Mathematical Concepts: Understanding the calendar and months, creating a flow chart

SHARED READING

• Recite the months of the year aloud in unison. Then, as you read the poem, ask children to anticipate which month comes next. Ask children to identify details in the poem that describe each month.
• Reread the poem, letting children look more closely at the illustrations. Discuss each illustration and how it represents a stanza of the poem.

Cooperative Calendars

Let children learn about calendars by looking at old calendars and creating new ones. Tear the pages of an old calendar apart. Divide children into 12 groups and have each pick one of the old calendar pages. Have each group create a new calendar page for that month. Provide current calendars to assist students in correctly numbering the calendar squares.

Have students note special school days, holidays, birthdays, and so on. On the reverse of each calendar page, have students create art for the following month's calendar page (When the calendar is hung, the reverse of one calendar page becomes the art for the next page.) The group doing January will do two pieces of art—one for January and one for February. Put the pages together to make a new class calendar.