*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime.
Ages: Toddlers through Kindergarten
Written by: Danica McKellar Illustrated by: Alicia Padron
Goodnight, Numbers is one of the best counting books that we have seen. It is a wonderful book about numbers and counting. Each page displays the number and number word and provides many opportunities to count objects related to bedtime. At the end of the book, the author, Danica McKellar, gives a list of math activities to use after you have read this delightful book.
Even though math is the focus of this book, it also has rhyming words on each page, which is a very important literacy component. It is so important to read rhyming books to children early and often. We will list some literacy activities to incorporate with this book.
(You may recognize author and actress, Danica McKellar, from her work in a number of television rolls, including The Wonder Years and in many Hallmark Movies.)
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading, do a picture walk through the book and ask your child to look at the pictures and tell you what is happening on each page.
- As you read through the pages the first time, the child can count the objects with your assistance if needed.
- On a second reading of the book, find the words that rhyme. (spoon, soon; feet, sweet; cans, pans, etc.)
- Say two words and ask the child if they rhyme or say a word and ask the child to think of a rhyming word.
- For children 4 years old and up, use magnetic letters to show rhyming patterns. (See pictures below.) Make the words “cat”, “mat”, and “bat”, and point to the “at” rhyming pattern. Have the child say the words with you so that they can hear the rhyming pattern.
- As children progress with letter sounds, make new rhymes with the magnetic letters. Show the word “cat”, then remove the “c” and replace it with an “m” to make mat. (See picture below.) Continue making new rhyming words using the same rhyming pattern. Ask the child to say the words with you while you point to them.
- As the child’s fine motor skills develop, begin writing the patterns. Developing the reading/writing connection is very important.
**Magnetic letters can be purchased locally and on-line. The magnetic letters used to demonstrate in the pictures below were purchased from Amazon. The cost was around $20.00.
Additional Books:
- Bear Counts By: Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
- Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 By: Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, Lois Ehlert
- I Knew Two Who Said Moo: A Counting Rhyming Book By: Judi Barrett Illustrated By: Daniel Moreton
- Monkey Stuff: A Children’s Rhyming Counting Book By: Rebecca Bielawski
- Ten Apples Up On Top! By: Dr. Seuss Illustrated By: Roy McKie
- Ten Black Dots By: Donald Crews
*All of the books listed can be found on Amazon and most can be found at your local bookstore and/or library.
Cooking Time:
The perfect recipe to accompany Goodnight, Numbers is Domino Brownies. Almost everyone loves a fudgy brownie and by cutting them into large domino shapes and adding mini M & M’s you have created a way for a child to practice counting and review colors at the same time. The easiest way to create these would be to purchase a brownie mix and canned icing which are really great and still gives children opportunities to help. If you want to go all the way and create your brownies and icing from scratch, we have great recipes for you to try.
Domino Brownies
This is a basic brownie recipe, but very delicious. Children can help in a number of ways depending on their age. For example, you can measure the sugar, flour, and chocolate chips, and your helper can pour these into the bowl. Of course, cracking the eggs is a must for children. Always let them crack the egg into a separate bowl before adding it to the mix. Most certainly, children can add the mini M & M’s to the brownie dominoes.
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (chop to make melting easier)
2/3 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. (I then line my pan with parchment paper that extends over each side. Spray the parchment paper before adding brownie batter. The parchment paper allows you to pull the baked brownies out of the pan for easy cutting.)
- Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter in the microwave. (I heat for 30 seconds at a time and stir until the chocolate is melted.)
- Mix in sugar completely.
- Stir in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt by whisking together.
- Add flour mixture to the chocolate mixture.
- Add the chocolate chips and nuts. (Optional)
- Spread into pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Let brownies cool completely in pan.
- Prepare icing.
Chocolate Icing
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup cocoa (I use Hershey’s)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
- Melt butter in microwave.
- Whisk in the cocoa.
- Pour into a mixing bowl. I use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer would also work.
- Alternately, add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
- Add small amounts of additionally milk, if needed.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Spread onto cooled brownies while in the pan.
- If you used parchment paper in the pan, just pull the block of iced brownies out.
- Cut into domino shaped rectangles.
- Use a table knife to make a line in the middle of the brownie to separate the numbers.
- Use mini M and M’s to designate the numbers on each side of the brownie.
