There are SO many wonderful books available that it will take all year for me to introduce my children to them all. We are adding the Pete the Cat series to our list of favourites. It's important to know that literature is always linked to curriculum in my classroom. I use the stories to engage the children, so that they learn, without even knowing it! In his first story, Pete lets the children know that when things go wrong (like when his white shoes turn red after he steps in a pile of strawberries) he just keeps walking along and Goodness No!, he does not cry!
I used the second book about Pete's groovy buttons to focus on the concept of addition. Using buttons, the students demonstrated their ability to independently manipulate the buttons to find five different equations that use two addends to make four. Through this simple activity, I am able to assess which students need to practise this concept before moving on to a new concept.
By having the students make Pete (by the way the pattern was shared by another teacher on her blog, so cute and so generous of her) I am able to see which students are able to follow directions, can manage more than one task on their own, and even who may need special assistance with fine motor co-ordination. Nothing is ever done in class without an educational purpose behind it! Even picking out the buttons involved seeing if the students could distinguish between colours.
Another teacher shared these darling posters which now are displayed in our room. Pete is cool!
Here's a cute video for Pete the Cat and his four Groovy Buttons
Hope to see many of you at the early morning (7:00 a.m.!!) Welcome Breakfast on Friday morning!
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