Children's Literature
I have reviewed two books that incorporate both geometry concepts and literacy. I also provided information on how to read the books with your child, how to review the books with your child, and activities you can do together, that are based off of the book. I encourage you to check the books out for yourself and share them with your child.
Cubes, Cones, Cylinders & Spheres by Tana Hoban
General Information
Bibliographical Information:
Hoban, T. (2000). Cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Storyline: This is a wordless picture book. The book depicts photographs of three-dimensional objects that you probably encounter on a daily basis.
Theme: Three-dimensional shapes in the world around us
Genre: Nonfiction
Writing Style: Wordless picture book
Readability Score: This book does not receive a readability score because it is a wordless picture book
Presentation: This is a great book to flip through with your child. Through vivid photographs, this book illustrates examples of three-dimensional objects that your child might encounter regularly.
Hoban, T. (2000). Cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Storyline: This is a wordless picture book. The book depicts photographs of three-dimensional objects that you probably encounter on a daily basis.
Theme: Three-dimensional shapes in the world around us
Genre: Nonfiction
Writing Style: Wordless picture book
Readability Score: This book does not receive a readability score because it is a wordless picture book
Presentation: This is a great book to flip through with your child. Through vivid photographs, this book illustrates examples of three-dimensional objects that your child might encounter regularly.
Front and Back Matter
- Publication information
- Photograph information
- Summary
- Images and names of the three-dimensional shapes depicted in the photographs
- List of other books by the author
Age Appropriateness
The three-dimensional shapes represented in the photographs are the same three-dimensional shapes we are currently talking about in class. Three-dimensional shapes also correspond with the PA State Standards for second grade. The photographs in this book are of images that your second grader will feel a connection with, because they are objects they see on a daily basis.
Vocabulary, Content, & Accuracy
Vocabulary: even though this is a wordless picture book, it will still require your child to have a basic understanding of the vocabulary that goes along with three-dimensional objects.
Content:
Accuracy: all of the objects represented in the photographs are accurate examples of either cubes, cones, cylinders, or spheres. There aren't any answers in the book that tell you the shapes being depicted in the photographs. You and your child will have to rely on your own understanding of the definitions of the vocabulary words listed above. If you are unsure about an object in one of the photographs, you should refer to the maths dictionary link under the vocabulary page of this website.
- cubes
- cones
- cylinders
- spheres
Content:
- three-dimensional shapes
Accuracy: all of the objects represented in the photographs are accurate examples of either cubes, cones, cylinders, or spheres. There aren't any answers in the book that tell you the shapes being depicted in the photographs. You and your child will have to rely on your own understanding of the definitions of the vocabulary words listed above. If you are unsure about an object in one of the photographs, you should refer to the maths dictionary link under the vocabulary page of this website.
Illustrations & Visual Features
Illustrations:
The vivid photographs will really help your child to see the differences between the various three-dimensional objects that are in the book. The objects in the photographs were captured at an angle that will make it easier for your child to really get a feel for each three-dimensional shape, and the differences between them. The photographs are detailed enough that after looking through the book, your child will be able to recognize examples of three-dimensional shapes in their environment and make connections with they saw in this book.
Visual Features: This book does not include any visual features. Some examples of visual features would be graphs, headings, and bold fonts
The vivid photographs will really help your child to see the differences between the various three-dimensional objects that are in the book. The objects in the photographs were captured at an angle that will make it easier for your child to really get a feel for each three-dimensional shape, and the differences between them. The photographs are detailed enough that after looking through the book, your child will be able to recognize examples of three-dimensional shapes in their environment and make connections with they saw in this book.
Visual Features: This book does not include any visual features. Some examples of visual features would be graphs, headings, and bold fonts
How to Read with your Child
I know when I am listening to a child read, I find it tricky to decide when to jump in and ask them questions and when to just let them keep going with it. Since this is a wordless picture book, the procedure for reading it with your child will be a little different than what you might be used to. Don't fret! How you go about reading a wordless picture book really depends on your child. This is what makes wordless picture books great for parents, because no one knows your child like you do! Here are some ideas/procedural steps to think about while reading this book with your child:
- Have your child read the front cover- give your child a chance to look over the cover
- Make a prediction- ask you child to use the title and the picture on the front cover to make a prediction about what the book is going to talk about
- Have your child pay special attention to the front matter- ask them what they know about the three-dimensional shapes depicted
- Start to read though the book with your child making sure to pay close attention to each photograph
- Ask your child about some of the objects in the photographs- ask what shape the objects are and where he/she might have seen them before
- The more interested your child seems in a photograph the more you should prompt their thinking with specific questions- encourage them to explain their thinking and use mathematical vocabulary
How to Review with your Child
Reviewing the book with your child after you've finished reading is just as important as reading the book. Reviewing this book with your child helps them to process what he/she has just learned. Reviewing the book also helps your child stray away from all the tiny details and focus on the big ideas. As a class, we are working on connecting what we have just read to something in our life, something in the world around us, and something we remember from previous readings. When you and your child make these connections, you are helping them to develop a deeper understanding of the information. Here are some ideas for reviewing this book with your child:
- Ask your child to describe the different three-dimensional shapes shown in the photographs
- Ask your child to explain the differences between the three-dimensional shapes in the photographs
- Have your child illustrate the three-dimensional shapes from the book
- Have your child illustrate different examples of three-dimensional shapes found in the environment
- Help your child complete a graphic organizer on the three-dimensional shapes from the book
Integrated Activity- I Want to be a Photographer!
Integrated activities are a way for your child to take what they learned from the book and apply it in real life. I like doing creative and hands-on integrated activities in the classroom because it seems to really keep students interested in the topic we discussed. Here is an activity based off of the book, that I think you will really enjoying doing with your child:
- Take your child around the neighborhood or around town to take pictures of three-dimensional objects in the environment
- Discuss the different three-dimensional objects you see in the environment and make explicit connections to the book
- Go to the store and have the photos printed
- Glue each photo onto a piece of construction paper, making sure to leave enough space under the photo to write
- Under each photo write a descriptive sentence or two about the picture. Make sure to incorporate mathematical vocabulary from the book.
- Create a title page
- Laminate the pages for durability purposes
- Bind the pages together at an office supplies store or you can use a hole puncher and some string
The Wing on a Flea by Ed Emberley
General Information
Bibliographical Information:
Emberley, E. (2001). The wing on a flea. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
Storyline: The book introduces different two-dimensional shapes and sizes. It talks about how the shapes can stand alone or can be put together to create different images. The book explains and illustrates where you can see these shapes in the world around you.
Theme: Two-dimensional shapes in the world around us
Genre: Fiction
Writing Style: The rhyming nature of this book and the repetition of a specific phrase, gives the story an easy flow.
Presentation: The presentation of this book is very child friendly. The book is filled with bright and cheery illustrations. The story rhymes from beginning to end, giving the book a silly feel. These reasons combined is what makes this book great for second grade!
Emberley, E. (2001). The wing on a flea. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
Storyline: The book introduces different two-dimensional shapes and sizes. It talks about how the shapes can stand alone or can be put together to create different images. The book explains and illustrates where you can see these shapes in the world around you.
Theme: Two-dimensional shapes in the world around us
Genre: Fiction
Writing Style: The rhyming nature of this book and the repetition of a specific phrase, gives the story an easy flow.
Presentation: The presentation of this book is very child friendly. The book is filled with bright and cheery illustrations. The story rhymes from beginning to end, giving the book a silly feel. These reasons combined is what makes this book great for second grade!
Front and Back Matter
- Publication Information
- Information on the difference between real fleas and the colorful one depicted in the story
- Interactive component: seeing how various shapes were used to make a clown
- Information on more books by the author
Age Appropriateness
This book is appropriate for your child because two-dimensional shapes are a part of the second grade curriculum and it is also something that coincides with the PA State Standards for Mathematics. The book is written in a rhyming fashion which is also something that is focused on in the second grade curriculum. The illustrations are colorful, lively, and fit with the interests of students in second grade.
Vocabulary, Content, & Accuracy
Vocabulary:
Content:
Accuracy: each vocabulary word is accurately depicted through various examples that your child will be able to relate to.
- triangle
- rectangle
- circle
Content:
- two-dimensional object
Accuracy: each vocabulary word is accurately depicted through various examples that your child will be able to relate to.
Illustrations & Visual Features
Illustrations: the illustrations in the book are vital to your child's understanding of each line in the story. When a new shape is introduced, the text gives various examples of those shapes in real life, that your child will be able to connect with. Your child may not understand an example that was given in the text and that's where the pictures come in handy. The illustrations really do a great job of enhancing each line of the story.
Visual Features: this book doesn't contain any visual features. All of the text is written in the same font and same size. There are no headings or subheadings included.
Visual Features: this book doesn't contain any visual features. All of the text is written in the same font and same size. There are no headings or subheadings included.
Readability Score
I determined the readability score by securing a 100 word passage in the book. Then, I counted the number of sentences in those 100 words. Next, I counted the number of syllables those 100 words contain. This book has 11 sentences in a 100 word passage. This book also has 119 syllables in a 100 word passage. Using this information, I was able to determine that the readability score of this book is a second grade level. Therefor, I think this book would be very appropriate for your child. This is very important to consider when choosing a book for your child. If the difficulty of the book is to high for your child then he/she will become easily frustrated. If the difficulty level of the book is to low, then chances are your child will be very bored.
How to Read with your Child
Here are some of my ideas on how to go about reading this book with your child:
- Have your child read the front cover- give your child a chance to look over the cover
- Make a prediction- ask you child to use the title and the picture on the front cover to make a prediction about what the book is going to talk about
- Start to read though the book with your child making sure to pay close attention to the details in the pictures
- Ask your child about some of the objects in the illustrations- ask your child about all the different shapes that make up each character/object
- The more interested your child seems in an illustration, the more you should prompt their thinking with specific questions- encourage them to explain their thinking and use mathematical vocabulary
How to Review with your Child
As I mentioned before, reviewing books with your child after you've finished reading, is just as important as the reading of the book itself. Here are some ideas for reviewing this book with your child:
- Ask your child to describe the different two-dimensional shapes from the book
- Ask your child to explain the differences between the various two-dimensional shapes depicted in the book
- Have your child illustrate the two-dimensional shapes from the book
- Have your child illustrate different examples of two-dimensional shapes found in the environment
- Help your child complete a graphic organizer about the two-dimensional shapes focused on in the book
Integrated Activity- Shape Poetry
A great activity you can do with your child is two write poetry about specific two-dimensional shapes. You can work with your child on shape poetry by picking a shape and referencing the vocabulary section of this website. Once you have the shape in mind and its characteristics, you and your child can help each other come up with words that will rhyme with the characteristics of the shape you picked. You can encourage your child to enhance the effect of the poem by adding an Illustration. I found a website that has examples of shape poems. I will post the link below for your to reference as you please. Here is an example of a shape poem that I found on the website:
Sammy Square
Sammy Square is my name
My 4 sides are just the same
Turn me around, I don't care
I'm always the same, I'm a square!
Shape Poems Examples
Sammy Square
Sammy Square is my name
My 4 sides are just the same
Turn me around, I don't care
I'm always the same, I'm a square!
Shape Poems Examples
References:
Emberley, E. (2001). The wing on a flea. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
Hoban, T. (2000). Cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
www.amazon.com
http://www.readinglady.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=40
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/
Hoban, T. (2000). Cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
www.amazon.com
http://www.readinglady.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=40
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/