Toddler Program
Contando para campeones /
Counting for Champions
By Alexandra Corona and Paula Gonzales
Books to Share
- Cuenta ratones by Ellen Stoll Walsh.
- Delicious Hullabaloo / Pachanga deliciosa by Pat Mora.
- Diez, nueve, ocho by Molly Bang.
- Diez perros en la tienda: un libro para contar by Claire Masurel.
- Spot Can Count by Eric Hill.
- Uno, dos, tres: One, Two, Three by Pat Mora.
Bulletin Board
Reading Counts!
Enlarge some of the artwork from Jan Brett’s Home Page at http://janbrett.com/numbers/main_page.htm or http://janbrett.com/games/matching_words_numbers.htm to mount on your bulletin board. Her characters include many fun animals with numbers on them.
Nametag
Hold Hands!
Make nametags using the hand pattern provided. Toddlers will use their hands to count from one to ten several times during this program.
Displays
Numbers
Display concept books about numbers on a table in the storytime room.
Refreshments
Serve cheese sticks and round crackers. Ask the children to try to make the numeral 10 using the cheese and crackers before they eat their snack. Encourage the children to see what other numbers can be made from the sticks and crackers.
Fingerplays
En la calle del ocho
(Traditional. English translation by Alexandra Corona.)
En la calle del ocho
Me encontré a Pinocho,
Y me dijo que contará
Del uno al ocho:
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
Cinco, seis, siete, ocho.
On the Street of Number Eight
On the street of number eight
I found Pinocchio,
And he told me
To count to eight: (Hold up fists, unfolding one finger at a time while counting)
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven, eight.
Action Rhymes
A brincar
(Traditional. English translation by Alexandra Corona. Hop on one foot each time you say the word “brinca.” Clap your hands when counting.)
Brinca, brinca, brinca alto.
Brinca, brinca de un salto.
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco.
Seis, siete, ocho, nieve, diez.
Brinca, brinca otra vez.
Hop
Hop, hop, hop high.
Hop, hop, and hop.
One, two, three, four, five.
Otra vez da un brinco. One more time hop again.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Hop, hop, and hop again.
Songs
Diez chiquitos deditos
(Translated by Paula Gonzales. Sing to the tune of “Ten Little Indians.” Hold up fingers as you sing.)
Un chiquito, dos chiquitos,
Tres chiquitos deditos.
Cuatro chiquitos, cinco chiquitos,
Seis chiquitos deditos.
Siete chiquitos, ocho chiquitos,
Nueve chiquitos deditos,
Y uno mas son diez.
Ten Little Fingers
(Traditional)
One little, two little,
Three little fingers.
Four little, five little,
Six little fingers.
Seven little eight little,
Nine little fingers,
And another little finger makes ten.
Flannel Boards
Read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. A cookie pattern is provided. Make pieces based on the book to place on the flannel board as you read the story. At minimum, you will want to have twelve cookies.
Crafts
Caterpillars
Materials
- 2-inch diameter circles cut from green construction paper
- Sheets of white 14.5” X 12” construction paper
- White self-adhesive dots
- Glue sticks
- Black crayons
Directions
Give each child five green circles and a piece of white construction paper. Let them arrange the green circles in a row with each circle touching the adjoining ones. Glue the circles on the white construction paper to create a five-sectioned caterpillar. Let the children use black crayons to draw eyes and legs on the caterpillar. In advance, write numbers from one to five on the self-adhesive dots. Give each child stickers to put in numerical order on the body of the caterpillar.
Games and Activities
Play hopscotch. Use duct tape or masking tape to form the squares and numbers. Although the concept is the same, children in various countries draw different grids for the numbers. Visit Topics Online Magazine to see a version of hopscotch from Colombia. Very young children will not understand the rules of the game, but will enjoy hopping from number to number. If funds permit, purchase a hopscotch rug from a company like Ideal Fitness, Inc.
Professional Resources
- The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins.
- Ideal Fitness, Inc.
- www.shapeupshop.com
- This on-line store sells a variety of sports, games, and exercise equipment.
- Jan Brett’s Home Page
- http://janbrett.com
- This well-known author/illustrator provides an enormous assortment of coloring pages, games, activities, and more for use with kids.
- Topics Online Magazine
- www.topics-mag.com
- An on-line magazine for learners of English. Issue 11 includes information about children’s games from around the world.
