In The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins, Ma makes cookies for Victoria and Sam to share, but new kids keep arriving.
Read the book aloud.
As you read, ask the children how they would divide the cookies.
Materials
- The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
- Paper Cookies (PDF)
- Cardstock or plain paper
- Scissors
Preparation
- Print the Paper Cookies PDF, on cardstock if possible, and cut out the cookies.
- Read the story through before presenting it to the children. Think about how you might engage the children in discussing the equal-sharing problems in the story (see Directions for some suggestions).
Directions
- Before You Read: Move your finger across the words as you read the title of the book and the names of the author/illustrator. Invite the children to look at the art on the book cover and describe what they see. Have the group count along as you point to each child on the book cover. Ask, What are the children doing?
- As You Read: Pause and ask the children to suggest ways to solve the equal-sharing challenges in the story. Each time new characters arrive, ask, How many children are there now? How many cookies are there in all? How many cookies do you think each child will get so everyone has the same number of cookies? How do you know?
Note: You may want to use the cookie props as a visual aid to help the children understand the story and the math.