I love the integration possibilities and mostly because children can become so actively involved in the lesson and class community. Once students are familiar with a finger play, they join in quickly and with gusto, so the rhyme becomes a wonderful tool for bringing the class together. Use them for lesson transitions, refocusing and managing behavior in whole group situations. Teach the words. Teach the actions. Say them over and over!
Five Rainbow Ducks
This finger play has a backward counting foundation. The rhyme repeats 5 times, each time a duck flies away. There are many familiar variations.
Students will put 5 fingers up (to be the ducks) and send them over their shoulder to fly above the clouds. The other hand becomes big bossy duck and does all the quacking!
You can find our printable version over in our store. In addition to the one page version similar to all our other finger plays, I have made a multi-page version for you, perfect for watching the disappearing ducks. Project this onto your electronic board and go through each one at a time if you prefer.
Further to simply learning the rhyme and using it for lesson transitions I want to share with you some other lesson ideas you could use with this rhyme as a base.
Modelled Writing
Write an enlarged copy of the rhyme to model writing for your students. Have them watch you write. Verbalize as you write. It is important that students see teachers writing every day.
Modelled Reading
Use your enlarged text to model reading. Ask your students to read with you, keeping up with your pointer. Model the reading process. Ask individual students to come to the front of the class and point-and-read independently (only select students who are comfortable to do this).
Use Sticky Notes
Use sticky notes to delve into the text for various activities. They are fast, flexible and can be moved - showing students that we can work within a text.
Number Words and Numerals
- number the ducks
- use the numbers to show how the text changes with each duck flying away
- ask students to move the sticky notes into position
- as these numbers are moved you can re-read the text with your students
Modifying the text
- choose a part of the text to modify - here we changed the adjective Rainbow
- ask students for suggestions for a new way to describe the ducks
- students can see how we repeat a word to tie the text together
Ordinal Numbers
- perhaps read 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle that introduces ordinal numbers
- number the ducks in the action rhyme with ordinal number sticky notes, adding the letter suffixes to the sticky note numbers you've already written
In our free printable we've included a blackline version of the one page format. You can send this home after students color the pictures in. Students may like to 'read' it to someone at home, particularly after they become very familiar with the rhyme.
Link to counting
You can talk informally about the numbers in the rhyme with your students as you read the text.
- practice counting to 5 - forwards and backwards
- clap each time you count a number
- role play the action - have 5 students come to the front and act our flying away - talk about how many ducks are left
Math Activities in Small Groups
- use the cover of the rhyme from our printable pack as an activity counting mat
- ask students to point to each duck and count - forwards and backwards
- call a numeral and ask students to locate and point to the duck
- 1:1 correspondence by placing one counter on each duck as you count
- early addition and subtraction can be modelled and demonstrated with counters
- students place a counter on each duck
- tell the students a 'subtraction story' and they model it with the counters
- e.g. there are 5 rainbow ducks, three flew away, how many are left
- encourage students to tell their own subtraction stories
Numeral Writing
- with a whiteboard and pen or paper, ask students to practice writing numerals 1-5
- practice, practice, practice
- use the printable one page craft template (in our Premium Coloring Club) to model subtraction
- as the students say the rhyme, you can take one puppet away
- students watch and keep track of the changing number of ducks
- put these puppets in an accessible place for students to play with in the following days and weeks - they will love to recreate the teaching experiences you have modelled or act out the rhyme
- encourage students to create little stories about the ducks with the puppets and present them to the class
We hope our new finger play not only keeps your students fingers busy but ignites rich language, literacy and math discussion and activity in your classroom!
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