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Storybook Guide Based on Pat Hutchins’s “Changes, Changes”

Explore math while reading and talking about this storybook.

Activity Summary

Use this storybook guide with the book “Changes, Changes.”
Many public libraries have this book.

Reading guide

About the Story

“Changes, Changes” is a whimsical, wordless story about a man and woman who build a house out of blocks. When the house catches on fire, they build a fire truck. The couple continues to rearrange the blocks and build new structures until they make a new home.

A toy man and woman run away from toy blocks on fire while holding other toy blocks. Illustration from “Changes, changes.”

Words to Learn

NAMES AND PROPERTIES OF SHAPES
cylinder, rectangle, triangle, curved, straight

LOCATION WORDS
over, under, beneath, below, above, beside, between, left, right

About the Math

By examining the shapes and their spatial arrangement, your child can learn:

  • To identify and name shapes like cylinder triangle, and rectangle.
  • To describe some properties of shapes, like the four sides of a rectangle, or the roundness of a cylinder.
  • To use relational words to describe where the shapes are located, such as under, over, left, or right.
  • To notice symmetry in the pictures.
A toy man and women stand under stacked wooden blocks. Illustration from “Changes, changes.”

Math Talk During Reading

  • EXPLORE THE SHAPES
    What do you notice about this shape? Do you know what this shape is called? What does this part look like?
  • TALK ABOUT HOW THE SHAPES ARE DIFFERENT AND THE SAME
    Point to two different shapes and say: Look at this one and that one. How are they the same and how are they different? How do you know?
  • EXAMINE WHERE THE OBJECTS ARE LOCATED IN THE ILLUSTRATIONS
    What do you see below this shape? Where is the man located?
  • FIND EXAMPLES OF SYMMETRY
    Do you see that this half of the house looks the same as that half? We can say the two halves are symmetrical.

Try to come up with some of your own questions and comments, too!

Activity After Reading

  • ASK YOUR CHILD TO MAKE STRUCTURES
    Let’s use these blocks to make a beautiful house.