PreK–2
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Flip Chart
20 Playful Poems
That Teach Numbers, Counting, and More
by Betsy Franco
Design by Jason Robinson
Illustration by Maxie Chambliss
Produced by Blaze Inc.
ISBN: 0-439-51761-3
Copyright © 2004 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed in China.
New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney
Mexico City • New Delhi • Hong Kong • Buenos Aires
0 Zero
Zero Cookies
Mama baked 4 cookies,
left them sitting on a plate.
When my 4 friends came to play,
I guess they couldn’t wait.
Each ate 1 big cookie—
1, 2, 3, and 4.
So, there are zero cookies left. . . .
But Mama’s baking more!
TRY THIS:
● Discuss what happens in the poem. Invite children to act it out. Ask what zero means. Then ask, “What are other ways to say zero cookies?” (no cookies, none)
● Have four children stand up, and then ask the class how many children there are. Have them sit down, and then ask how many are left standing up.
● Ask questions to which the answer is zero: How many elephants are in the room? How many 6th graders are in the room? How many dinosaurs are alive?
1 One
1 Big, Strong Tree
1
little
teeny-tiny seed
grows up to be
1 big, strong
tree.
With water and sun,
1 big, strong tree
grows 1 long trunk
and lots of leaves.
I climb
and climb
1 big, strong tree.
I hug my tree
and it hugs
me!
TRY THIS:
● Invite children to find all the ones in the poem.
● Ask, “What in the classroom comes in ones? What comes in ones on a cat?”
● Show children two other ways of writing the numeral for one : 1 and 1.
2 Wings
The bird wakes up
and starts to sing.
It fluffs the feathers
on its 2 wings.
2 wings with matching
color and design.
2 wings that
spread in the
warm sunshine.
Then flappity-flap,
it flutters
2 wings
and flits all around
to check out spring!
TRY THIS:
● Discuss the concept of symmetry as it relates to birds: Both wings match.
● Invite children to brainstorm things that come in twos (eyes, mittens, chopsticks).
● Discuss the concept of pairs (things designated for use together, such as eyeglasses,
buddies, socks, scissors, and so on).
3 Three
The 3 Bears
Once upon a time
there were 3 fuzzy bears.
Goldilocks went in their house
when nobody was there.
She tried 3 bowls of porridge.
She tried 3 wooden chairs.
She tried 3 different beds
and fell asleep upstairs.
Those 3 fuzzy bears
woke Goldilocks that day.
She skipped right out the door
and ran far, far away!
TRY THIS:
● Ask, “What comes in threes in the story of ‘The 3 Bears’?”
● Have children think about a shape that has three sides. Have a volunteer draw a triangle on chart paper. Then have groups of three children create a triangle from a loop of
string. Ask, “How many sides does your triangle have? How many corners? How many children are holding the string?”
● To teach one-to-one correspondence, line up three chairs in front of the children. Ask three children to sit in the chairs. Pass out three cups as bowls of porridge. Emphasize
that each child has a chair and a bowl of porridge. Ask how many beds would be needed at bedtime.
4 Four
4 Legs
I’d have 4 legs if I were a cat.
I’d walk on the fence with a pittery-pat.
I’d trot on the roof and watch the whole town.
I’d land on 4 feet when I made the jump down.
I’d tangle 4 feet in ribbons and string.
I’d chase all the birds all through the spring.
Whenever I could, I’d climb in a lap.
I’d curl up 4 legs for a cozy cat nap!
TRY THIS:
● Brainstorm names of animals with four legs, or names of types of furniture with four legs.
● Have everyone stand up and follow directions, such as “Take four steps forward. Take four steps back. Take four baby steps. Take four giant steps.”
● Have a scavenger hunt: Look around the classroom for things that come in fours. Make a list on chart paper.
5 Five
5 Stars
5 little starfish
sunning on the beach.
Blue, red, orange,
bright pink, and peach.
5 little starfish
head over heels.
Watch the starfish
turn cartwheels.
5 little starfish
shiny and wet.
Count their points.
How many did you get?
TRY THIS:
● Ask children to think of another kind of star. (in the sky)
● Draw a five-pointed star. Have children count the points together.
● Celebrate the number five with a banner of handprints.
6 Six
6-Legged Bugs
6 legs on a butterfly.
6 legs on a yellow honeybee.
6 legs on a sparkly dragonfly.
6 legs on a hippity-hoppity flea.
6 legs on a teeny-tiny ant.
6 legs on a firefly in my jug.
6 legs on the prettiest of them all—
the polka-dotted ladybug!
TRY THIS:
● Make a list of insects. Talk about why spiders and centipedes are not insects. (Insects have six legs, spiders have eight, and centipedes have many.)
● Ask, “What shape has six sides? (hexagon) How many sodas come together in a pack? How many white stripes are on the American flag?”
● Have six volunteers make different formations of six on chart paper:
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7 Seven
On days
when there’s rain
and the sun
starts to glow,
7 pretty colors
put on a show!
Red,
orange,
yellow,
green and blue,
indigo,
and
violet, too.
7 splendid colors
that we all know,
7 bright colors
make a bright rainbow!
TRY THIS:
● Clap seven times and have children copy you. Then do other things seven times, such as stomp, blink, and so on.
● Ask, “How many days in a week? How many dwarfs in the Snow White story?” See if children can list them all.
● Lay out seven crayons for small groups of children and have each child draw a rainbow.
8 Eight
Oscar Octopus
I’m Oscar Octopus. How do you do?
I have 8 arms. How about you?
I can paint 8 paintings. I can catch 8 balls.
I have 8 different kites and I fly them all.
I can twirl 8 yo-yos. I can eat 8 snacks.
And you won’t believe my jumping jacks!
If I surf on a wave up to the land,
I can shake 8 different children’s hands!
TRY THIS:
● Ask, “If you had eight arms, what eight different things could you do all at once?”
● Have children close their eyes and count as you drop eight coins in a can.
● Count the arms on Oscar Octopus. Put a sticky note on each as you go.
9 Nine
Dinosaur Picnic
Let’s all invite 9 dinosaurs
to a special picnic lunch.
I hope they’ll all fit in the park,
that big and rowdy bunch.
We’ll have to bring 9 dino drinks,
9 different meals to eat—
’cause some of them like veggies
and some of them like meat.
We’ll need to bring 9 hula hoops,
9 giant jumping ropes.
9 baseball caps, 9 mitts, 9 bats.
We’ll have a ball. . . I hope!
TRY THIS:
● Invite children to find all the nines in the poem.
● Have children hold up nine fingers to represent the dinosaurs. Count them together. Ask how many more are needed to make ten.
● Ask nine children to come forward. Challenge them to stand in two equal rows. Can they do it? (no) Challenge them to stand in three equal rows. Can they do it? (yes)
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10 Ten
10 Pink Piggies
1, 2, 3, 4, 5—
little piggies in a row.
Those piggies stick together
no matter where they go.
6, 7, 8, 9, 10—
more piggies side by side.
They all like walking barefoot
when the weather’s hot outside.
Pink piggies, big and small,
all muddy in between.
It’s time to take a bubble bath
and get those piggies clean!
TRY THIS:
● Count the toes in the picture and say the “This little piggy” rhyme together. Ask, “What else on your body comes in tens?” (fingers, fingernails, knuckles)
● Talk about money as it relates to the number ten. Ask, “How many pennies equal a dime? How many dimes equal a dollar?”
● Have children look around the room and find collections of objects that are less than 10, greater than 10, and equal to 10.
Skip Counting
Teddy Bear Parade
2, 4, 6, 8—
Pairs of teddy bears march in line.
With big bow ties and silly hats,
those furry teddy bears look so fine.
2, 4, 6, 8—
Pairs of teddy bears march along.
They wave their flags. They sing and dance.
They drum a noisy song.
2, 4, 6, 8—
Pairs of teddy bears march right by.
Hey, isn’t that my teddy bear
who waved to me and winked his eye?
TRY THIS:
● Skip count the bears in the poem by twos. If children are ready, have them all hold up their hands, and skip count all their fingers by fives.
● Ask children to put their arms out in front of them. Skip count the arms of the whole class by twos.
● Have six children come forward. Have the class skip count their eyes by twos. How many eyes altogether? (12 )
Counting
Counting on Me
1 smile, big as can be.
2 eyes that look and see.
3 freckles on my nose.
4 red stripes on my clothes.
5 puppets on my hand.
6 braids with rubber bands.
7 pockets on my jeans.
8 buttons, round and green.
9 rings, all sparkly and new.
10 toenails painted blue!
TRY THIS:
● Have children think of new things to count, such as dots, snaps, or bows on their clothes, and list the results for the class.
● Take a class survey and count and record responses. Ask, “Who likes strawberries? Who has brown eyes? Who walks to school? Who has lost a tooth?”
● Have children write, and then count, the letters in their names. They can decorate the letters and write below them, “My name has ____ letters.”
Counting Backward
Blast Off!
Hop on board the rocket ship.
We’re blasting toward the sun.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
We start by playing tag on Mars.
But hey, it’s hard to run!
Some aliens hop right over
and play with everyone.
We zoom on through the Milky Way,
and chase comet tails for fun.
Oh, no. Time’s up!
Let’s blast off home.
Remember how it’s done?
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
TRY THIS:
● Count backward and after “1,” have everyone jump up.
● Use manipulatives to represent ten airplanes at an airport. Have each plane take off, one at a time, counting down from ten until none are left.
● Ask five children to come forward and sit down in a row. One by one, have them stand up as the class counts, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are standing.” One by one, have them sit down,
starting with the last child to stand. Have the class count backward, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 are standing.”
Addition
Adding Fish
1 little angel fish
red, white, and blue.
Along came his friend
and then there were 2.
2 little fish
both splashed in the sea.
Along came a clown fish
and then there were 3.
3 little fish
all raced near the shore.
Along came a catfish
and then there were 4.
4 little fish
blew bubbles and played.
Then they all swam home
at the end of the day.
TRY THIS:
● To demonstrate the addition of one fish per verse, use manipulatives, or have children act out the poem.
● Make addition sentences (1+1=2, 2 +1=3, 3 +1=4) for each verse. Ask, “What patterns do you see?”
● Have children illustrate one of the verses and write a matching number sentence at the bottom of the page.
Subtraction
5 Silly Monsters
5 silly monsters jumping on my bed.
1 fell off and bumped his head!
4 silly monsters, 1 wanted a snack.
She went to get ice cream and didn’t come back!
3 silly monsters, 1 heard the phone.
His mother called up and he had to go home!
2 silly monsters, 1 heard a beep.
He raced outside and left in a jeep!
1 silly monster waved good night.
THEN I COULD FINALLY
TURN OFF MY LIGHT!
TRY THIS:
● Gather five manipulatives or stuffed animals to represent the monsters. One by one, take them away and ask how many are left.
● Help children make subtraction sentences for the verses (5 –1= 4, 4 –1= 3, 3 –1= 2, 2 –1= 1, 1–1= 0). Ask, “What patterns do you see?”
● Say a number out loud. Ask children, “What is one less (or two less) than my number?”
Ordinals
Hatching Eggs
The first little egg is baby blue.
Out pops a robin, all brand new.
From the second little egg crawls a baby snake.
Hiss, hiss, hiss is the sound it makes.
The third little egg has a turtle inside–
with its own soft shell so it can hide!
The fourth little egg opens up with a crack.
Out comes a duckling, quack, quack, quack.
From the fifth little egg comes an alligator!
Bye-bye, gator.
SEE YOU LATER!
TRY THIS:
● Line up five children and have the class say who is first, second, third, fourth, and fifth. Ask, “Who is between the third and the fifth child? Who is first? Who is last? Who is
between the second and fourth child?”
● Show children the other way to write ordinal numbers (1st, 2 nd, 3 rd, and so on).
● Group children in lines of four or five. Then give instructions such as, “The second person in each line should jump up and down. The fourth person should moo. The first
person should touch his or her toes. The fifth person should quack!”
Counting to 30
Clappity Band
Come and join the clappity band.
All you need is your two hands!
1 clap, 2 clap, 3 clap, 4,
5 clap, 6 clap, 7 clap, more.
8 clap, 9 clap, 10 clap, too.
Clappity-clapping is what we do.
11 clap, 12 clap, 13 in all.
We clap our hands and have a ball.
14 clap, 15 clap. Keep the beat.
16 clap, 17 clap. Clapping’s neat.
18 clap, 19 clap. Clap down low.
20 clap. Keep it up–go, go, go!
21 clap, 22 clap, way up high.
23 clap. Reach and touch the sky.
24, 25. Clap all around.
26 clap. Hear the happy sound.
27, 28 clap, loud and clear.
29 clap. Hey, the end is near!
30 clap! That’s it—we’re done!
Our clappity band is so much fun!
TRY THIS:
● Recite the poem while clapping.
● Have children tap their feet 30 times while counting each tap.
● Take surveys that will result in large numbers, such as, “How many of you like apples? How many are in ___ grade? How many like dogs?”
100th Day of School
Counting Up
to the 100th Day
______ is the number of the day.
We’re closer and closer to Hip, Hip, Hooray!
We’re counting up the days of school.
So far, they’ve all been great.
And when we get to the 100th day,
we’ll really CELEBRATE!
TRY THIS:
● Write the number of the day on a sticky note and and put it in the blank. Ask how many tens and ones are in the number. Use straws or craft sticks to represent the number.
● On chart paper, write a riddle for the “Number of the Day.” Describe it in as many ways as you can, such as, “It’s greater than 11. It’s 6+6. It’s one ten and two ones. It’s
between 11 and 13. It’s 7+5. What is it?” (12 )
● Have ten children stand in front of the group. Count by tens to 100 as each child in turns holds up 10 fingers.
100 One Hundred
100 Poppity Pops
100 kernels is a lot!
100 kernels get so hot.
I hear 100 poppity-pops.
And then the poppity-popping stops.
And when my bowl’s filled up to the top,
I count and eat the ones I’ve got—
100 popcorns crisp and hot.
100 popcorns is a lot!
TRY THIS:
● Invite children to find all the 100s in the poem.
● Ask, “How many pennies make a dollar? How many dollars make one hundred dollars?”
● Celebrate by having a popcorn party! Have children count 100 kernels and 100 popped popcorns.
Teaching Math With Counting Poems
Counting is often a child’s first step on the path to math
learning, and these poems will help you make the journey
a delight! These 20 poems are carefully crafted to meet the
needs of young mathematicians. Children will relate to the
engaging subjects—hippity-hoppity bugs, a teddy bear
parade, a dinosaur picnic, and more—as they chant and
practice their math concepts and skills. Topics include
numbers from zero to 10, counting backward, skip-counting,
simple adding and subtracting, ordinal numbers, counting to
30, and celebrating the 100th day of school.
Using the Flip Chart
The flip chart is versatile—it can be used at morning meetings, circle time,
or story time. Its giant size makes it perfect for whole-group or small-group
learning. You might want to devote one week to each number or math
concept. This can help make each concept sparkle for children as they
deepen their understanding. To introduce each poem, display it where
everyone can see it (on a big book stand, easel, or ledge). Read the title
and look at the illustrations with children. Read the poem aloud several
times, tracking the print as you go. Then, encourage children to chime in
and read along when they’re comfortable.
Teaching Tips
At the bottom of each page, you’ll find three questions or activities that
build on the idea introduced in the poem. You can also use the following
suggestions to enhance children’s experience with the poems:
•
Have children find all the numerals or number words in the poem and
circle them with a dry-erase marker, or place sticky notes under them.
•
Add the number words one at a time to a word wall or number bulletin
board. Have children take turns using a pointer to identify different
numbers on the display.
•
Give each child manipulatives that reflect the number that is the focus
of the poem (for instance, give children five pennies as you read the “5”
poem). Challenge them to find different arrangements for the objects (in a
circle, in a line, in equal rows, and so on). Or, invite them to act out the
addition and subtraction poems with their manipulatives.
•
Encourage children to stretch their artistic muscles! Have them create
their own illustration of each poem.
•
Start collections relating to different numbers. Invite children to bring
in pictures or objects that reflect a certain number. For instance, after you
read the “4” poem, children might share toy cars with four wheels or
stuffed animals with four legs.
ISBN: 0-439-51761-3
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•
Have children clap out or hop to each number. They might also do
other movements, such as snap fingers, take steps, and so on.
•
Let children use the poems as a starting point for their own writing,
creating new verses or substituting different animals. For example, they
can write about eight more activities in which Oscar Octopus would be able
to take part. When they’re done, they can illustrate the poems or stories.
Extension Activities
Social Studies:
Create a classroom “store” and discuss how
neighborhood stores keep money in cash registers. Keep a bowl of change
near the flip chart and use the coins in different combinations to reflect the
number you are studying. Let children count pennies, nickels, dimes, and
quarters, and discuss what they might buy with those amounts.
Phonics:
The poems are perfect for teaching phonics. Poetry has a
predictable, rhythmic quality that makes it fun to discover letters, sounds,
and spelling patterns in words. Play with the rhyme in the poems by
inviting children to find the rhyming words. Next, you can cover the
rhyming word with a sticky note and have children predict what it is.
Music:
Distribute instruments such as tambourines, maracas, bells, and
triangles, and have children make a certain number of sounds with each
type of instrument. Have those with the same instrument play the number
separately. Then have children play the number all together!
Dramatic Play:
Each poem lends itself beautifully to dramatic play.
Invite volunteers to act out the poem as one child reads it aloud. You might
even put on a class math show using many of the poems.
Produced by Blaze Inc.; illustrations by Maxie Chambliss; design by Jason Robinson. Copyright © 2004 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.