"What can you do with ten black dots?" That's how the picture book Ten Black Dots, by Donald Crews, starts out.
My response: a lot, when it comes to preschool and primary grade math. Not only are dots great for counting, but they also can be a great resource for children who are learning about coins.
You'd be amazed at what large, black dots can become in a picture book. In this case, they can be transformed into seeds, beads, buttons, marbles, wheels, balloons, and yes, even coins. Talk about bringing math to life!
Whether your child is just starting to understand how to add, or is already making change with coins, there are so many things that can be done with this simple, yet clever, picture book. Here are some ideas for different ages and levels of understanding, which can be used in your home or classroom:
Preschool/Kindergarten addition (pre-coins):
- Show the children small, multi-colored dot stickers, and tell them that they'll be using them later to do an art project. Ask them what shape the dots are. Then ask them to name some objects (inside or outside) that are also shaped like a circle.
- Show them the book, and then tell them that it'll help them to figure out some more things that are shaped like a circle.
- Read the book, using props to show them some of the objects that are referred to, and pausing if they want to mention other items. Take your time.
- At the end, ask them to count the dots and identify the numbers with you.
- Let them count out 10 dot stickers and use them to create an art project of some sort. For example, one child might draw a person, using the dots as eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc....
- You could either stop there, or let them count out another 10 dots, writing the numbers next to them.
1st Grade:
- Similar introduction to the above, but have the children use two different colors of dots to make simple addition and subtraction word problems. For example, 2 red dots plus 8 yellow dots equals 10 dots in all.
- If you have multiple copies of the book (in a classroom), pairs of students could put pennies on the dots in the book. They could count the cents and make up stories and/or word problems. You can find two other posts about pennies here and here.
- You could also make a store, labeling the prices of items with dots. For example, something worth 3 cents would have three dots, but it would also say 3 and the cents sign. That's if you're just starting out with pennies.
- You could also use this book in conjunction with When Coins and Picture Books Collide, Part 3 to help them to understand that 5 pennies equals one nickel. It can eventually be used to transition to dimes as well.
Addition and subtraction are important operations that can take a while for children to understand. If they have many hands-on experiences with a variety of objects, it will make it a lot easier for them to understand the concept of making change later on.
Picture books like Ten Black Dots help children to make connections between themselves, the world, and math. When you combine math with literacy, art, and hands-on learning, children are more likely to understand and remember what they learned.
Please note that there are many creative ways this book could be connected with yesterday's book about splashes of colorful dots.
Can you think of any other ways to use Ten Black Dots?
