K-2 teachers love to teach using picture books! Here is a list of books suggested by the Math Learning Center for teaching mathematics concepts.
Counting & Number Sense
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1,2,3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle Let’s Count by Tana Hoban Two Ways to Count to Ten by Ruby Dee 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam (used in Bridges Grade 2) 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental
Adding & Subtracting Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti Rooster's Off to See the World by Eric Carle 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam (used in Bridges Grade 2)
Multiplying Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale by Lily Toy Hong Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream by Cindy Neuschwander Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno
Dividing One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J Pinczes (used in Bridges Grade 2) The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
Time
Bats Around the Clock by Kathi Appelt Telling Time with Big Mama Cat by Dan Harper Cluck O'Clock by Kes Gray
Money Benny's Pennies by Pat Brisson (used in Bridges Grade K) Jenny Found a Penny by Trudy Harris Jelly Beans for Sale by Bruce McMillan Arthur’s Funny Money by Lillian Hoban (used in Bridges Grade 2)
Problem Solving Anno's Hat Trick by Mitsumasa Anno The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang
Fractions Jump, Kangaroo, Jump! by Stuart J. Murphy Fraction Action by Loreen Leedy Fraction Fun by David A. Adler
Geometry
So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban
A Cloak for the Dreamer by Aileen Friedman (used in Bridges Grade 2)
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, & Spheres by Tana Hoban
Measurement How Big Is a Foot? by Rolf Myller Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy Millions to Measure by David M. Schwartz (used in Bridges Grade 5) Counting on Frank by Rod Clement
Like many teachers, I'm all about PD and planning over the summer. One subject that hasn't been going so well in my room for the past few years is math, and I want to do something about it! We use a state approved curriculum called Stepping Stones that is all online. Students have workbooks, but there is not a teacher's guide or independent activities. I can download daily lesson plans, and need to supplement extra independent activities outside of the workbooks. It takes a lot of extra work for me to plan for math and I don't feel like my students really get all the concepts after I give the unit tests.
I had heard about Math Daily 3 a few years ago and implemented a version of it, but then abandoned when I moved into my current position. I'm not really sure why, but all I know is what I'm doing now doesn't make me feel good as a teacher. I know I need to focus on improving my math instruction.
I get the weekly emails from The Sisters and saw that they offer online courses now. I quickly signed up for the Math Daily 3 course and finally dug into my Second Edition book that contains information about implementing the Math Daily 3. The course includes weekly videos, LMS platform where I can ask questions and connect with other participants, downloads, and a 3-month subscription to the Daily CAFE website.
From reading the new book, I have found some changes that the Sisters have made to their Daily 5 framework from the first book. I love that these ladies are still in classrooms, working with real kids, and making improvements to their practices over the years. Isn't that what successful teachers do?
There is a whole chapter dedicated to their core beliefs as teachers:
Trust and Respect
Community
Choice
Accountability
Brain Research
Transitions and Brain/Body Breaks
As a constructivist teacher, I believe in these principles as well. They align so well with the work I do in arts-integration, OCDE Project GLAD (R), and also my recent training with Responsive Classrooms and their positive discipline techniques. Its refreshing to feel so validated with my practices when reading professional books and literature!
The Sisters believe in a 10-step process to building stamina and holding students accountable for their choices during independent work time. You can get a printable version of these steps on their website {here}. I love how reflection is built into this plan and how children clearly see and know what is expected of them.
Identify What is to Be Taught
Set a Purpose and Create a Sense of Urgency
Record Desired Behaviors on an I-Chart
Model Most-Desirable Behaviors
Model Least-Desirable Behaviors, Then Most-Desirable
Place Students Around the Room
Practice and Build Stamina
Stay Out of the Way
use a Quiet Signal to Bring Students Back to the Gathering Place
Conduct a Group Check-In; Ask "How Did It Go?"
So just like how teachers post reading strategies they've taught whole group on a CAFE board, teachers make a math board and post games they have taught whole group that students can choose from. It's important to organize materials so students can quickly and easily get everything they need to play the games.
I have some Math Station Posters in my TpT store that would definitely work for Math Daily 3. I actually just updated them to include Math Writing. I had used them for station rotations, but they could be set up as a math board, too.
I also have math tub labels for organizing your manipulatives. I think visual labels are so important in lower grades, but also in upper grades for EL students who are still learning foundational English.
How does the Math Daily 3 fit into your math instruction routines?
Throughout my work with the Maui Arts and Cultural Center and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, I have gotten the chance to work with three amazing music teacher artists: Imani Gonzalez, James McCarthy, and Frank Leto.
Imani Gonzalez is a professional jazz/world vocalist and teaching artist. She lives in Washington D.C. where she works in schools and for the Kennedy Center. Contact info here.
In Imani's session, I learned how to explore world cultures through music and artifacts. We even got a wonderful book written by Imani with a CD of her singing the songs and a teacher's guide included. The book takes you through three different cultures: India, Senegambia (the region of Senegal and Gambia in Africa), and Brazil.
The book was named for the Hindu song Dhimiki. Dhimiki roughly translates to: The universe is dancing to the rhythm of the sounds vibrating from the drums. The whole song only has 5 words: Dhimiki, dhim, nache, bola, nath.
Here is a 2nd grade social studies standard that fit perfectly with this unit: SS 2.6.1 Describe ways in which own and other cultures express their cultural beliefs and practices through music and art.
And this is a great way to hit tons of fine arts standards: how art connects to cultures, music standards with rhythm, beat, melody, musical notation, recognizing instruments, physical movement, and dance.
James McCarthy is a professional vocalist and guitarist in Honolulu, HI. He also is a drama teacher, with both an M.Ed. and an MFA in acting. More info can be found here.
In James' workshop, he taught us about place-based songwriting. First, he had us imagine a place that makes us happy - any place. It could be where we grew up, where we once lived, where we visited before, where we live now. He had us brainstorm words and write metaphors to describe this place. I chose the beach at Hulopoe Bay on Lana‘i where we used to live. It's a gorgeous white sand beach with great snorkeling and sometimes even dolphins come into the bay!
After we got our descriptions and words, we listened to this song: https://youtu.be/sBVMlYqTxwg (skip to 0:40 for the start of the song). We wrote our songs to go with the tune of Wai Ola (Water of Life).
To incorporate songwriting in my classroom, I would write a class song. We could think of a special place we have all been to, or somewhere on campus, like the garden. We would brainstorm the descriptions altogether. Then listen to the song and write words to go with the tune from our descriptions. I know that my first graders would love this process! It would be a great way to build community in the beginning of the year to write a class song - they could even perform it at Open House!
Frank Leto is a professional musician and experienced Montessori teacher in New Mexico. Find more info here.
Frank taught us all about teaching rhythm and musicality to students. The best part is, his CDs do all the heavy lifting! His Repeat After Me CD is my favorite, as it introduces instruments that students can play alongside the songs. You will need tambourines, rhythm sticks, maracas, triangles, hand drums and cymbals.
Here is a simple exercise you can do with your class as a warm up!
