Title: Ten Black Dots
Author: Donald Crews
Publisher/Date: Scribner, 1968
ISBN: 9780688060688
Summary: Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews is a counting book that uses black dots as the main representation of counting. Within the book the dots go through each number 1-10 and give examples of how many dots there are, With the idea of counting dots within each page, the book gives pictures too in correspondence with the words and counting numbers.
Evaluation/Rating: In evaluating this book, I read it a couple times once to read it for the first time, and the second time to thoroughly evaluate it. Upon reading it once through, I thought to myself how I liked the different examples of each counting number. For example, when the book said that two dots can make the eyes of a fox or the eyes of keys that open locks. Not only is it giving you math, but it is also giving you knowledge of names of different parts of a key, and it is giving you names of different facial features,The second time was when the idea that the book gives you two example of where the specific number of dots can be used is a great way to help students get a number of different examples of ways to make 2 or 3 so children can count it out. The big black text is a great visual for children as well which is a great attribute to the book. I like how teachers can incorporate vocabulary too from the book. It also includes rhyming which is a great literacy skill. In terms of rating I would give this book a 4 because it does have great examples, and it has bold texts, and great pictures to aid the reader for counting purposes. I think if they included a page at the end where they did not show the dots in each number column like they did with the one page, and made an opportunity for the students to fill it in as a class with the teacher that would have been a great way to practice. The last page with the dots in the correct number columns is great, I personally would have added in a fill in page for practice.
Gina, Ten Black Dots is a book that I was introduced to my Sophomore year of college at NCC. I read the book to a kindergarten class as an introduction to math and they loved it. The dots can be overwhelming but it guides them to count along as you are doing a read aloud.
ReplyDeleteKrista, how cool you read this book!!! Perfect! I have to agree, and although I did not mention that in the evaluation, I do agree.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this book is very old, it still does a very nice job introducing beginning math concepts, such as numeracy and one to one correspondence. Great book review!
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