Nyack Basics by Valley Cottage Library: Count, Group, and Compare
Information and materials related to the Nyack Basics Campaign
Why is this important?
Every child’s brain is wired for math. Make talking about numbers, shapes, patterns, and comparisons a focus of your time together and watch your child learn to love math.
Videos in English and Spanish about Maximizing Love and Managing Stress in everyday life.
For Infants
- Move to the beat. Tap your baby’s tummy or clap their hands together to the rhythm of a song. Or rock them as you sing a lullaby.
- Count. For example, count and wiggle each of their toes. Or count as you gently bounce them in your lap.
- Compare objects. Help your baby explore things that are the same and different. Let them shake containers that make different sounds. Or give them different types of fabrics to touch (like smooth and scratchy). Talk about the differences.
- Fill up and dump out. For example, use a container to scoop and dump water in the bathtub. Use words like “in,” “out,” “full,” and “empty.”
Books for Infants
Bedtime 123 by Call Number: JP WALTERSISBN: 9781459810730Publication Date: 2017-09-12Lull your little one to sleep while counting the animals also nestling in for the night. Count the stars coming out, fox cubs snuggling, puppies piling and chicks cuddling as baby rocks gently to sleep in this gorgeously illustrated board book from bestselling author Eric Walters and award-winning illustrator Josée Bisaillon.
Ten Pigs - An Epic Bath Adventure by Call Number: BB ANDERSONISBN: 9781338135817Publication Date: 2017-06-27A hysterical epic counting bath adventure...with a squeaky clean twist! One very happy pig - one bubbly bathtub. Everything is perfect until nine more join in! And ten? One pig looks to take a relaxing bath in solitude, only to be joined by another pig, then another, then another! When Pig Number 10 jumps into the crowded tub, it's time for the first pig to come up with plan to take over bath time once and for all.
1, 2, 3 Moose by Call Number: BB HELMANISBN: 9781632170323Publication Date: 2016-02-23Eminent photographer Art Wolfe's images of moose, cougars, mallards, and sea lions are a wonderful visual aid for children learning to count. Wolfe draws inspiration from his home region, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, but the crisp photographs of bald eagles, sea otters, scallop shells, and trumpeter swans have a universal appeal. While the images engage young readers, Andrea Helman's short, accessible text introduces the animals with fun facts, so children learn without even realizing it!
Doggy Kisses 123 by Call Number: BB PARRISBN: 9780316207379Publication Date: 2013-12-03Meet ten colorful, lovable (and sometimes a little slobbery) canine friends in this kid-friendly concept book. From one doggy kiss all the way up to ten, each page stars playful pooches showing love the best way they know how. Featuring a padded cover and thick card-stock pages and filled with Todd Parr's signature bold and kid-friendly illustrations, here's a book that will make readers laugh out loud as they learn to count.
How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight? by Call Number: BB BAJAJISBN: 9780316823814Publication Date: 2004-04-01"How many kisses do you want tonight?" the animals ask, snuggling critters tight. This adorable counting bedtime book celebrates the special ritual of goodnight kisses. Children and baby animals request from one to a million kisses from their parents when they settle in for the night. The simple, rhyming text makes for a perfect read aloud.
Count with Maisy by Call Number: BB COUSINSISBN: 9780763602345Publication Date: 1999-03-03A board book with Maisy and one ladybug, two flowers, three buckles, and more!
For Toddlers
- Compare sizes and amounts. Your toddler may be interested which things are “big” or “little.” You can also talk to them about whether they want “more” or “less.”
- Look for shapes. Point out shapes and describe them to your child. "Look, that window is a square with four sides." See if they can find and name shapes around them.
- Match and sort. Make a game of matching and sorting objects into groups. Arrange them by color, shape, or size. For example, find as many green things as you can, then sort them from smallest to largest.
- Measure while cooking. Find safe ways for your toddler to participate while you are in the kitchen, like counting and helping to measure ingredients.
- Stack blocks. Encourage your toddler to stack blocks or other objects like plastic cups. Talk to them about what they’re doing.
- Count objects then regroup them. Point to each object as you count and say how many there are. Split the objects into two groups. Then count each group separately. Try it again with different groupings.
- Clap in a pattern. Have your toddler repeat the pattern and dance with you.
Books for Toddlers
Countablock by Call Number: JP FRANCESCHELLIISBN: 9781419713743Publication Date: 2014-08-05Countablock features thick pages cut into the shape of each number, creating a sort of peek-through guessing game around the number form itself. One egg becomes...one chick! From snowmen to puddles and acorns to oaks, quantities are illustrated twice: both before and after their "transformations."
Mokomaki by Call Number: JP KONTINENISBN: 9781576878057Publication Date: 2017-11-07Meet the Mokomakis, a group of little birds who flit playfully through these pages while teaching the basics of numeracy. A mummy fox is searching for her lost baby and asks the Mokomakis for help as she looks. The little birds cheerfully mount a search through the forest, where they meet lots of other creatures, who helpfully join in - and kids can, too! As they search, readers practice sequencing, sorting and classifying, comparing and grouping while looking for the missing fox.
Spot Can Count by Call Number: JP HILLISBN: 0399234543Publication Date: 1999-11-08The perfect first counting book from 1 to 10 for young children with their favorite puppy leading the way in this popular lift-the-flap. Spot is on the farm when he sees one mouse nibbling grain and starts counting. The reader can count along with Spot and Lift the flap to find the answer and a surprise comment from a funny bird, the barn cat, a little frog at the pond, and other new friends.
Ten, Nine, Eight by Call Number: JP BANGISBN: 0688009069Publication Date: 2003-03-04Loving kisses, soft friends, a comfy nightgown with bright round buttons-even the most wide-awake listener won't be able to resist the gentle rhymes of this bedtime countdown. From ten small toes to one big girl tucked snugly under her covers, Ten, Nine, Eight glows with the tender warmth between parent and child.
Ten Little Fingers, Two Small Hands by Call Number: JP DEMPSEYISBN: 9781499802290Publication Date: 2016-07-05Count each little finger one by one in this sweet picture book. Ten little fingers, one hand . . . two. Two small hands belong to you! Join a group of toddlers as they enjoy delicious treats, and count one by one as one little finger points to cake, two little fingers tap a plate, three little fingers pinch a bite, and four little fingers squish it tight! But one piece just isn't enough--they want more! When they're done, a parent cleans and kisses "two small hands on one small you!"
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Call Number: JP FOXISBN: 9780152060572Publication Date: 2008-10-01As everyone knows,nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes. . . . And here, from two of the most gifted picture-book creators of our time, is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes, and the joy they--and the babies they belong to--bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!
Ten Tiny Tickles by Call Number: JP KATZISBN: 9780689859762Publication Date: 2005-06-01How many tickles does baby need to start the day? Cuddle and laugh with this count & read book!
