Enhance Learning with Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons: Math & ELA Connections
A few weeks ago, we checked out Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin from the library, and my toddler loves it! I highly recommend this book! Kids love Pete the Cat, so it would be a great way to engage students.
Book Summary
Pete the Cat has four buttons that he loves so much that he sings a song about them. However, every few pages he loses a button. But does Pete cry? Goodness, No! He just keeps on singing his song. It’s a good book to help students keep a positive attitude with simple losses such as a lost toy.
It’s also a great book to teach math!
Math Lesson
I would recommend using Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons in a Kindergarten or Preschool classroom. This book aligns nicely with Common Core’s and Ohio’s Math Standard K.OA.2 Solve addition and subtraction problems (written or oral), and add and subtract within 10 by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
To use with your kindergartener(s) or preschooler(s) do the following:
- Make 4 buttons out of construction paper for each student.
- Loop tape on the back, so it will stick to their shirts. I use blue painter’s tape.
- Then each time you read “Pop,” and Pete loses a button, have the child lose one of their buttons.
- Read the story once together.
- Then read the story a 2nd time and do the subtraction problem together or individually. While rereading draw the illustration on the board or model on an overhead, ELMO, or smartboard.
- Extend the learning by creating other button problems such as Pete has 4 buttons but then loses 3 buttons, how many does he have? Try to use all 3 types of subtraction problems as found in Table 1 of the Common Core Standards: Result Unknown, Change Unknown, and Start Unknown.
- Give students the review sheet to do independently. This review sheet is found on the last page of the lesson plan on the Math Lessons page.
The FREE cross-curricular lesson plan can be found on my Math Lessons page with a practice page. If you use it, please give me feedback in the comments! Subscribe to get more great lesson ideas sent straight to your inbox.
Social and Emotional Standards
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons also aligns nicely to Ohio’s Social and Emotional Standard B1.3.a Regulate emotions and behaviors by using thinking strategies that are consistent with brain development. Discuss with children how Pete keeps a positive attitude and looks on the bright side even when he loses something he really likes. Have children discuss what they can do if they lose one of their favorite things.
Biblical Connections
As we know the Bible is the true source of social and emotional learning. Here are some verses to connect Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons to the Bible:
- Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:… a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away…
- Philippians 4: 11-13: I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Discuss how the story connects to Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 6 and Philippians 4: 11-3. If time permits read and discuss Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.
English Language Arts (ELA) Cross-Curricular Lesson
Use the following Common and Core and Ohio’s ELA standards to design a cross-curricular ELA lesson with Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons:
- RL.K. 7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
- RL.K. 9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
Georgia ELA Teacher Guidance Document
When rolling out the Common Core, Georgia’s Department of Education produced a lot of good resources for teachers that I highly recommend. When working at the Ohio Department of Education, I would use their math resources frequently. Their ELA documents also seem to be solid. Here is a link to the English Language Arts Georgia Standards of Excellence K-5 page. You can find their teaching documents on the website’s sidebar by grade level.
Reading Literature: Integrating Knowledge and Ideas #7
To teach RL.K.7 students can talk about how each illustration shows Pete losing a button but sill remaining calm.
Another good idea to teach Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons comes for the English Language Arts Georgia’s Standards of Excellence Kindergarten Teaching Document on page 10:
“Choose a book to be read aloud, but do not show the cover or the pictures. Read the book to the students. Place the students in groups of three and designate a “job” for each student in the group as follows: 1) draw a picture of the setting; 2) draw a picture of the main character; and 3) draw a picture of your favorite part of the book. The students in each group will not discuss their individual drawings until each has finished. Next, group all of the students together who had the same “jobs.” Students will share all of the setting pictures, main character pictures, and favorite book part pictures. Last of all, the teacher will share the original illustrations, and the students will evaluate which pictures were closest to what the illustrator really drew. They will explain why the illustrator chose to depict the illustration in the way he/she did.”
Reading Literature: Integrating Knowledge and Ideas #9
For RL.K.9 Students can compare and contrast with Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin by describing what is the same and different in each story.
Make sure you read and reread the story several times together. Then put students in groups and have some groups look for and record on chart paper things that are the same. Have other groups look for things that are different. Allow them to use words and/or pictures. Then have each group share to the class explaining their pictures.
After students share their pictures, discuss comparing and contrasting words. Then have students go over their charts again explicitly using some new compare and contrasting words. Example of comparing words are alike, same as, equal to, similar, as well as, also, too, both, and compare. Examples of contrasting words are different, although, however, but, instead of, while, even though, and contrast.
Buy Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin using my affiliate link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4c96BkA
Disclosure: I only recommend products/books that I think would be helpful to you in your journey as an educator. All opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full privacy policy here.
Lesson Plan
The FREE cross-curricular lesson plan can be found on my Math Lessons page with a practice page. If you use it, please give me feedback in the comments!
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