on measurement.

Counting Books

My previous entry was for older students, so today I'll offer you ideas for the little ones. Early childhood is typically considered to be when the child is age 0 to 5 (or 6) depending upon which expert that you are listening to. While the exact age span may be in dispute, the fact that the human brain grows as a rapid rate during the early years is well-known. During this period parents anxiously watch for signs that their children are reaching certain developmental milestones. Long before a child can add or subtract they are forming ideas that serve as the foundation for learning math concepts. To support the development of numeracy parents and early grade teachers can expose children to counting books.

Teaching Tip
Young children need many opportunities to count. At home they can be involved in counting everyday objects such as the number of eggs in a carton, setting the dinner table with the correct number of plates, or while helping to straighten the house counting the number of cushions on the sofa. In day-care or pre-kindergarten classes children can count along as the adult distributes snacks or toys. With counting books, the children may not be able to read the text, but you can ask them to re-tell the story from the pictures counting as they revisit the pages.