Teach Your Child to Count in Order Using This Fun Poem

by Babs Hadjusiewicz July 01, 2015

Let's explore Jacks and More Jacks. This little book invites you and your child to count and compare some jacks in the “Jacks” game and six characters named Jack in nursery rhymes and fairy tales.Teaching Tip: Counting is a skill that's learned over time.You’ve likely noticed how your child listens and watches when others count. And how your child likes to imitate that counting. In the beginning, your child may say number words in order but point to the objects helter-skelter. Or point to the objects in order but say number words in helker-skelter order. Or get it all correct one time but not every time. Counting objects correctly in one-to-one correspondence takes time, maturity, patience, and lots of practice.

Jacks and More Jacks

One jack,
Two jacks,
Three jacks,
Four,
Five jacks,
Six jacks,
And I know more—
One Jack meets a giant in the sky.
Another Jack pulls a plum out of a pie.
Another Jack sits in a box, so still.
Another Jack runs up a hill with Jill.
Another Jack jumps; he is nimble and quick.
Another Jack cleans his platter with a lick.
One Jack,
Two Jacks,
Three Jacks,
Four,
Five Jacks,
Six Jacks—
Do you know more?

Re-read the poem in a bouncing-ball rhythm, as if you’re playing a game of “Jacks."

Think and talk about all those nursery rhymes. Try pointing to each object as you count to six. And who do you know named Jack or Jackson?

Do you know more uses or meanings for the word jack? Hint: There’s the jack-o-lantern or Jack Frost who nips your toes and bites your nose in wintertime. There’s a jack-of-all-trades. There’s a jack tree or a jack that helps to fix a flat tire. There’s the unfortunate accident when a vehicle jack-knifes. And what other kinds of meanings can you name? (A kindergartener was beginning to sort sounds in words and said: “I hear it in jacket.”)

And when you look at the author’s name on the book’s cover, can you name the missing letter?

Babs Hadjusiewicz

Author

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