Ten Friendly Fish

Ten Friendly Fish

Posted by: Sheryl Cleghorn

Title: Ten Friendly Fish

Author and Illustrator: Debbie Tarbett

Recommended Grade Level: Grades Pre-K-K.

Common Core Standards Addressed:

PK.CC. Counting and Cardinality: Know number names and the count sequence.

PK.CC.3 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities to 10; connect counting to cardinality.

PK.CC.3a When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.

PK.CC.3b Understand that the last number said tells the number of objects counted.  The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they are counted.

Summary: This book is intended to encourage early counting skills. The book is about ten fish who go out swimming together on an adventure.  One by one they get distracted by other sea creatures and go off playing and exploring. The numbers start at ten and then decreases by one digit as the fish meet new friends and then go off. The numbers eventually get back to ten as the fish are reunited.

Ratings **** This is a good book.  A fun rhyming story that makes it an easy and enjoyable read! The book is a little basic, but it’s a counting book that will appeal to pre-K as well as kindergarten students. The fish are in 3D which makes them visually appealing and fun to count. The colors are bold and visually engaging. This book introduces counting from 1-10 as well as counting backwards from 10.

Classroom ideas: This book can be used to teach pre-k-K.  It introduces the important numeracy concept of one to one correspondence, with one number being represented by one object. Importantly, this book helps children make the connection between recitation of numbers and quantity.

It can also be used to teach and reinforce counting forwards to ten and backwards from ten.

This book is suitable for both regular and special education classrooms. The book can be placed in the center time math area allowing for free exploration by the children.  It can be paired with manipulatives such as counting bears and legos, to name a few! The book helps children to visually identify the numbers from 1-10. This book can also be paired with playdough, chalk and pencils to provide practice in writing the numbers. For a math lesson, teachers can also provide number peg boards along with pegs. The children will have to  identify the numbers as well as count and select the appropriate number of pegs indicated on their boards.