August Baby Buzz Pick Helps Children Learning to Count

A new take on an old rhyme shines this month — “One Two, That’s My Shoe” by Allison Murray has been chosen as the August Baby Buzz Pick by parent educators with the Washington School District.

Each month the group chooses a stellar new picture book for little ones birth to age 5. Using funds from a WINGS grant, parent educators purchase copies of each month’s Baby Buzz Pick to use in their visits with parents and children.

A list of Baby Buzz Picks is available on The Missourian’s web site, emissourian.com. The following Baby Buzz review was written by area literacy expert Nancy Nagel.

“A mischievous dog, a young girl and one red shoe take off on a counting adventure in this new picture book. The pup nabs a loose red shoe and they romp through the house and yard encountering an increasing number of objects for counting. All is well in the end as the little white dog returns the shoe to the girl.

“This book provides a useful tool for parents with children learning to count. Each two-page spread shows a lively picture that continues the story line as well as a continuing pattern of numbers. Each page displays a large numeral, the word for that number, and the corresponding number of objects. These are shown in a straight line to encourage counting.

“Children learn to count like they learn other skills, by taking part in real-life activities that are meaningful to them. If your young child seems interested in numbers, you might start counting steps as you walk through your house or up the stairs, buttons or snaps on clothing, or the number of stuffed animals lined up on a bed.

“Older children might enjoy making their own counting book. Write a large numeral on each page, insert in a heavy zip-lock type plastic bag, and then place small items from your house and yard, corresponding to each number, into the plastic bag. Tape the bags together along the zipper side to make a book, or keep them loose so you can take out the items and count them.”

Other parent educator favorites this month are: “1-2-3 Peas” by Keith Baker, “Dog Gone!” by Leeza Hernandez, “Bears in Beds” by Shirley Parenteau, “Now I Am Big” by Stephen Krensky, and “The Best Bike Ride Ever” by James Proimos.