Dr. Seuss

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

Upper- and Lowercase Matching Games With Manipulatives


Here are some ideas for upper- and lowercase matching activities, ranging from cheap and easy to elaborate.

With a little thought, you can create an upper- and lowercase matching game that is partially self-checking. To do it, you'll need two sets of small objects. The two sets should be natural matches for each other - things that normally or potentially go together. Examples:

* Spoons and forks (plastic)
* Small wooden circles and squares
* Clothespins and sections of rope (label the rope pieces with paper strips)
* Black and red checkers, or counting chips in two colors
* Pencils and pens
* Pencils and removable pencil-top erasers
* Wooden popsicle sticks colored or painted in two different colors, or large and small popsicle sticks


You'll need 26 of each object type. To make the games, simply use a permanent marker to write the uppercase letters on one set of items and the lowercase letters on the other set. For some kinds of items, like black checkers, you'll need to use labels instead.

You may also want to create custom mats or containers for sorting. For instance, if you use spoons and forks, you might have a paper plate for the uppercase letters and another for the lowercase ones.

Variations

Write the letters of both cases on counting chips, and provide two plastic piggy banks (or make simple ones from Pringles cans). Mark one bank with uppercase letters and the other with lowercase, or color code them to the chips. Have the children sort the "coins" into the correct banks.

For a slightly more challenging game, 52 of the same item can be sorted into two containers. Just mark 26 with uppercase letters and 26 with lowercase letters. The possible items are endless; any small object that can be written on or labeled could be used. Try some of these:

* Acorns
* Pebbles
* Large beads
* Buttons
* Twigs, popsicle sticks, short dowels, straws
* Can lids, bottle caps, wine corks
* Old unifix cubes, cuisenaire rods, etc.
* Old puzzle pieces, Legos
* Small wooden blocks
* Marbles (Try the flat ones sold for floral decorating. Write the letters backwards on the flat part; protect with clear sealer, nail polish, or contact paper.)
* Tile chip samples
* Paint color samples (Use a large punch to cut out shapes; write on the letters and then laminate.)
* Mosaic tiles
* Small plastic toys (Check your local party or dollar store.)
* Pennies (Disinfect first)
* Walnut shells, unshelled peanuts

finger plays and songs

Five Little Frogs
Five little speckled frogs
Sitting on a hollow log
Eating some most delicious bugs
Yum Yum
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four speckled frogs
Glub, glub
...and so on in descending order








Bumble Bee Song
(cup hands)I'm bringing home my baby bumblebee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me
I'm bringing home my baby bumble bee
Ouch! It stung me!
(squash up imaginary bee with hands) I'm squashing up my baby bumblebee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me
I'm squashing up my baby bumblebee
EEEW! Yuck!
(wash off imaginary bee with hands) I'm washing off my baby bumblebee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me
I'm washing off my baby bumblebee
Look! All gone!







"Nature Friendly" Bumble Bee Song
(cup hands) I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me
I'm bringing home my baby bumble bee
Ouch! it stung me!
(open up hands) I'm letting go of the baby bumblebee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me
I'm letting go of the baby bumblebee
(wave good bye) Bye!!




Down By The Bay
Down by the Bay, where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home, I dare not go.
For if I do, my mother will say:
Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose
down by the bay
refrain
Did you ever see a whale with a polka-dotted tail
down by the bay
refrain
Did you ever see a fly, wearing a tie
down by the bay
refrain
Did you ever see a bear combing his hair
down by the bay
refrain
Did you ever see llamas, eating their pajamas
down by the bay
refrain
Did you ever have a time, when you couldn't make a rhyme,
down by the bay









Elephant
One little elephant went out to play
On a spider's web one day.
He had such enormous fun
He called for another elephant to come.

Repeat: Two, three, etc. and have each child join an elephant train.

Bear Hunt
Let's go on a bear hunt. (slap hands together)
I see a wheat field.
Can't go over it. Let's go through it. (brush hands together)
I see a bridge.
Can't go around it. Let's go over it. (slap hands together)
I see a lake.
Can't go over it, can't go under it, let's swim.(arms swimming)
I see a tree.
Can't go over it, can't go under it, let's go up it. (climb with arms)
I don't see any bears, (look around)
Let's go down.
I see a swamp.
Can't go over it, can't go under it, let's go through it. (pull hands up and down slowly)
I see a cave.
Can't go over it, can't go under it, let's go in. (slowly slap knees)
I see two eyes. I see two ears.
I see a nose. I see a mouth.
Yikes! It's a bear!!!
Let's get out of here. (reverse movements very fast)


Did You Feed My Cow?
Did you feed my cow?
Yes maam!
Could you tell me how?
Yes maam!
What did you feed her?
Corn and hay.
What did you feed her?
Corn and hay.
Did you milk her good?
Yes maam!
Did you milk her like you should?
Yes maam!
How did you milk her?
Squish, squish, squish.
How did you milk her?
Squish, squish, squish.
Did my cow get sick?
Yes maam!
Was she covered with ticks?
Yes maam!
How did she die?
Uh, uh, uh.
How did she die?
Uh, uh, uh.
Did the buzzards come?
Flop, flop, flop.
How did they come?
Flop, flop, flop.

What Do the Farm Animals Say
Tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb
Little pigs say oink, oink, oink,
Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink, oink,
Little pigs say oink, oink, oink,
Oink, oink all day long.
Repeat: Baby cows say moo, moo, moo
Horses gallop all around
Chickens scramble for food and dust
Lamb say baa and run around
Kittens meow and chase the mice
Doggies bark and chase the cows
Roosters crow and eat the corn
Goats all butt and maah, maah, maah

Tiny Tim
I had a little turtle,
His name was Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap,
He woke up in the morning,
With bubbles in his throat.






Birds Flying
Up, up in the sky, the little birds fly (fingers flying like birds)
Down, down in the nest, the little birds rest. (hands form nest)
With a wing on the left, and a wing on the right (hands on each hip)
Let the little birds rest all night. (head to one side, like tucking under wing)
"shhhhh!! You might wake up the birdies!"(yelled, of course) 
The bright sun comes up, the dew falls away, good morning, good morning the little birds say.

The Little Skunk
Oh, I stuck my head in a little skunk hole,
The little skunk said, "Well bless my soul!
Take it out, take it out, remove it!"
Well, I didn't take it out and the little skunk said, "You'd better take it out or you'll wish you had.
Take it out, take it out, remove it!"
Well, I didn't take it out and the little skunk said, "P s s s s s s s s s ." I removed it!!!





My Puppy

My little puppy's name is Rags,
He eats so much that his tummy sags,
His ears flip flop and his tail wig wags,
And when he walks he goes zig zag.
Flip, flop, wig wag, zig zag.
My little puppy likes to play,
He rolls himself in the grass all day,
And when I whistle w-w-w-w-w,
He won't obey,
He always runs the other way.
Flip, flop, wig wag, zig zag,.
Flip, flop, wig wag, zig zag,
Flip, flop, wig wag, zig zag.
Pig
I had a little pig,
And I fed it in a trough,
He got so big and fat,
That his tail popped off.
So, I got me a hammer,
And I got me a nail,
And I made that pig,
A wooden tail.






Piggies

"It's time for my piggies to go to bed,"
The nice big mother piggie said.
"Now I must count them up to see
If all my piggies came back to me.
One little piggy, two little piggies,
Three little piggies dear;
Four little piggies, five little piggies-
Yes they are all here.
They're the dearest little piggies alive-
One, two, three, four, five."



Piggy Wig and Piggie Wee

Piggie Wig (thumb) and Piggie Wee (other thumb)
Hungry pigs as pigs could be
For their dinner had to wait
Down behind the garden gate (gate made of fingers)
Piggie Wig and Piggie Wee (wiggle thumbs as named)
Climbed the barnyard gate to see. (thumbs through fingers)

Peeking through the gate so high
But no dinner could they spy,
Piggie Wig and Piggie Wee got down,
Sad as pigs could be,
But the gate soon opened wide
And they scampered forth inside. (hands swing apart, thumbs run)

Piggie Wig and Piggie Wee,
Greedy pigs as pigs could be
For their dinner ran pell mell
And in the trough both piggies fell. (make trough with hands, thumbs fall in)




Five Little Sparrows

Five little sparrows high in a tree (hold one hand up)
The first one said, "Whom do I see?" (point to thumb)
The second one said, "I see the street." (pointer finger)
The third one said, "And seeds to eat." (middle finger)
The fourth one said, "The seeds are wheat." (ring finger)
The fifth one said, "Tweet, tweet, tweet." (little finger)

The Woodpecker
The woodpecker pecked out a little round hole (tap left palm with right pointer)
And made him a house in the telephone pole.
One day as I watched he poked out his head. (poke out head)
He had on a hood and a collar of red. (point to head and neck)
When the streams of rain pour out of the sky,
And the flashes of lightening go streaking by
And the big, big wheels of thunder roll (roll arms)
He can snuggle back in his telephone pole.
Little Turtle
There was a little turtle, who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle, and he climbed on some rocks,
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea,
He snapped at a minnow, and he snapped at me.
He caught the mosquito, he caught the flea,
He caught the minnow, but he didn't catch me!!




Little Rabbit
Little rabbit in the forest wood.
Little man by the window stood.
Saw a rabbit hopping by,
Knocking at the door.
Help me, help me, was his plea.
Before the hunter exterminates me.
Little Rabbit come inside,
Safely to abide.






The Fuzzy Caterpillar
Sung to the tune of "Eensy Weensy Spider"
The little fuzzy caterpillar,
Curled up on a leaf.
Spun her little chrysalis,
and then fell fast asleep.
While she was sleeping,
She dreamed that she could fly,
And later when she woke up,
she was a butterfly.





My Hands
My hands upon my head I'll place
Upon my shoulders, on my face,
At my waist, and by my side,
And then behind me they will hide.
Then I'll raise them way up high,
And let my fingers fly, fly, fly.
Then clap, clap, clap, and one, two, three.
Just see how quiet they can be.






Aikendrum
Sung to the tune of "London Bridges"
There was a man lived in the moon,
In the moon, in the moon,
There was a man lived in the moon
And his name was Aikendrum.
And he played upon a ladle,
A ladle, a ladle,
He played upon a ladle
And his name was Aikendrum.
His hair was made of spaghetti,
Spaghetti, spaghetti,
His hair was made of spaghetti
And his name was Aikendrum.

And his eyes were made of meatballs,
meatballs, meatballs
His eyes were made of meatballs
And his name was Aikendrum.
And he played upon a ladle,
A ladle, a ladle
He played upon a ladle
And his name was Aikendrum.







I Was Sitting On A Fencepost.
I was sitting on a fencepost
Chewing my bubblegum.
(make smacking noises 7 times)
Playing with my yo-yo
(play with an imaginary yo-yo) Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
When along came Herman and he was this big (put fingers together to show something small)
And I said "Herman, what happened?"
Gulp! I swallowed a bug.
(((Continue making Herman swallow bigger and bigger objects, making him bigger and bigger.
End with:)))
I was sitting on a fencepost
Chewing my bubblegum.
(make smacking noises 7 times)
Playing with my yo-yo
(play with an imaginary yo-yo) Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
Doo Doo Wop
When along came Herman and he was this big (put fingers together to show something small)
And I said "Herman, what happened?"
Burp! Excuse Me!!!





FIVE LITTLE ROBINS
Five little robins lived in a tree.
A father, a mother, and babies three.
Father caught a worm,
Mother caught a bug,
This one got the bug,
This one got the worm,
And this one sat and waited for his turn.







FIVE LITTLE SPECKLED FROGS
Five little speckled frogs,
Sitting on a hollow log
Eating some most delicious bug,
Yum, Yum.
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Then there were four speckled frogs
Repeat: Four, three, two, one.






FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS
Five little monkeys, sitting in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator, You can't catch me!
You can't catch me!
Along came Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be.
SNAP that monkey right out of that tree.
Repeat:
Now, four little monkeys
Now, three little monkeys
Now, two little monkeys
Now, one little monkey
Yum said Mr. Alligator, I'm as full as I can be!


FIVE CUDDLY BEARS
Five little cuddly bears
Playing near the shore,
One caught a shiny fish
And then there were four.
Four little cuddly bears
Sleeping 'neath a tree,
A bee came and stung once,
And then there were three.
Three little cuddly bears
Dressed in navy blue.
One of them tore his suit,
And then there were two.
Two little cuddly bears
Rolling in the sun,
One rolled down the hill
And then there was one.
FIVE LITTLE DUCKS
Five little ducks went out to play
Over the hill and far away.
Mama duck said "Quack, quack, quack."
Four little ducks came waddling back.
Repeat:
Four little ducks, three little ducks, etc.
When you get to 0 ducks, end with "But when the Daddy duck said "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK." five little ducks came waddling back!



SIX LITTLE DUCKLINGS
There were six little ducklings I once knew,
A fat one, skinny one and that made two
But the one little duck with the feathers on his back,
He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack.
Down to the river, they did go,
Wiggle, wobble, wiggle, wobble to and fro,
But the one little duck with the feathers on his back,
He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack,
He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack.
FIVE LITTLE ANTS
Five little ants in an ant hill (close fist, palm down)
Busily working and never still. (wiggle knuckles)
Do you think they are alive?
See them come out...
One, two, three, four, five. (bring fingers out one at a time)
These five little ants near an ant hill, (wiggle fingers of one hand toward closed fist of other hand)
Run as hard and run with a will,
To gather food to keep alive.
Now they go in...
One, two, three, tour, five. (close fingers into fist)
FIVE LITTLE TADPOLES
Five little tadpoles swimming near the shore,
The first one said, "Let's swim some more."
The second one said, "Let's rest awhile.
The third one said, "Swimming makes me smile."
The fourth one said, "My legs are growing long."
The fifth one said, "I'm getting very strong."
Five little tadpoles will soon be frogs,
They'll jump from the water and sit on logs.



I SEE THREE
I see three-one, two, three (hold up three fingers, one at a time)
Three little bunnies
Reading the funnies (hold hands open like pages)
I see three-one, two, three (hold up three fingers as before)
Three kittens
Wearing mittens (hold up fists)
I see three-one, two, three (hold up three fingers again)
Three little frogs
Sitting on logs (squat)
I see three-one, two, three (hold up three fingers again)
Three bears
Climbing upstairs (pretend to climb)



FIVE LITTLE SEASHELLS
Five little seashells lying on the shore; (hold up five fingers)
Swish! went the waves, and then there were four (bend down one finger)
Four little seashells, cozy as could be;
Swish! went the waves, and then there were three. (bend down one finger)
Three little seashells, all pearly new;
Swish! went the waves, and then there were two (bend down one finger)
Two little seashells sleeping in the sun
Swish! went the waves, and then there was one (bend down one finger)
One little seashell left all alone
Whispered "SHHHHHH" as I took it home. (bend down last finger)
TEN LITTLE FINGERS
I have ten little fingers and ten little toes. (kids point to portions of body as they repeat words)
Two little arms and one little nose.
One little mouth and two little ears.
Two little eyes for smiles and tears.
One little head and two little fee.
One little chin, that's (Child's name) complete.




When the Leaves Are on the Ground
When the leaves are on the ground,
Instead of on the trees,
I like to make a great big pile of them
Way up to my knees.
I like to run and jump in them
And kick them all around.
I like the prickly feel of them
And the crickly, crackly sound.




If I Were An Apple
If I were an apple
And grew on a tree (fingertips and thumbs touch overhead to form apple)
I think I'd drop down
On a nice boy like me.
I wouldn't stay there
Giving nobody joy--
I'd fall down at once ("Apple" falls down into lap)
And say, "Eat me, my boy."



Fall
The leaves are green, the nuts are brown, (raise arms sideward, wiggle fingers, make circles for nuts)
They hang so high they will never fall down, (stretch arms)
Leave them alone till the bright fall weather (move hands as if wind blows softly)
And then they will all come down together. (bring arms down to side quickly)




Susie's Galoshes
Susie's galoshes make splishes and sploshes (slide feet along floor)
And slooshes and sloshes
As Susie steps slowly
Along in the slush.
They stamp and they stamp (stamp twice)
One the ice and concrete.
They get stuck in the mush and the mud.
But Susie likes best to hear
The slippery slush, (slide feet along floor)
As it slooshes and sloshes
And splishes and sploshes
All around her galoshes

Chubby Little Snowman
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose. (point to nose)
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose?(hold up two fingers on right hand to make bunny)
That hungry little bunny
Looking for his lunch
Ate that little snowman's nose (pretend to grab nose)
Nibble, nibble, crunch.



Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Snow piled up will make a hill, make a hill, make a hill.
Snow piled up to make a hill for sliding in a yard.
We rolled it up in great big balls, great big balls, great big balls
We roll it up in great big balls and pound it 'til it's hard.
Though other children call to us, call to us, call to us.
Though other children call to us to take our sleds outside.
We don't go out but stay right home, stay right home, stay right home.
We don't go out but stay right home and slide and slide and slide.
My Kite
The winds of March begin to blow,
And it is time for kites, you know.
Here's the way I make my kite;
Watch and help me do it right.
I cross two sticks, so thin and long,
Tied together good and strong;
And across the middle to make it bend;
I measure and cut the paper gay,
And paste along the edge this way;
A ball of string to hold my kite,
When it sails almost out of sight;
And here's my kite all ready to go!
Please, March Wind, begin to blow!

Ten Little Leaf Buds
Ten little leaf buds growing on a tree (fingers are buds)
Curled up as tightly as can be (curl fingers up into fists)
See them keeping snug and warm,
During the winters cold and storm. (snuggle fist under fist)
Now along comes windy March,
With his breath now soft, now harsh.
First he swings them roughly so (swing fists back and forth)
Then more gently to and fro (swing tenderly)
'Til the raindrops from the skies (stretch arms high, bring down to floor, tapping fingers as rain)
Falling pitter, patter-wise (repeat previous action)
Open wide the leaf bud's eyes. (arms outstretched, open fists and spread fingers at the word "eyes")

My Garden
This is my garden; (extend one hand forward, palm up)
I'll rake it with care, (make raking motion on palm with three fingers of other hand)
And then some flower seeds (planting motion)
The sun will shine (make circle with hands)
And the rain will fall, (let fingers flutter down to lap)
And my garden will blossom (cup hands together; extend upward slowly)
And grow straight and tall.


Raindrops
Raindrops, raindrops!
Falling all around (move fingers to imitate falling rain)
Pitter-patter on the rooftops, (tap softly on desk or floor)
Pitter-patter on the ground.
Here is my umbrella;
It will keep me dry.(hands over head)
When I go walking in the rain,
I hold it up so high. (raise hands in the air)
Pitter-patter, raindrops!
Falling from the sky; (wiggle fingers to imitate falling rain)
Here is my umbrella
To keep me safe and dry! (hands over head)
When the rain is over,
And the sun begins to glow, (make a large circle with arms)
Little flowers start to bud, (cup two hands together)
And grow, and grow, and grow!


Hello in English and Spanish
Hello, hello
Hello and how are you
I'm fine, I'm fine
And I hope that you are too.

Hola, hola
Hola y como estas
Estoy bien, estoy bien
Espero que tu tambien.



If I Had...
If I had a little (insert color or pattern on child's clothing) box
I'd put my (insert child's name) in.
I'd take him or her out
and (put fingers to mouth and make kissing sounds three times)
and put him or her right back in.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

5 Components of Reading Instruction

Phonemic Awareness- the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words

Phonics- the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (the sound of spoken language) and graphemes (the letters and spellings that represent those sounds)

Vocabulary- refers to words individuals use when speaking, listening, reading, and writing; and the words we must know to communicate effectively

Comprehension- the construction of the meaning of a written text through a reciprocal interchange of ideas between the reader and the message in a particular text

Fluency- the ability to read a text with speed, accuracy and proper expression with understanding

Phonemic Awareness with Names


Phonemic awareness song to the tune of the first two lines of “Twinkle”

Bippity Boppity Bumble Bee,
Tell me what your name would be!
(Say first name and clap syllables
Clap syllables only while mouthing name.
Clap syllables and count syllables.)

Willaby Wallaby Name Song
Willaby Wallaby Wally, an elephant sat on Sally.
Willaby Wallaby Wason, an elephant sat on Jason.
Willaby Wallaby Wave, an elephant sat on Dave.
Willaby Wallaby Wasmine, and elephant sat on Jasmine.

Name Spelling Songs
Pass out copies of name spelling songs and ask each teacher to sing his/her name song to a partner.
3-Letter Name Song
(Three Blind Mice)
A-m-y spells my name.
A-m-y spells my name.
I can spell my name so fine.
I can spell it all the time.
Whenever I sing this little rhyme.
A-m-y

7-Letter Name Song
(Mary Had a Little Lamb)
R-i-c-h-a-r-d,
That’s my name, that’s my name.
R-i-c-h-a-r-d,
I can spell my name.
4-Letter Name Song
(Are You Sleeping)
B-r-a-d, B-r-a-d,
Spells my name,
Spells my name.
I can be so clever
At home or school whatever,
By myself,
By myself.
8-Letter Name Song
(Are You Sleeping)
M-a-r-i-a-n-n-e
That’s my name, that’s my name.
I can really spell it,
I can really spell it,
By myself, by myself.
5-Letter Name Song
(Bingo)
There was a mom who loved a girl
And Becky was her name oh!
B-e-c-k-y, B-e-c-k-y, B-e-c-k-y,
And Becky was her name oh!
9 or 10 Letters
(Row, Row, Row)
J-o-h-n-a-t-h-a-n
I can really spell my name.
Listen one more time.
J-o-h-n-a-t-h-a-n
I can really spell my name.
Listen one more time.
6-Letter Name Song
(I’m a Little Teapot)
S-t-e-v-e-n that’s my name,
Listen very carefully I’ll spell it again.
S-t-e-v-e-n that’s my name,
That spells Steven, That’s my name! 11 or 12 Letter Name Song
(Little Tom Tinker- slowly!)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
I can spell my name
- - - - - - - - - - - -
I’ll spell it once again!
13-Letter Name Song
Choose a nickname!!!!

Shoe Tying Song


(Tune: Splish Splash I was taking a Bath)

Criss Cross and go under the bridge
Then you got to pull it tight.
Make a loop but keep a long tail
That is how to do it right
Then you take the other string
and you wrap it 'round the loop
Pull it through the hole
Now you got the scoop
Criss Cross and go under the bridge (this is where you tie the loops together)
Now you made a Double Knot!

Number Poems


Number 1
is like a stick
A straight line down
that's very quick!

For number 2
go right around
Then make a line
across the ground!

Go right around
What will it be?
Go round again
to make a 3!

Down and over
and down some more
That's the way
to make a 4!

Go down and around
Then you stop
Finish the 5
with a line on top!

Make a curve
Then a loop
There are no tricks
to making a 6!

Across the sky
and down from heaven
That's the way
to make a 7!

Make an "S"
And then don't wait
Go up again
to make an 8!

Make a loop
And then a line
That's the way
to make a 9!

Make a 1
and then an 0
10 are all your fingers
you know!

Number Poems


Pull straight down a 1 is fun,
That’s the way to make a 1.

Around, and down, and out go you,
That's the way to make a 2.

Around, and around, just like a bee,
That's the way to make a 3.

Down, across, and down once more,
That's the way to make a 4.

Short neck, tummy fat,
Number 5 wears a hat.

Down, around, in a circle you go,
That's a six, just as you know.

Straight across, slide down from heaven,
That's the way to make a 7.

First a snake, then come back straight,
That's the way to make an 8.

First a ball and then a line,
That's the way to make a 9.

Tall straight, circle then,
That's the way to make a 10