Seven Little Ducklings
When mother duck is fast asleep one night, seven eggs hatch and seven baby ducklings emerge from their shells and go off to explore in the wild. When mother wakes and sees the cracked eggs, she immediately sets off to find them. Gentle rhyme accompanies mother duck as she searches and finds her little ones, whether stuck on a limb or in the jaws of a fox! Mother duck becomes a bit bewildered when she counts more than seven little ones. As she counts and thinks, the author gives children the joy of discovering the joke themselves. When mother duck figures out the mystery, her response conveys the comfort of a mother’s love readers can count on.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Adults can hide stuffed animals or picture cards representing mama duck’s children around their classroom or home, and challenge children to find them. Together, keep a list of where they are found, calling attention to position words, such as, “on the bookshelf”, “under the table”, or “beside the plant.” Once the babies are found, children can take the lead in hiding them for adults to find. This game provides a great opportunity to frequently model counting to ensure all have been found, with the repetition reinforcing math and counting skills through play.
The author sets the stage for young readers to figure out what is going on in the story, even before mother duck does! Adults can allow children time to make this discovery on their own, providing gentle hints and questions if needed. Counting along with mother duck builds numeracy skills, and the use of rhyme helps children hear patterns in language as they notice and play with sounds. Practice with rhyme supports children’s ability to decode, or sound out words, building their fluency skills as young readers.