Counting, Adding, and Subtracting Story Time

Today's story time was an outreach at a local elementary school. I decided to pick books on counting, adding, and subtracting to help the pre K class with mathematical concepts. The first book that I read was Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani. Stack the Cats features pictures of bright and colorful cats. Throughout the book the cats sleep, stack, play, teeter, totter, nap, and tumble. This is an excellent counting book! The children had a lot of fun counting the cats with me. Together, the children and I counted all of the cats on the page and the number of cats in the stacks. Counting the number of cats in the stacks is an excellent way to introduce the concept of addition. For example, two stacks of three cats equals six cats and three stacks of three cats equals nine cats.

The next book that I read was Quack and Count by Keith Baker. In this book, the children and I counted the ducklings. The book also introduces the concept of addition. For example, "7 ducklings, 5 plus 2 playing games of peekaboo" and "chasing busy bumblebees, 7 ducklings, 4 plus 3." After I read this book, the children and I sang "Five Little Ducks". I had "Five Little Ducks" on a flannel board.

The last book that I read was Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy. This is a fun colorful book that introduces the concepts of addition and subtraction through a game of monsters playing musical chairs. As each monster is eliminated from each round, a black X mark is shown across the monster's face on the far right-hand side of the page.

Edible Numbers introduces counting to children by showing unusual types of varieties and colors of vegetables that we eat every day.

Eggs 123 is a beautifully illustrated book. In this book, different eggs for different animals, such as platypuses, caterpillars, robins, fireflies, turtles, snakes, and tadpoles, to name just a few, are featured. The children can count the eggs and guess which egg is for which animal. It's not easy to guess!

Hardworking Puppies introduces the concept of subtraction. At the beginning of the book there are ten puppies. Each puppy leaves to help in certain jobs. For example, one puppy leaves to become a sled dog and the other puppy leaves to become a circus dog. The last puppy leaves to become a boy's beloved pet.

Over the Castle introduces counting by describing a typical day at the castle and can be sung to the tune of "Over in the Meadow".

1 Big Salad introduces the concept of counting through very creative salad ingredients, such as two radish mice, four carrot horses, and six cucumber alligators!