Ducks Away!: Developing Early Number Sense + Freebie Alert

Quack! On the surface, Mem Fox’s Ducks Away seems deceptively simple. A mother duck is crossing a bridge with her ducklings. When one duckling falls into the water below, this poor mama has a dilemma: “What should I do? Where should I go, with four on the bridge and one below?” As one duck after the next falls into the water, you might think, “Yeah, yeah…three on the bridge, two in the water…one on the bridge, four in the water…Mem, we get the point!”

Don’t miss this though! Ducks Away is perfect for helping your own little ducklings to develop number sense.

Let me explain…

What is number sense?

“Number sense” involves an intuitive understanding of numbers and their relationships. This understanding develops through observation, experimentation, and interaction with numbers represented using different objects, tools, and activities. Some of the earliest number sense concepts children develop include “more than/less than” relationships.

Here’s an example, a child might understand that the number 9 can be made up of groups of different sizes: three groups of three, a group of eight and a group of one, a group of four and a group of five, and so on.

Why is it important?

In short, number sense makes math “easier”. Children (and adults!) who develop number sense are better prepared to use flexible thinking to solve mathematical problems. If we want our kids and students to “get” math, we need to provide them with repeated, various opportunities to explore and discover the really cool connections that exist between numbers. And, ideally, it will be fun. Learning math can be a joyful discovery, and so much of what makes it so is rooted in the fundamental understandings that kids develop about how numbers interact.

Onward and Duckward…

Ducks Away! facilitates an early understanding of relationships within five. Here are some of the specific “concepts” it explicitly addresses…

• Counting: At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to each baby duck in turn. In other words, we count from one to five.

• Part-part-whole relationships in five: Ducks Away! goes through several different groups that make up five. On each page, the numbers in each group are emphasized in red.

Use it in the classroom…

K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5, K.CC.B.6, K.OA.A.3

• Talk about “more than, less than” relationships. While reading, ask questions like “Are there more ducklings on the bridge or in the water?”

• Explore part-part-whole relationships with 5-frames. Read through the story. Then, give each child a 5-frame and 5 small manipulatives (Or, better yet…Use today’s freebie! Ducks Away! – 5 Frame). Read the story again. This time, stop on each page and have children move “ducklings” onto the bridge and into the water. While you work, ask questions like “How many ducklings are on the bridge? How many are in the water? If one more duckling falls into the water, how many ducklings will be on the bridge?” *Bonus: Need to get your kiddos moving? Make a 5-frame on the floor with masking tape. Have different students “act out” the story while you read.

Use it at home…

• Practice counting skills. Read the story with your child. Have your child touch each duckling while they count with you.

• Go duck counting!  Is there a park near your house? Go on a duck hunt! Count all the ducks. Then, count the ducks that are in the water and the ducks that are in the grass. Are any ducks different colors? Are there any ducklings? Look for different ways to group the ducks and count them!

Your turn! How do you help your students or children understand the relationships between numbers? What books do you use in the classroom?

P.S. Don’t forget today’s freebie! Ducks Away! – 5 Frame

P.P.S. Celebrate life!