This book offers a fun and different way of counting. It talks about morning rituals that will counterbalance all the books out there about night time rituals.

Materials

• Pictures of animals and their feet.
• Several sentence strips or long strips of paper with the numbers 0-10 written across.

• A sentence strip for each child.

Vocabulary

• Names of body parts. Include ones that the children might not know such as eye lashes, knuckles, thighs, ear lobes, etc..

Before Reading the Story

Ask the children to help name body parts that people have two of. Now ask the children if they can name body parts that you only have one of, ten of, many of (teeth, hairs, freckles)? Introduce the children and tell them that as you read the story, they will need to help you count the feet.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; uses an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.

Reading the Story

While reading the story, touch the feet as you count them.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.

After Reading the Story

Have all the girls stick their feet into the circle and ask, how many feet do you think there are? Count all the girl’s feet. Repeat with the boy’s feet. Which have more feet, girls or boys? Now count all the feet together, there are a lot of feet!

Mathematics/Number & Operations; Begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater that, fewer, equal to. AND Mathematics/Number & Operations; demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means to solving problems and determining quantity.

Discovery

Bring in an insect that is common to your area. Put it into a container that the children can observe it through. How many feet does this insect have? Do you see it’s eyes? How does the creature move? (I have found that roly polies and crickets work well).

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; develops increasing ability to observe and discuss common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects and materials.

Music and Movement

Teach the children Hap Palmer’s song, What a Miracle.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFlVciz8aGs

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences

Teach the chant, Left Foot Right Foot.

Left foot, right foot I am cool

Left foot, right foot I learned at school.

Make sure you are standing facing the children when you do this. You will put out your opposite foot so the children will mimic using their correct foot. Continue doing, hand, knee. elbow, hip. etc..

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; demonstrates increasing ability to attend to and understand conversations, stories, songs, and poems.

Blocks

Ask the child if they can build a structure using only ten blocks. Then ask them if they can build a structure using only five blocks, etc.? Observe if they are able to build using the correct number of blocks.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; begins to use one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following swimple and multi-step directions.

Art

Help each child draw around their shoe onto a piece of paper. Challenge them to decorate their shoe from a looking down perspective. For younger children it is easier to trace around their hand and then decorate it (fingernails, rings, freckles, hairs).

Social & Emotional Development/Self-Concept; begins to develop and express awareness of self in terms of specific abilities, characteristics, and preferences. AND Science/Scientific Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and respect for their bodies and the environment.

Sand and Water

Put large rubber animals in the table today with wet sand. Stamp out animal foot prints.

Approaches to Learning/Initiative a& Curiosity; chooses to participate in an increasing variety of tasks and activities.

Library and Writing

On a sentence strip make the numbers 0-10. Give the children each their own sentence strip and encourage them to copy the numbers onto it. They can then cut these out and glue them to a piece of paper.

Literacy/Early Writing; experiments with a variety of writing tools and materials, such as pencils, crayons, and computers. AND Approaches t Learning/Engagement & Persistence; grows in abilities to persist in and complete a variety of tasks , activities, projects, and experiences.

Dramatic Play

Put out many pairs of shoes today so the children will be aware of their feet as they play. If you have the supplies, you could set up a pretend shoe store. As the children try on the different shoes, help them be aware if the shoes are too big, too small, or just right for their feet.

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; grows in recognizing and solving problems through active exploration, including trial and error, and interactions and discussions with peers and adults.

Math and Manipulatives

On a piece of paper write the number 0. On another write the number 2, 4, and 6. Put the papers on the table and give the child the picture so animals. Have the child count the number of feet and put the picture on the correct piece of paper. Put the 1 paper on the left and the 6 paper on the right. After the children sort the animals, point to the piles and say,”more, more, and most”.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means of solving problems and determining quantity. AND begins to use language to compare numbers of objects with terms such as more, less, greater than, fewer, equal to.

Outdoor Play

Take off your shoes and socks today and let the children walk barefoot on a variety of surfaces (sand, wet sand, grass, cement, gravel). Talk about how each one feels and which one they like the best.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather informations, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Take off your shoes today and let the children paint with their feet. Use a long piece of bulletin board paper, have the children paint their feet with a paintbrush, and then hold the hand of a friend as they walk across the paper. Have either a hose or a pan of water they can wash their feet off with. Supply several towels for drying.

Creative Arts/Art; gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.

Transitions

Ask several children stand together. Ask another child to count how many feet there are in the grouping. Ask different groups of children 1-5 come up and let the others count their feet.

Mathematics/Number & Operations; demonstrates increasing interest and awareness of numbers and counting as a means of solving problems and determining quantity.

Resources