Jenny’s Flower
Written by Jillian Cutting
Illustrations by Jennifer Cooper
The Story
Jenny paints her
flower and its stem
and the bee is very
pleased.
Introduction
• Introduce the idea of renaming groups by showing the children a
group of four objects. Place the objects in different patterns:
1 + 3, 3 + 1, 2 + 2, 4 + 0.
Read the patterns together.
• Give the children four counters and ask them to place the counters
into groups the same as yours. Read the patterns together. Repeat this
exercise for groups of two and three.
• Introduce the story Jenny’s Flower. Look at the illustration on the cover.
Ask what Jenny has drawn.
How many petals can you see?
• Tell the children that Jenny is going to paint her flower. Look at each
page and discuss how many petals she has painted and is going to paint.
Look at the numbers in the story.
How many did she paint altogether?
Read the story together.
Follow-up Activities
Draw a Flower
Children draw a flower with four petals and colour them in using
different colours. Children write a sentence following the pattern in the
story Jenny’s Flower.
My flower has 2 red petals and 1 yellow petal.
Make Shape Arrangements
Provide different children with two kinds of geometric shapes to arrange
on a piece of paper. Children describe their arrangements.
2 squares, 2 triangles
Record the arrangements with the number of each shape.
Process
• Record numerals
in words, pictures
and symbols
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© Wendy Pye Publishing Ltd 2011
Using the Online Activities
Activity 1 – Count the Petals
Click on the number of petals of each colour to count them.
As a follow-up, give children paper petals in two colours and ask them
to make their own flowers. They write how many petals of each colour
are in their flower.
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3
Maths
Concept Activity 2 – Four Little Ducks
Count how many ducks are swimming in the pond and how many are
on the side of the pond.
As a follow-up, children make cardboard ducks to go in an acetate
pond. They take turns at placing the ducks in the pond or on the edge
and use number cards to record how many ducks are in each place.
Activity 3 – Count the Animals
Count the number of animals and how many there are when more are
added.
As a follow-up, give children a selection of environmental objects to
make mixed groups. Label the group.
Names for
numbers up to 4
3 is 2+1
1+2
3+0
informally 0+3
Maths Language
one
two
three
four
five
groups
making
the same as
made of
Rhyme – Four Little Ducks
Read the rhyme Four Little Ducks.
Other Activities
Picture Groups
Choose a theme such as transport. Children cut out four magazine
pictures of each theme. They group the pictures and label them.
Cube Patterns
Children make patterns of up to four units using interlocking cubes with
different colours. Describe them.
© Wendy Pye Publishing Ltd 2011
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