10 Apples Up On Top - 100 Days Project: mat time resources

I made a felt resource to go with Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr Seuss.  This was a huge hit at mat time, with children taking turns to put an apple up on top while I read the story, and counting how many were there and how many more we needed.

Then after lunch some of the children did it themselves, working together and finding the corresponding numbers which they put next to each apple.

I made a basic apple shaped template, and a face template.  Details were added to the face using a fine Sharpie pen, and the hair was a scrap piece of felt glued on top using PVA glue.

This has been a hugely popular story that children choose to do every day in their own time. There was a lovely moment one day when a group of three children had sat down to do this story together. One girl had the book, and was turning the pages (she was the 'teacher'), while the other two took it in turns to put the felt apples on the board. They counted how many apples were in the picture in the book, then made sure they put the same amount of apples on the mat. They were busy counting and checking as they went methodically through the book, turning each page and spending time looking at the picture and counting to see how many apples they needed.

Another group of children used number magnets when they did the story. They had a basket of magnets, and after they had put the apples up on top, they spent time looking for the right number to put next to each number. If one had trouble, another one would find the correct number and say "Here it is!". They were learning number recognition, ordering, and before and after numbers. And problem solving, as they figure out how to make number '10'. They were checking the order of the numbers themselves, correcting themselves, and learning from each other. I love how these story sacks empower children to take the story into their own hands rather than being teacher directed. It is so powerful and the learning that happens from it is incredible. I love seeing how engaged they are, for extended periods of time, as they engage with the story, and listening to the language that evolves from it.

Some children even put the apples on top of their own heads! I want to make red and green beanbags so we can see how many 'apples' the Tamariki can balance on their heads! That could be a fun way to include a physical aspect to the book.

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