Children read books about sharing equally.
Set up the books in a book or library corner.
Cuddle up with the children and explore the books together when you can.
Materials
- Bean Thirteen, by Matthew McElligott: Two bugs, Flora and Ralph, try to figure out how to share 13 beans. Even when their friends arrive, they still have a problem. Find out how the problem is solved.
- The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins: Ma makes 12 cookies for Victoria and Sam to share, but the doorbell keeps ringing and children keep on coming.
- Two of Everything, by Lily Toy Hong: In this retold Chinese folktale, an elderly couple finds an ancient pot. Magically, everything placed in the pot doubles itself.
- Rabbit and Hare Divide an Apple, by Harriet Ziefert: Two friends squabble over how to share a mushroom. A “helpful” raccoon ends up eating the whole mushroom. The next time Rabbit and Hare come up with a better way to solve the problem.
- The Lion’s Share, by Matthew McElligott: The king of the jungle has a party every year for his closest friends, even though they are greedy and ill-mannered and don’t share the cake equally and fairly.
Preparation
- Gather the books and place them in a cozy reading area.
- Read the stories yourself. Think about how you might encourage your children to talk about equal sharing as they read the books.
Directions
- Display the books in the library corner or book area for the children to read when they have free play or Learning Centers time.
- Cuddle up with the children and explore the books together when you can. As you read, encourage children to notice whether shares are equal and how they know and to say how they would solve the equipartitioning problems in each book.