| |

Drummer Hoff free printable for ordinal number practice

ByCarolyn Wilhelm

Drummer Hoff

by Barbara and Ed Emberley (and Ed Emberley is the illustrator)

This book is actually about a group of soldiers firing off a cannon but it is so colorful and full of repetitive, rhyming language that very young children will listen and then be able to “read” the story to you.  It is so ornate it won the Caldecott Award. Drummer Hoff sort of looks like a holiday nutcracker which made me think of it today.  This book is one teachers and parents can reference when teaching ordinal numbers (first, second, third, and so on).

Drummer-Hoff-Barbara-Emberley

What fun when the cannon goes off and the children are allowed to make some noise.  They also enjoy lining up in order and marching. Make simple number signs for them to hold.  Let the children with numbers select others to be next for a rereading. Some people think this is a pro-war book and some think it has an anti-war message, as the cannon is abandoned in a field at the end of the book.  To children, I think it is just a cartoon-like fun book to memorize. Level J

Drummer-Hoff-free-book-companion-pages-ordinal-numbers

ordinalnumbersholidaytheme_Page_1

ordinalnumbersholidaytheme_Page_2
ordinalnumbersholidaytheme_Page_3
ordinalnumbersholidaytheme_Page_4

This clothing activity could also accompany the book for a center or tray activity. Which clothing item is first? Which is last? More practice for ordinal numbers, as well as fine motor practice. Drummer Hoff probably needs to do laundry sometimes, or maybe the Christmas elves?

clothing-for-elves-activity

Happy reading, Carolyn

Carolyn Wilhelm writes curriculum the grade levels she has taught over 28 years including grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. She also taught gifted education and thinking skill classes for grades K-6. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program

You may also like

4 Comments

  1. Carolyn Wilhelm says:

    Oh, good, someone else thinks so, too. My freebie has holiday clip art, though, not soldiers! Thanks, Carolyn

  2. He does look like the nutcracker!

  3. Carolyn Wilhelm says:

    Dear Jackie:
    It is time for some all season books once again. I hope you have a Merry Christmas! Thanks, Carolyn

  4. I think my 3 year old son will love this book! I’ll have to find it. I like that it is good for any season.

Comments are closed.