Activities from MathStart books
 
If you have ideas for math activites, please share! We would love to add them to the list. Please send them to: feedback@stuartjmurphy.com


Beep Beep, Vroom, Vroom!

 (Patterns)
  • Read the story with the child and ask him or her to describe the patterns in which Molly places the cars on the shelf. The child might describe the pattern by color or by type of car.
  • There are several patterns in the story that use the colors and the shapes of the cars. Can you find a pattern with the sounds the cars make as well? Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom!
  • Arrange coins in a pattern (for example, "penny, penny, nickel, penny, penny nickel," or "PPN PPN"). Ask the child, "Can you figure out what comes next?" Help the child continue the pattern, using extra coins. Some patterns that you may wish to try include: PPN PPN, or PNP PNP, or PPNN PPNN.


The Best Bug Parade

 (Comparing Sizes)
  • Read the story with the child and describe what is going on in each picture. Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Do the bugs look the same or different?" and "How do they look different?"
  • Together, draw and color some of your own imaginary bugs. Then cut them out and help the child to arrange them in order of size. Line them up for your own best bug parade.
  • Look at things in the real world-family members, pets, furniture, plates, flowers-and discuss their size relationships. "Who is bigger?" "Which is smallest?" Extend the concept by asking such questions as "Who is older?" "Who is youngest?" "Which is darker?" "Which is lightest?"


Bug Dance

 (Directions)
  • Read the story together and discuss which direction the bugs are moving
  • Have the child wiggle his or her left and right hands, and then left and right feet. Face the same direction as the child and have him identify your left and right hands and feet. To help the child remember, you can place a string or a loose rubber band on his or her right hand. You could also point out that the thumb and the forefinger of the left hand form the letter "L."
  • Plan a walk to the park or store. Draw a simple map of the route you will follow and have the child help with the directions. After the directions are written out, follow the directions and take a walk.


Circus Shapes

 (Recognizing Shapes)
  • Encourage the child to retell the story using the names of the shapes: "circle," "triangle," "square," and "rectangle."
  • Look for things around the house: faces of watches or clocks; buttons on a sweater; books, tiles, rugs, kitchen towels, and windows. Which are triangles? circles? squares or rectangles?
  • Go on a "Shape Hunt" in your neighborhood. Create a chart with each different shape-circle, triangle, square and rectangle-drawn at the top of its own column. Encourage the child to make a mark for each shape "sighting." Then add up all the marks and see how times each shape was found.


Double the Ducks

 (Doubling Numbers)
  • After you've read the story together once, reread the story, using small objects such as buttons, marbles, or blocks. Ask the child "double the number" of objects to match the storyline.
  • Tell the child that you've thought of a number and then doubled it. Then say what the doubled number is and ask if he, or she, can figure out what the original number was. (For example, if the doubled number is 10, the correct answer is 5.) If the child has difficulty, use a group of small objects-buttons, paper clips, or pennies-that total your doubled number. Then have the child separate them into two groups.
  • When making a simple treat, like instant pudding, help the child double the recipe.


Every Buddy Counts

 (Counting)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How many older sisters does the girl have?" and "Can you count the number of teddy bears snuggling in her bed?"
  • Help the child to make his or her own "buddy" count. Write the names of some of the child's special buddies on note cards. Ask the child to draw pictures of these close friends on the cards. Gather the cards in groups: for example, parents, grandparents, playmates, pets, stuffed animals. Then encourage the child to count the different groups.
  • Gather all the things you need to make chocolate chip cookies. How many mixing bowls, measuring cups, and spoons do you have? How many eggs, sticks of butter, cups of sugar or flour are needed? Most important of all-how many cookies did you bake? And how many did you eat?


The Greatest Gymnast of All

 (Opposites)
  • Introduce the concept of opposites. For example, say, "Near and far go together because they're opposites." "If I say big, what is the opposite?" "Can you think of some opposites?"
  • Look at things outside the home-at the playground, during a trip to the zoo, or in your neighborhood-and identify the opposites. Ask questions such as: "Are some kids at the top of the slide and some at the bottom?" "Which animals are tall and which are short?" "Are some trees near the house and some far away?"
  • Discuss all the opposites that can be found while taking a bath. Ask questions such as: "When is the bathtub full, and when is it empty?" "Is the water hot or cold?" Practice turning the water faucet on and off. Describe hair, toys, or washcloths that are dry or wet, long or short, big or little.


Henry the Fourth

 (Ordinals)
  • Talk about things around the house and identify their order. "Which step is first going up the stairs? Which is second? Which is third?" Look at cars parked on the street and talk about their order. "Which is the second car from the corner?"
  • Make a line of toy animals or cars. Pretend it's a parade. Ask the child to point to the second one in line, then the fourth, the third, and the first. Turn them around. "Now which is first?
  • Ask the child to point to the dog highlighted in any of the math diagrams in the story. Talk about the position of that dog in relation to the other dogs. Ask questions such as, "How many dogs came before Baxter? and "Where is Baxter in the line of dogs?"
  • Teacher IdeaMy kindergartners read "Henry the Fourth" and were so inspired that later that day they wrote their own book filled with pets who could do funny tricks! They ordered them 1st through 21st and now love reading each other’s pages. We have a horse that can button and unbutton buttons, a raccoon that can do karate, and a dragon that can blow acid!


A House for Birdie

 (Understanding Capacity)
  • Imagine the child is a bird. Have the child describe his or her own shape and then draw a picture of a birdhouse that matches the shape. Choose other members of the child's family and have the child draw birdhouses that would fit their shapes.
  • Choose three or four of the child's stuffed animals. Have the child decide which is taller, which is thinner, and which is wider. Then select appropriately sized boxes and have the child decide which animal fits best in the box.
  • Give the child a 1-cup measure and few larger containers. Ask him or her to guess how many cups of water are needed to fill one of the larger containers. Have the child check the estimate by filling up the container, one cup at a time. Continue with the other containers.


It's About Time

 (Hours)
  • Explain to the child that a day has 24 hours. The hours from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon are called A.M. hours The hours from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight are called P.M. hours.
  • Before rereading the story, show the child an analog and a digital clock and explain that analog clocks have hands on the clock face, while digital clocks show time using just numbers. Then look for different types of clocks around the house.
  • Have the child draw a picture of herself doing various activities at different times of the day. Help her write the time on each picture.


Jack the Builder

 (Counting On)
  • Create your own Jack the Builder experience together with your child. Start with three blocks. What does it look like? Ask your child to add on two more blocks to make a new shape. Count on together: “3 blocks, plus 1 block, plus 1 block = 5 blocks.” Now add three new blocks for a total of 8 blocks. Continue until the blocks fall down!
  • Draw a number line from 1 to 20 on a piece of paper. Say a number and have your child put her finger on that number, for example “5.” Then count on 2 more together. Have your child put her finger on “7.” Continue up to 20, adding 2, 3, 4 or 5 by counting on. If you’re working with a group of kids, make a big number line on a board that everyone can see. Say a number and point to it on the number, then have the kids count on out loud together.
  • Start with 25 small objects, such as pennies or buttons. Put 1 in a jar or small plastic container. Roll a die. Add on whatever number comes up, 1 through 6, until all the objects are in the jar. If, on your last roll, you do not have enough objects, note how many more you would need. Also, after each round, note the sum (i.e. 4 buttons, plus 1 button, plus 1 button, plus 1 button = 7 buttons; 7 buttons, plus 1 button, plus 1 button = 9 buttons). As a variation, put a piece of yarn or string on a table to create two columns. Put one object on one side and all the rest on the other. Roll the die and play the game. Have the child count on and move the objects from one side to the other.


Just Enough Carrots

 (Comparing Amounts)
  • Gather together some items-toys, plastic spoons, blocks-and ask the child to make piles that are more, fewer and the same.
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Would you eat more carrots than the rabbit would eat?" "Would you eat the same amount of worms that the birds would eat?"
  • Look at things in the real world, such as objects around the house. In the bathroom, are there more toothbrushes than there are bars of soap? Are there the same number of bath towels as there are washcloths? Are there fewer of some things? Try doing the same in the kitchen or the bedroom.


Leaping Lizards

 (Counting by 5's and 10's)
  • Gather 50 playing blocks and have children make groups of 5. Then put the groups of 5 together in pairs to make groups of 10. This can also be done using smaller objects such as buttons or pennies.
  • Show the child an analog clock (with hands). Explain how each number on the clock face indicates 5 minutes. Have the child count the number of groups of 5 minutes to discover how many minutes are in 1 hour.
  • While riding in a car or on a bus, have each player pick a color. Each car of that color is worth 5 points. The first player to get 50 points wins. Play again, changing the rules so each color is worth 10 points.


Mighty Maddie

 (Comparing Weights)
  • Before reading the story, discuss weights. Point out that a large object can weigh less than a small object. Have the child hold a pillow in one hand and a can of soup in the other and compare the different weights.
  • Show the child two objects (for example, a stuffed animal and a block) and ask him or her to guess which of the two is heavier. Ask the child to explain the answer, then pick up the objects to check to find out whether the guess was right.
  • Help the child make a cape with his or her name on the back. The child can act out the part of "Mighty Maddie", cape and all, and clean his or her room. While picking up toys and clothes, ask the child to talk about which ones are heavy and which are light.


Missing Mittens

 (Odd and Even Numbers)
  • Help the child to understand the difference between an even and an odd number. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side represent some even numbers by drawing pairs of small objects. On the other, show odd numbers by drawing pairs of objects, plus one more. Have the child tell you how the even numbers are alike and how the odd numbers are alike.
  • Reread the story together and count the number of mittens in each picture. Point out that the animals all need one more mitten than they each have. Talk about why the animals need an even number of mittens, and why they always have an odd number.
  • Place a small pile of buttons on a table. Is there an even or an odd number of buttons in the pile? Place a second pile on the table. Is there an even or an odd number of buttons in that pile? Add them together. Is that number even or odd? Make new piles and try the activity many times. Do you get an even or an odd number when you add the two evens together? Two odds? And odd and an even?
  • Teacher IdeaI use Stuart's books all the time. So many of the newer teachers feel very bottled down into the textbook, so I always bring in some MathStart books to show them other ways of introducing concepts. For example, I use "Missing Mittens" with first graders to introduce the concept of odd and even numbers. I have them create different scenarios of mittens. The book is so comically illustrated — they came up with all kinds of scenarios of animals and where mittens could be on them. They loved the cow and the cow's udders and the mittens. That really inspired them to do peacocks with mittens on the feathers. And they had to identify what happened, whether it was an odd number of mittens or an even number. When one mitten is missing, what happens? It was wonderful. They created their own books. And it was very exciting to see the different things the students learned to do.


Monster Musical Chairs

 (Subtracting One)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How many monsters are left?" "How many chairs are left?" "Why are there more monsters than chairs?"
  • Give the child 15 small treats, such as raisons or mini-marshmallows. Have the child eat one and then count and say how many are left. Continue until all the treats are gone.
  • Before you check out at the grocery store, together count the number of items in your cart. As you place the items on the check-out counter one by one, ask the child how many are now left in the cart.


One… Two… Three… Sassafras!

 (Number Order)
  • There are several ways the children in the story could have been arranged by Uncle Howie-for example, by height, or alphabetically by name. Help the child explore the various possibilities.
  • Have the child draw pictures of his or her family. Cut out the drawings and have the child arrange them by ages from youngest to oldest.
  • Write the numbers 1 through 15 on separate index cards. Mix the cards and remove one from the pile without letting the child see which one you've taken. Then have him or her figure out which card is missing by putting the remaining cards in order.


A Pair of Socks

 (Matching)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as "Are the socks the same?" How is one sock different from the other sock?" and "Which is your favorite sock?
  • Together draw and color some pairs of socks in a variety of patterns. Then cut them out and separate the pairs. Play a game of matching the socks.
  • Collect buttons of different colors and sizes and, using string or yarn, make necklaces that contain patterns.
  • Teacher IdeaI like to add manipulatives so kids can touch and recreate the essence of the book. For "A Pair of Socks," I used lots of pairs of tiny baby socks, which you can find cheap at a Value Village or a second hand store. The kids matched the pairs. They could also play Concentration with them. Make a grid so kids have to lift up flaps to find the socks. In order to make a match, they have to remember where all the different socks are.

    If you put manipulatives with a book, kids are able tie in the concepts and they use them to retell the story. It’s excellent



Rabbit's Pajama Party

 (Sequencing)
  • While reading the story, point out the sequence of events in the pictures. Encourage the child to tell the story using the words "first," "next," "then," and "last."
  • Make a timeline for the story. For example, at 5:00 the friends arrive, at 6:00 they eat pizza, and so on.
  • Clip out a favorite comic strip from the newspaper. Cut the comic strip into separate frames and ask the child to place the pieces in the right sequence.


Seaweed Soup

 (Matching Sets)
  • While reading the story, ask the child what things each new character will need in order to eat lunch. As each new guest arrives, count the number of cups, spoons, napkins, and bowls on the table. Discuss how each guest has 1 cup, 1 spoon, 1 napkin, and 1 bowl.
  • Have the child count the number of spoons, knives and forks in the kitchen. Is there a spoon for every fork? How many sets of 1 spoon, 1 knife, and 1 fork can you make?
  • Act out the story by setting a table using different types of cups, spoons, napkins, and bowls for each of the five characters. Then have the child compare the table that he or she set to the table in the picture at the end of the story.


3 Little Firefighters

 (Sorting)
  • Read the story with the child and point out the buttons on each of the firefighter's coats. Ask the child how the buttons on each coat are alike and how they are different.
  • Write down the first name of family members or classmates on separate cards. Have the child sort the names and ask what rule he or she used for sorting. For example, he or she might sort by the length of the name, or the gender of the name.
  • Gather a collection of buttons of different sizes, shapes, and colors, and a piece of paper with a circle drawn on it. The first player creates a set of buttons (for example, all round or all red) and places them inside the circle. The second player must then guess the rule by which they were sorted.
  • Teacher IdeaI presented "3 Little Firefighters" in a workshop. I created oaktag buttons for everyone in the workshop and magnetized them with a Xyron machine. As I read the story, everyone sorted their buttons the way the firefighters were sorting theirs.




Animals on Board

 (Adding)
  • Ask the child to point to each animal as you count together. Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "If there are six swans and one more is added, how many swans are there in all?"
  • Look at things outside the home-toys in a sandbox, items in a shopping cart, doughnuts on a bakery shelf-and practice adding them together.
  • Write your name in toothpicks. How many toothpicks does it take to make the first two letters? The first three? How many toothpicks does it take to make your whole name?
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Animals on Board," we make circus train cars out of index cards. I cut out circles for wheels that are then glued on. So all the students have little circus trains in front of them. Then we take animal crackers and recreate the story. It's very tasty but you can't eat it until you're totally done with the story! Once you've done all of the math, then you can go and eat your animal crackers.


The Best Vacation Ever

 (Collecting Data)
  • Discuss what the girl learns from each of the charts she makes. Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "Do more people want to go somewhere warm or cool?" and "Do more people want to stay near or go far?"
  • Look around your neighborhood and ask what things more people like. For example: What cars do more people drive-big or small? Red or blue? What do more kids like to wear to school-running shoes or sandals? Bright colors or light colors? Help the child to record this information and then discuss the answers to the questions.
  • Plan a picnic together. What questions would you ask to find out each person's favorite foods? How would you chart the information? Can you figure out a menu that most people would like?


Bigger, Better, Best!

 (Area)
  • As your read the story, have the child count the number of pieces of paper needed to cover the windows and the floor in the illustrations. Explain that the children in the story are finding the area of the windows and the floor.
  • Have a child draw a shape on a piece of graph paper. Together, count the squares inside the shape to find the area. Then help the child draw another shape that has the same area.
  • Use newspaper to help the child find the area of a room at home or in school. Compare the area of the room with other rooms in the building. Remember to use the same size paper when comparing rooms.


Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes

 (Three-dimensional Shapes)
  • Ask the child, "How is the square different from the other shapes in the same row on the instrument panel?" Then discuss with the child the similarities and differences of all the shapes in the square row. Continue by discussing the circle row.
  • Have the child create his or her own spaceship using the six shapes found in the story. You can make shapes out of construction paper or use shapes found around the house to construct the spaceship.
  • Make up riddles about the attributes of the various space shapes, for example: "I have six faces and they are all the same. Who am I?" (answer: A cube!) Let the child try to guess the riddles and encourage him or her to create some for others to guess.


Coyotes All Around

 (Rounding)
  • Reread the story and point out how Clever Coyote uses the number line to round each of the numbers.
  • Make up an addition problem consisting of three 2-digit numbers (for example, 14+37+23), then have the child round each number (10+40+20) and find the sum. Have the child add up the first set of numbers and compare that answer to his or her estimate.
  • Take the face cards out of a deck of cards and place the deck face down between two or more players. Each player takes a turn drawing two cards and uses them to make a double-digit number (for example, a 5 and a 2 would be 52). The players round their numbers (52 would be 50), and the player with the highest number wins.
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Coyotes All Around," we play “Rounding Bingo.” The kids write tens -- “10, 20, 30, 40” – on their bingo boards. And then I called out a number like “58.” And they would put a bingo chip on “60” because that’s the nearest number. It reinforces the topic.


Elevator Magic

 (Subtracting)
  • Ask questions throughout the story such as "Which floor is 2 floors down from the 10th floor?" and "If you go 3 floors down from the 8th floor, where will you be?"
  • Give the child a handful of grapes, jellybeans, or peanuts. How many are there? If you eat 2 how many will you have left? If you eat 1 more, how many will you have?
  • Look at things in the real world and solve subtraction problems when they occur. For example: If you buy 6 apples and eat 3, how many apples are left? If you have a book of 10 stickers, and give 2 to a friend, how many stickers will you still have?


A Fair Bear Share

 (Regrouping)
  • Encourage the child to retell the story. Use check marks to record the nuts, berries and seeds that the cubs have collected. Circle the groups of 10.
  • Collect crayons, markers and colored pencils. Arrange each item into groups of tens and ones left over. How many are in each group? How many writing tools are there in all?
  • When you are traveling in the car, put a check mark on a piece of paper for each car, truck, or bicycle that you see. Group the marks into tens and ones. At the end of your drive add them all up. How many did you see? How many of all three did you see?


Get Up and Go!

 (Time Lines)
  • Encourage the child to tell the story using the math vocabulary: "time," "minutes," "plus," and "equals." Talk about which activities take more time and which take less time. How can you tell which take more time by looking at Sammie's time lines?
  • Together, draw and color pictures of the child's own morning routine. Time the minutes needed for each activity and use strips of paper, string, or yarn to create a personal time line. Tape the pictures to the appropriate segments.
  • Together, draw and color pictures of the child's own morning routine. Time the minutes needed for each activity and use strips of paper, string, or yarn to create a personal time line. Tape the pictures to the appropriate segments.
  • Plan a party that will take place from 2:00 to 4:00. What has to be done beforehand? What activities will take place during the party? What has to be done after the party is over? Make a time line of these activities.


Give Me Half!

 (Understanding Halves)
  • Encourage the child to tell the story using the math vocabulary: "Half," "Whole," "Share," etc. Introduce the world "divide" by saying that each item is "divided equally."
  • Gather pieces of paper in a variety of sizes and shapes and work together to find different ways to fold the pieces in half.
  • Identify halves in a recipe: one half of a one cup, one half of one stick of butter, or halves of fruits or vegetables. Slice food items of varying shapes into halves and then share them.
  • Teacher IdeaWe act out the stories. For "Give Me Half!," we cut out a circle for a pizza. And we use juice boxes and cookies. Then we share them by halves and thirds. My partner and I can pretend to be the mother and act it out. The kids need to clean up!

    I send home books during the year for kids and parents to read and share. We rotate them through the classroom.

  • Teacher IdeaI go into classrooms as a kind of coach/mentor/math guru. We try to tie math concepts and lessons to literature and it's so easy with the MathStart books. The kids can relate to the stories. "Give Me Half!" is one of my favorites. I always start out by asking: "Does anybody have a brother or sister that doesn't like to share with them?" You have that hook and the kids are thinking it's the coolest thing. They start to asking all kinds of questions like, "I have two brothers and so we cut it into threes and so what do you call that one?" It is just such a natural springboard for fractions.


Let's Fly a Kite

 (Symmetry)
  • Look for symmetrical objects throughout the illustrations. See how many symmetrical objects you can find in the book.
  • Make a snowflake by folding a square sheet of paper into fourths and cutting out small designs along the folds and edges. Find all the different ways the snowflake you made has symmetry.
  • Encourage your child to cut out pictures of symmetrical shapes from magazines. By folding the shapes, find and draw the line of symmetry on each.


Mall Mania

 (Addition Strategies)
  • While running errands have your kids count how many cars in a parking lot are silver? white? green? tan? red? Try different ways to add them together. How many cars are there in all? At home, count how many hats, gloves, coats and boots are in the closet? How many different ways can you find to add the totals together?
  • Domino Addition: Lay all the dominoes face down. The first player chooses two dominoes and finds the sum of the four numbers shown. The second player does the same. The person with the highest total is the winner. As a variation, add the totals from three rounds. The person with the higher combined total is the winner.
  • Counting Cards: Three to five players. The dealer takes four cards from the deck and places them face up. The other players must add up the totals. The first one with the correct answer wins the round. Play until all the cards are used up. The one who wins the most rounds is the champ!


More or Less

 (Comparing Numbers)
  • Tell the child you are thinking of a number between 10 and 20, for example. As the child makes guesses, indicate whether each guess is more than or less than the correct answer. Encourage him to find the number in three guesses. Then have him think of a number and you make guesses. Have him tell you whether your guess is more than or less than the correct number.
  • Write out clues for a specific number. (For example: "More than 50; less than 60; more than 55; less than 58; an odd number.) Give the child the first two clues and have her write down all the possible numbers. One by one, give the other clues. Have the child cross out numbers that are no longer possible until she finds the secret number.
  • Make 12 cards, each with a number and the "greater than" or "less than" sign (for example, "< 12, or > 14"), and another 12 cards with only a number on them. Mix up each set of cards in two separate stacks and turn them face down. The first player turns up two cards, one from each stack. If the player can arrange them to make a true number sentence (such as 14 < 30), he gets to keep the cards and goes again. If not, the cards are put back face down and the next player takes a turn. The player with the most cards at the end wins.


Pepper's Journal

 (Calendars)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How old is Pepper now?" "Which day is Pepper's birthday?" "How many months are in a year?"
  • After reading the story, make a list of family events that occur on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Help the child record the events on the calendar.
  • Make your own calendar. Draw 12 blank grids (use the ones in Pepper's Journal as a guide) and work together to decorate each one. Staple the pages together and hang the calendar up for use all year long!
  • Teacher IdeaInspired by "Pepper’s Journal: A Kitten’s First Year," the first graders at my school -- Schyulkill Elementary in Phoenixville, PA-- charted the progress of Bandit, a kitten adopted from the SPCA by a family in the school district. On the first Friday of every month, Bandit went to school. The kids started out trying to estimate how long his tail was. Then they measured it. They did the same for his left leg, width-of-body, and length from head-to-tail, practicing first on their favorite stuffed animals brought in from home. (Ed. note: Another excellent resource for pet measurement activities is “Measuring Penny” by Loreen Leedy.)

    Over the school year, little Bandit was also weighed and his growth recorded on a line graph. The kids even figured out how to measure the right amount of food to put in Bandit’s bowl. Each child created a "Bandit's Journal," using all the data that had been gathered over the year, along with their wonderful drawings. We also used Stuart’s books "Mighty Maddie" to learn about comparing weights, "Get Up and Go!" to understand elapsed time, and "A House for Birdie" to introduce the concept of capacity.



Probably Pistachio

 (Probability)
  • Read the story together and ask the child to predict what he or she thinks will happen and why. Ask questions such as: "Do you think Emma will have pastrami for lunch? Why do you think that?" As the child's understanding of probability grows, ask questions such as: "Why didn't Jack's predictions come true? What question could Jack have asked Emma so that he might have made a better prediction?"
  • Ask your child to decide if certain events are likely, possible, or unlikely. Suggest events such as: "You will go to bed at 8:30 tonight." "We will all go swimming on Saturday." "No one in your class will be absent tomorrow."
  • Watch the weather report on TV for one week. Make a list of the forecaster's predictions and then record the actual weather. Have the child decide how accurate the weather reports were.


Racing Around

 (Perimeter)
  • As you are reading the story, have the child trace with his or her finger the perimeter around the athletic field, the zoo, and Perimeter Path. Have the child find the perimeter by adding up the lengths of the sides.
  • Using a ruler, help the child find the distance around familiar objects in the home, such as picture frames, tabletops, or TV screens. Make a drawing of each object and write the length of each side on the drawing. Then calculate the perimeter.
  • Use one of the child's favorite pictures and measure its perimeter. Using construction paper, make a frame for the picture and then measure the perimeter of the frame.


Same Old Horse

 (Making Predictions)
  • Read the story with the child and point out that Majesty and Jazz make predictions about what Hankie will do next. Ask him to predict what Hankie will do before you read on. Have him give a reason for his prediction.
  • Change the patterns in the charts that are in the book. For example, you might change the chart on page 11 that notes when Hankie’s owner Susan arrives at the barn, and when she takes Hankie outside to read:
      Mon. Tues. Wed. Thrs. Fri. Sat.
    Susan Arrived:  9:00 9:15 9:30 9:00 9:15 9:30
    Hankie Outside:  9:30 9:45 10:00 9:30 9:45 ?
  • Have the child examine each new chart and predict what Hankie will do now. As her to explain her thinking.
  • For three or four days, have the child keep a chart of certain activities he does every day. For example:
    Activity Mon. Tues. Wed. Thrs. Fri. Sat.
    Time I got up:             
    What I had for breakfast:             
    Color shirt I wore:             
    Time I got home from school:             

    Ask the child if he sees patterns. Is he predictable like Hankie?


Spunky Monkeys on Parade

 (Counting by 2's, 3's, and 4's)
  • Read the story with your child and talk about what is going on in each picture. Encourage the child to interact with the illustrations and count the monkeys aloud as you read.
  • While shopping in the supermarket, help your child find objects that are packaged in 2s, 3s, or 4s, such as light bulbs, paper towels, or sticks of margarine or butter. Skip count to find the total number of items on the shelf.
  • Stringing Beads: You will need beads of two different colors (for example, red and yellow) and three strings. On the first string, have the child string 2 red beads, 1 yellow, 2 red, and so on. On the second string, arrange 3 red beads, 1 yellow, 3 red, and so on. On the third string, arrange 4 red beads, 1 yellow, 4 red, and so on. Compare the three strings. Which has more red beads?


The Sundae Scoop

 (Combinations)
  • As you read the story, ask questions such as: "How many flavors of ice-cream are there?" "How many different sauces?" "How many toppings?" and "How many different sundaes could the kids make?"
  • Re-create your own sundae scoop story. Have the child think of several different flavors of ice-cream, sauces, and toppings, and write them down. Help the child draw diagrams similar to those in the story to determine the number of different sundaes he or she could create with their imaginary ingredients.
  • Lay out 2 pairs of shoes, 4 shirts, and 2 different pairs of pants for the child. Help the child determine the number of different outfits that he or she could wear.
  • Teacher IdeaWhen we read "The Sundae Scoop," we discuss the different combinations. And then we’ll do combinations with something else, like clothing. For example, you have three t-shirts to pick from, and two pairs of pants and shoes. Or we can do t-shirts and shorts, or skirts for girls. If you want to add on shoes, it makes the problem even harder. So I give them a choice. They are amazed they have so many outcomes.

    They can sketch the clothes and show colors and stripes. We make the combinations tree, like the one in the book. And then they add up the combinations. For homework, they can use food. For example, a dinner at McDonalds: You can get a cheeseburger, a hamburger or a chicken McNuggets. You can get French fries, a cookie or apple dippers. And you can get fruit punch or orange juice or milk. What are all the different combinations you can have?



Super Sand Castle Saturday

 (Measuring)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "Do you think that using a shovel would be a good way to measure the tower of the castle? and "Is a spoon a good way to measure the depth of the moat?" Explain that these tools can be used for measuring, but that tools of the same length must be used consistently.
  • Pick distances around the house and measure them using "baby steps" and "giant steps." Is the hallway more baby steps or giant steps long? Are there more baby steps or giant steps between the couch and the TV? Explain.
  • Have friends take turns lying down on the floor and measuring each other from head to toe using straws, and then a ruler. Make a chart that shows the length of each person in terms of unit of measurement.


Tally O'Malley

 (Tallying)
  • Reread the story and have the child keep track of the data with his or her own tally marks. Make a chart with each of the characters' names, the colors they choose, and their tallies. Occasionally stop to see how the child's tally marks compare with the marks in the book.
  • Say a number between 10 and 25 and ask the child to make tally marks to represent that number.
  • Pizza Survey: Have the child ask family, friends, and neighbors, "What kind of pizza do you like best?" Then work together to tally the responses. What kind of pizza is most popular? Least popular?


100 Days of Cool

 (Numbers 1 - 100)
  • Make a number line similar to the one shown in the book on a long, thin sheet of paper. Fold the number line in half and in half again. Use the folds to show how day 25 is 1/4 of the way to 100, day 50 is halfway, and day 75 is 3/4 of the way.
  • Look at a calendar with the child. Starting on January 1, find the 100th day of the year. You and the child can make a guess about what month the day will it fall in. What day of the week will it be? Then see if you got it right. Try the same thing again, this time counting from today's date or from the child's birthday to find the 100th day.
  • Give the child a set of dominos and have him or her try to make trains (or lines of matching dominos) with exactly 100 dots. How many trains can he or she make?




Betcha!

 (Estimating)
  • Read the story together and ask the child to describe what is going on in each picture. Ask questions throughout the story, such as "What would you do to estimate how many people are on a bus?" and "How would you estimate the number of cars in a traffic jam?"
  • Discuss real life situations that require estimations. Examples could include ordering enough pizza for the whole family, or deciding how many errands can be done before ballet class or soccer practice.
  • Together, make up your own "Betcha!" game. Pick something that is difficult to count, such as people in a long line, cars in a parking lot, or cookies in a box. Help the child to consider different strategies for making these estimates. Then check to see how close these estimates are to the real numbers.
  • Teacher IdeaYou can use the MathStart books to introduce a concept as well as to reinforce a concept. An example would be "Betcha!" I usually read the book at the beginning of the year because we do estimation activities all year long. The kids can see how the kids in the story use different strategies for estimating. My students have to bring in their own estimation jars at least once a year. Everybody gets a chance. So it can be container of whatever – rocks, candies, straws. I’ve even had grass. They bring in all kinds of stuff. One kid brought in shark teeth from Florida, which was really neat. Sometimes I’ll give the winning estimator a pencil or a piece of candy, but mostly it’s about the glory.


Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop

 (Classifying)
  • Place a handful of blocks of different sizes and colors on the table and talk about the different ways that the blocks could be grouped.
  • On sheets of different colored paper, draw a variety of shapes in different sizes-triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, etc. Help the child cut out the shapes and ask him or her to place them in groups by size, color, shape or other attributes.
  • With a deck of playing cards or a set of dominoes, explore all the different ways that the cards or dominoes can be grouped-by number, by suit, by color, or any other way you can think of!
  • Teacher IdeaWe do sorting for "Dave’s Down to Earth Rock Shop." We do nuts, bolts and screws and it really gets the kids going. You would be surprised at some of the language I get out of the children, such as, “I like the texture of this,” or “We did this by shape,” or “We did this by color.”

    A great activity for Party Day or Halloween involves candy. I divide the kids into groups and give each group a bunch of candy. They have to sort and classify it and graph their data however they choose. Then they have to present their observations to the class. Afterwards, they have sort and share the candy among their group. And then – finally -- they get to keep it!


Dinosaur Deals

 (Equivalent Values)
  • Read the story with the child and use the diagrams to discuss each of the trades that are made. Ask questions such as, " How many Allosaurus does it take to equal 1 Tricerotops?"
  • Cut out rectangles of different colored construction paper and use them to represent each of the dinosaur cards in the story. Reread the story and have the child act out the trading of the cards.
  • On 16 index cards draw different groups of coins. Each card should have a match that shows the same amount of money in different coins (for example, two quarters would match five dimes). Turn the cards face down. On alternating turns each player exposes 2 cards. If the cards match, the player keeps them and gets another turn. The player with the most cards wins.


Divide and Ride

 (Dividing)
  • Encourage the child to tell the story using the math vocabulary: number of kids "per" seat, "divide," and "left over." Introduce words such as "groups of," "sets of," and "remainder."
  • Draw stars to represent the 11 best friends as shown on the math summary pages of the text, or use pennies or pebbles to represent the friends. Together, practice grouping the friends into sets of 2s, 3s and 4s. Are there any friends left over? How many?
  • Take another look at the story. What if the group of 14 new best friends went to the carnival together? How many seats would they fill on each ride? Would there be any friends left over?


Earth Day — Hooray!

 (Place Value)
  • As you read the story with the child, point out how the cans are bundled together in groups of 10s, 100s, and 1,000s. Discuss with the child how 10 ones equal 10, 10 tens equal 100, and 10 hundreds equal 1,000.
  • Write down a three-digit number and have the child draw bundles of cans to represent the number.
  • Discuss with the child items that he or she can recycle, like newspapers or cans. Set a goal for the number of items to recycle, perhaps 100 newspapers or 1,000 cans. Have the child keep track of the number collected and how many items he or she still needs to meet the goal.
  • Teacher Idea"Earth Day- Hooray!" was an April selection for our PTA-funded “Book-of-the-Month” program. Every teacher, K – 5, as well as all the intervention specialists, was given a copy of the book, along with a activities packet with suggestions for how to use the book to develop Reading, Writing, and Math skills. We also included relevant web links. Earth Day, of course, is April 22, but April is “Mathematics Awareness” month, too, so "Earth Day – Hooray!" was a perfect choice.

    One suggested activity was to have kids take up a collection of recyclable cans, just like the kids in the story. Could they predict how long it would take for their collection to grow to 100 cans to 1,000? From a 1,000 to 10,000? We also had activities based on the factoids in the stories. For example: “Americans use more than 80,000,000,000 (80 billion) aluminum cans per year.” Who counts the cans? How do they know? Do they recycle in other countries? Do you recycle at home? How many cans on average per week?



Game Time!

 (Time)
  • As you read the story, have the child note the relationships between various units of time. For example, 1 week = 7 days.
  • Circle of the child's birthday on a calendar. Ask how many months, weeks, and days until this date.
  • Before doing a chore such as cleaning a bedroom, have the child predict how long the activity will take. For chores that take less than a minute, like drying a glass, predict the duration in seconds. Time the chore, then check to see how close the estimate was.


The Grizzly Gazette

 (Percentage)
  • As you read the story, have the child find the sum of the percentages shown in each graph. It is important that the child understand that percentages represented in a circle graph will always add up to 100.
  • Help the child draw a circle graph that shows one 50% segment and two 25% segments, and another circle graph that shows one 25% segment and one 75% segment. Talk with your child about the language used to describe percentages. Equate 50% with one half of the circle, 25% with one quarter of the circle, and 75% with three quarters of the circle.
  • Cut a stick of butter or a candy bar in half. Th en cut one half into two pieces. Ask the child to name the fractions (halves and quarters). Then ask the child which piece is 25% of the whole. Point out the largest piece and ask what percentage of the whole stick it is. Put 1/4 stick and 1/4 stick together and ask what fraction and percentage the two pieces combined represent.


Hamster Champs

 (Angles)
  • Read the story with the child and point out how to read the angles on the protractor as the hamsters make the ramp steeper. Explain that angles are measured in degrees, and that a right angle as 90 degrees, while a straight line has 180 degrees.
  • Have three kids use a piece of string about six feet in length to make angles together. Have one child hold one end, the second child the other end, and the third child hold the string in the middle. Have them make 45-degree, 90-degree, and 180-degree angles.
  • Help the child fold a sheet of paper into a paper airplane – or any origami shape. After each fold, point out the angle or angles that were formed, and have him estimate and then measure the angles.


Jump, Kangaroo, Jump!

 (Fractions)
  • Ask questions throughout the story such as: "How many teams are needed?" "When the group is split so that each team has the same number of campers, how many are on each team?" "What fraction of the total number of campers is that?"
  • Talk about fractions of groups. Give the child 12 bottle caps or buttons and pretend that each one is a camper. Encourage the child to divide the campers into 2 equal teams and tell what fraction of the group each team is. Try this with 3 and 4 teams.
  • Divide 24 toothpicks into groups of 8 toothpicks each. How many groups are there? What fraction of the total is each group? What is 1/3 of 24? Use the same 24 toothpicks and try groups of 6 and 4.


Lemonade for Sale

 (Bar Graphs)
  • Read the story with the child and describe what is going on in each picture. Talk about the graphs that accompany the story. Ask questions such as: "On which day were more cups sold, Monday or Tuesday?" and "How many cups were sold on Wednesday?"
  • Make graphs of things in the real world-children playing at the park, dogs that walk past your house, cars parked on the street, etc.-by counting them each day for a week. Do more children play at the park on the Monday or Saturday? How many cars are parked on the street on Tuesday morning? How many on Sunday morning? Does the number go up or down from day to day?
  • Set up your own lemonade stand with a group of friends and create a graph to keep track of the sales. On which day did you sell the most? The least? Show when sales were going up or down.


Less Than Zero

 (Negative Numbers)
  • After reading the story, return to the graphs. Have the child retell the story by looking at the graphs to see what happened to Perry's clams.
  • Create a number line that includes numbers from -4 to 10 on a long sheet of paper. As you reread the story, keep track of Perry's clams by using a marker on the number line (a button or a penny will also work). Start with the marker on zero. When Perry gains some clams, move the marker to the right to reach the correct number. When Perry spends or loses his clams, move the marker to the left to change the number. After each move, ask, "How many clams does Perry have now?"
  • Have the child write down the amount of his or her allowance in a notebook. Then have him or her keep a running account of the funds as they are spent. Discuss what could happen if he or she wants to make a purchase after the allowance is all spent.


The Penny Pot

 (Counting Coins)
  • Place a handful of coins on the table and talk about the value of each. Ask questions such as: "Which coin is a dime?" "How many pennies equal a dime?" "How many nickels?" "Can you combine pennies and nickels to make a dime?"
  • Reread the story together and ask the child to identify the different coins in the story and tell how much each is worth.
  • Practice using coins in everyday situations: Help the child choose the coins needed to buy a magazine or a candy bar. Ask the child to help find the correct change needed to ride the bus, buy a stamp, or purchase a gumball from a machine.
  • Teacher IdeaBefore we read "The Penny Pot," I ask my kids, “How many different combinations can you make using 25 cents?” The answer is 13 different ways. The kids can use money if they choose to and write out how they came to the answer. A lot of them can do it in their heads. When I read the book, they can see the computations.


Polly's Pen Pal

 (Metrics)
  • A large grapefruit is the rough equivalent of a kilogram. Have the child hold a grapefruit, feeling its weight. Then have her pick up other objects (a book, a bag of candy, Mom's purse) and decide whether each object weighs more or less than a kilogram.
  • Have the child lie down on butcher paper or newspaper. Trace around his body with a marker. Help him measure, in centimeters, his height and the length of an arm, leg and little finger. Find the child's weight in kilograms. Then create a chart that represents him in metric measurements.
  • Cut several strings into 10-centimeter lengths. At the next play date, give children the strings and ask them to find objects that measure about 10 centimeters. The first child to find five objects is the winner.


Ready, Set, Hop!

 (Building Equations)
  • Identify the clues that suggest operations: "more" suggests addition, "less" suggests subtraction.
  • Gather some crayons, buttons, or keys. Ask, "How many are in the pile?" Add a few more. Ask, "How many are in the pile now?" Take away several and ask, "Now how many are there?"
  • Look at things in the real word and work together to create addition and subtraction problems. Examples could include fruit: 3 apples plus 2 oranges equals 5 pieces of fruit. Or pets: 3 dogs minus 1 dog equals 2 dogs. Draw pictures of these examples and write the equations under the pictures.
  • Teacher IdeaFor "Ready, Set, Hop!," we used as strip of oaktag and paper muffin wrappers to create lily pad number lines. We glued 21 muffin wrappers on the strip of oaktag and wrote the numbers from 0 to 20 in the center of them. Each participant was given a plastic frog. As we build each equation, the frog hopped along the number line. We used this book in conjunction with a song from Hap Palmer’s Math Readiness CD called “Jumping.” They are a perfect set.


Room for Ripley

 (Capacity)
  • Ask questions throughout the story, such as: "How much water is in the tank now?" "Do you think that will be enough water for Ripley, or will Carlos have to add more?" "Is a pint more or less than a quart?"
  • Give the child a measuring cup and a large jar or container. Have the child estimate how many cups of water it will take to fill the jar, and then keep track of the cups as he or she fills the container with water. After the container is filled, help the child figure out the capacity of the container. Is it approximately a pint? A quart? A half gallon? A gallon?
  • In your kitchen or at the supermarket, identify items like milk, water, or cottage cheese that come in containers of different capacities. What comes in cups? In pints? In quarts? In half gallons? In gallons?


Rodeo Time

 (Reading a Schedule)
  • In class, have each child draw up a schedule of what they do after school, Monday through Friday. How long does it take to get home? Do they stay after school for sports or band practice on certain days? Which days and for how long? Do they attend an “after-school” program at a local community center? Do they get together with friends to play, or do homework? When is dinner time? Any TV-watching, or reading before bed? When is bedtime, and what time will the alarm clock ring in the morning?
  • At home, create Family Schedules. You can focus on a particular activity (“Getting Ready for School and Work in the Morning”), or a special event such as a vacation (“What We Plan To Do Each Day”).
  • Write up a list of things that need to be done such as homework, guitar practice, preparing dinner, baking brownies, folding laundry, watching a favorite television show, playing with friends, or reading a book. Then draw up a schedule showing when those things will be done. Record how long each activity actually takes and see how it matches up.


Safari Park

 (Finding Unknowns)
  • Before reading the story, give the child 20 pieces of paper to use as tickets. Work with the child to solve each number sentence for the unknown using the tickets to help work out the problem.
  • Look at the large sign showing all the rides and the number of tickets needed for each. Have the child think of several different ways to use the 20 tickets. Write a number sentence for each one. Do the same thing with 15 tickets, 18 tickets, or 10 tickets.
  • Think of a number and offer a clue, such as "8 plus this number equals 12." When the child gets the answer, he or she picks one for you to guess.


Shark Swimathon

 (Subtracting Two-Digit Numbers)
  • Read the story together and ask the child to describe what is going on in each picture. Discuss what Coach Blue writes on the sign at the end of each practice. Ask "How many laps did the whole team swim?" and "How many more laps does the team have to swim?"
  • When taking a trip in the car, have the child write down the miles on the odometer, and periodically calculate the number of miles traveled during the trip.
  • Provide 8 dimes for each player, 50 pennies for the "bank," and create a set of cards numbered 1 through 15. Each player starts with 8 dimes. Mix up the cards and place them face down in a pile. Taking turns, players draw a card and give the amount shown to the bank. If a player does not have exact change, he or she must exchange one of their dimes for 10 pennies. The first player to get rid of all his or her money wins.


Sluggers' Car Wash

 (Dollars and Cents)
  • As you read the story, help the child understand what is happening on the clipboard. Cover up the totals and ask questions such as, "How much was spent on supplies?" or "How much did the children have after they washed Will's mother's car?"
  • Use a catalog or a newspaper insert and have the child pretend that he or she is going shopping. Give the child 10 dollars in either real bills and coins, or in play money. Then child chooses the items to "buy." After "buying" each item, he or she sets aside the money spent and counts up how much remains.
  • When you go out to eat, have the child pick what he or she wants from the menu and then calculate how much it will cost. Name an amount higher than the meal's total and ask what the change would be.


Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!

 (Multiplying)
  • Review the math summary pages and encourage the child to talk about the number of activities each animal has to do and the total number of activities that have to be done.
  • Make some cookies. Arrange the dough on each baking sheet differently-for example, in rows of 2s, 3s or 4s. While the cookies are baking, practice multiplying. Ask: "How many cookies are on the sheet?" and "After three sheets, how many cookies will we have?"
  • Draw on cards pictures of insects with different numbers of legs: spiders, ants, beetles, mosquitoes, caterpillars, etc. Count the number of legs on each insect. How many legs are there if you have two spiders, three ants, or four caterpillars?


Treasure Map

 (Mapping)
  • Help the child make a map of his or her room. The map should include a key that contains symbols or pictures of real items in the room. You can also make maps of the house, the yard, or the neighborhood.
  • On your next trip to the mall, help the child first locate where you are on the mall directory map. Then find his or her favorite stores. Look at the key and discuss the meaning of various symbols. Ask the child to find the nearest restroom or restaurant using the map.
  • Visit a site on the Internet that provides maps and directions. Help the child enter his or her address and that of a friend. Print the map and have the child trade the route from home to the friend's house. Do the directions show the same route the child is usually uses? What things other than street names does the map show?

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