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Welcome
to the Preschool Book Nook, an informative place invoking
those book-filled, cozy corners in classrooms and
libraries.
Preschoolers
love counting up and counting down - and we've got
the perfect books to hone their skills.
Follow
a little girl as she and her family prepare for the
new baby that will soon be joining them. And simultaneously,
watch the girl's mother fly off to Korea , meet the
new baby, and bring her home. From cutting a red paper
heart and taping it above the new baby's crib to telling
her best friend about the adoption, the young narrator
counts down every day and night with growing anticipation,
marking them with a big X on her calendar.
Activity
Ideas:
- Hang up a calendar in the classroom
and mark an upcoming event such as a student's birthday
or a pizza party. Each morning have a volunteer
mark off the day in the calendar, like the narrator
in the book does, and say how many more days and
nights there are until the event.
- Ask students if they are big
brothers or big sisters. How did they feel when
waiting for their new sibling to arrive? What did
their families do to prepare? What other events
in their lives have they counted down to?
In
this delightful book a little girl counts off the
days by naming what she'll do in kindergarten. "I'll
be ready, I'll be smart. I will get a running start.
I'll say thank you, I'll say please. I will say my
ABCs!" And deciding what to wear and what to
take are all part of her preparation for that exciting
first day.
Activity
Ideas:
- The author has included hidden
objects on each page. See how many the class can
spot, then have students make their own illustration
with hidden objects.
- Have students come up with a
Kindergarten Countup where they count from the first
to the tenth day of kindergarten and imagine what
will happen each day of their new experience.
What
a wonderful way for preschoolers to practice counting
and, at the same time, celebrate the coming of spring!
From ten little ladybugs crawling all around the crocuses
to one Easter basket brimful of carrots, corn, berries,
and other treats for the animals, this book is a joy
to share with a very young child.
Activity
Ideas:
- As a class come up with 10 items
that the author and illustrate could include in
each of the possible sequels to the book: Countdown
to Winter, Countdown to Summer, and Countdown
to Fall.
- Take the students outside to
the playground and let them observe their natural
surroundings. Sit in a circle and have each student
say the name of an item he/she sees and the quantity.
For example, "I see four trees" or "I
see one bird."
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