Counting Petals

About the Book

The photographs were snapped with a digital camera while walking in the neighborhoods, parks, school grounds, and botanical gardens in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Counting is a forerunner in the learning of basic mathematics. Counting involves being able to match objects. In this book it is the matching of numerals in a given sequence to the petals of a flower. It also involves representing sets of objects by numerals. Children should be encouraged to count when an opportunity presents itself.

About the Author

Nancy C. Whitman was born and raised in Hawaii, and received her BA, MA, and Ph.D degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently she is professor emerita of mathematics education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she worked for over forty years. Her areas of expertise include mathematics education in Japan, teaching mathematics K-12, and mathematics curriculum development. She has conducted research and written extensively in these areas. Her latest publication is Standards-based Math Activities for K-8 Students (2006). Currently, she works with children as a docent at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. .