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EXPLORE OTHER 'COUNTING FORWARDs TO AND BACKWARDs FROM 10/20' STORIES HERE
EXPLORE OTHER 'SORTING & CLASSIFYING' STORIES HERE

IT'S A SEASHELL DAY​
​Author: Dianne Ochiltree
​Illustrator: Elliot Kreloff

Picture
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Blue Apple Books (USA)
First published in: 2016
Format: Picturebook 

Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? Yes
Is this story part of a mathematics story series? No

Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK, USA, AUS, CAN

Synopsis by the author/publisher
Sunny-as-a-summer-sky rhymes chronicle a mother and son sharing a day of sand digging, seashell collecting, and seashore exploring. Kids will learn about a variety of shells and count along with the boy as he totals up his collection, puts his shells away, and then drifts off into a well-earned bedtime. A spread of seashell facts caps off the story. This captivating, narrative nonfiction title featuring nature and counting is an ideal fit for home, preschool and kindergarten bookshelves. Pair it with the author’s beloved It’s a Firefly Night for a delightful day-to-night duo.
“One, two, three, four - a pretend seashell store. Five, six, seven, eight - all my shells look really great! Nine and ten - both from the sea. I brought the beach home with me!”
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Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Dianne Ochiltree's ‘It’s a Seashell Day’ (2016) follows the story of a boy who is fascinated by different kinds of seashells that he comes across on a beach on a lovely sunny day out with his mum. The story provides a perfect introduction to the concept of counting forwards to 10. As the story features several kinds of seashells, this provides an excellent opportunity for young children to develop their sorting and classifying skills. The story is written in rhymes, so it can also be used to introduce rhymes to young children. Additionally, the last two pages of the book also contains some interesting facts about seashells and mollusks that live in them, making it a valuable science teaching resource. In brief, this cross-curricular book is a great value for money. The illustrations by Elliot Kreloff are mathematically accurate and cute. All in all, we highly recommend ‘It’s a Seashell Day’ for children aged 4+ years old. If you like ‘It’s a Seashell Day’, you will also like ‘It’s a Firefly Night’ (2013), also by Dianne. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the author) ​

​Recommended age range: 
4 years old + 

Relevant mathematics topics: 
Counting forwards to and backwards from 10/20; Sorting & Classifying
​
​Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.

​mathsthroughstories.org

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ABOUT US

MathsThroughStories.org is a non-profit research-based initiative, based at the University of Reading's Institute of Education (UK).

It sets out to help mathematics learners around the world develop their conceptual understanding in mathematics and to help them foster positive attitudes towards the subject through  the power of storytelling.

Contact Us

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • RESEARCH TEAM
    • On-line Contributors
    • Research Dissemination
    • Research Impact
    • SHOUTOUTS
    • Teacher Training / CPD Services
    • MEDIA APPEARANCES
  • RESOURCES
    • RECOMMENDATIONS
    • BLOG
    • NEWSLETTER
    • BOOK REVIEWS >
      • BOOK REVIEWS
      • INSPECTION COPIES
    • LESSON IDEAS
    • VIDEOS
    • CREATE YOUR OWN MATHEMATICAL STORIES >
      • GUIDELINE FOR MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
      • INTERVIEWS WITH MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
    • 'HOW TO' BOOKS
    • RESEARCH ARTICLES
    • PRACTITIONER-ORIENTED ARTICLES
  • COMPETITIONS
    • 2024 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2023 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2022 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2021 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2020 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2019 YMSA WINNING AND SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED