In our mathematics and science module we have been looking at how picture books and nursery rhymes can be used to help children develop their understanding of mathematical concepts and language.

The book that I looked at is called ‘One, Two, Three, Four’ by Mary Grice. It is a book compiled of different poems with illustrations by Denis Wrigley. The poem I focused on in it is called ‘Ten Little Frogs’.

I believe that this poem can help children develop their understanding of subtraction. It could be used to give them a visual image of a subtraction question. You could tell the children the first part of the verse e.g. ‘ten little frogs sitting on a well, one leaned over and down he fell, frogs leap high and frogs leap low’ and then ask them to tell you how many frogs would be left. You could also challenge them by asking them if one came back how many there would then be, getting them to practice their addition skills. Even the mathematical words and concepts ideas of the frogs sitting on the well and how when they fell they fell down are being practiced.

Some of the mathematical language which might be practised are words like ‘subtraction, on, down, high, low, 1-10, total’. You could use toy frogs to act as a prop for the poem and to help the children count how many are left each time. It doesn’t even have to be toy frogs, the idea behind the poem can be adapted for a range of things.