Counting Books
Counting books can serve as an entry point for classes starting out on their Math/Number Talks journey. As the teachers shares pages of the counting book with students, they demonstrate using their fingers different ways to show the same quantity and predict which number will come next.
Considerations when using counting books:
- Focus on the text that deals with quantities. No need to read any accompany storylines during the Math/Number Talk.
- Keep students engaged by reading a few pages at a time. The entire book does not need to be read in one sitting.
- As students share their responses using their fingers, point out different combinations or configurations.
- If students use academic language such as “4+4=8,” highlight this by recording the number sentence.
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Questions you might ask students:
- “Is there another way to show [quantity]?”
- “What do you notice about the numbers in the book?”
Counting Book Resources