Tornados are a part of life in the midwest. At school we practice tornado drills and at home my children have cuddled in the basement as sirens wailed. Thankfully, a tornado has not touched down near our home. Yet the storms leave their mark. Strong winds break branches off trees and leave puddles sprinkled throughout our neighborhood.
The casualties of the storm provide loose parts to explore and puddles perfect for play. Once the sun returns, puddles can be used to paint pictures and practice writing numbers.
How to Use the Blog Posts
PLAYFUL INVITATION
1. Prepare: You will need a paint brush and a puddle (or water in a pail).
Observe the child throughout the interaction. Use the Invitation to Play Documentation Tool to collect data.
2. Invite: Did you know you can write with water? If you dip a paintbrush in the water you can paint on the ground.
3. Play: Ask Can you write some numbers? Model how the brush can be used to write the number 1 or 2. Watch as the child writes numbers. Encourage the child to write as many numbers as he/she can. Name each number you see as the child works. Talk about what comes before or after the number he/she created.
*Trace numbers written with chalk.
*Write some numbers BIG and some numbers small.
*Draw and explore with the materials. If the child draws a picture then count what you see. “You drew one smiley face!”
4. Reflect and Assess: What numbers did the child identify? What numbers did the child write? Are there any numbers that were challenging for the child to identify or write? What else did the child draw or create with the water and brush?
Ready: The child is ready to start learning numbers as a toddler. Counting 1-10, talking about small quantities, and labeling numbers 1-3 are all important to lay an early sense of number.
Scaffold the child’s learning by writing the numbers first and having the child trace. Then have the child write the numbers independently.
Extend: On hot sunny days count how long the number stays on the sidewalk before it disappears. Match objects with the number to show quantity.