NUMBERS ON THE MOVE: 1 2 3 DANCE AND COUNT WITH ME

From 0 to 10 and back again, children demonstrate numbers with different movements: jumps, kicks, twists and more.

This demonstration of teaching numbers kinesthetically serves as a counting book for young readers and a helpful reminder for parents and teachers of ways to reinforce learning. In the beginning, a child sits cross-legged, with eyes closed and body quiet; a different child goes on to stretch out as one; two more slide at two and so forth, until 10 children are clapping on a double-page spread. Then the numbers go backward, with one child leaving the group at a time, leaving the last one sitting quietly. “Zero is a place of rest / Now you know you’ve done your best.” A simple text uses sometimes-awkward rhyme in various patterns to support instructions. A thoughtfully chosen variety of children of differing ages, colors and abilities appear in Weber’s illustrations; all are identifiable. Large, legible figures and a colorful set of numbered blocks on the pages indicate the number being described. The book concludes with some extra activities for children, including work with the rhythm of their name, and a final page for adults suggesting more counting experiences. The author, a social worker and movement educator, has previously written about kinesthetic learning, most recently in Alphabet Movers (2002).

A good reminder about the value of movement in early-childhood education. (Picture book. 3-6, adult)