Mouse Collections
Preschool storytime is a great time to teach mathematics! In this video, two teachers use Ellen Stoll Walsh’s Mouse Count to illustrate the concept of “less and more.” Students role-play either as the snake, who collects mice for dinner one by one, or the mice, who eventually outsmart the snake and escape one by one. Using role-playing and storytelling provides younger students a jumping-off point for learning more abstract math ideas.
Why is this important?
Children think about what makes a story a number story. They model joining and separating situations with their bodies and with concrete objects and describe changes to a collection as objects are added or taken away.
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The Early Math Collaborative works to improve math instruction for young children in three ways:
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