Umberto the Owl_Eng

Sofia Gentili, Lucia Donata Nepi and Chiara Pecini

UMBERTO

WIZARD OF NUMBERS THE OWL,

ENHANCING COGNITIVE AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN THE PREREQUISITES OF MATHEMATICS

Illustrations by Ilaria Faccioli

Gentili, Lucia Donata Nepi and Chiara Pecini

UMBERTO

WIZARD OF NUMBERS THE

OWL, ENHANCING COGNITIVE AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN THE PREREQUISITES OF MATHEMATICS

Illustrations by Ilaria Faccioli

Sofia

WELCOME TO THE ACTIVESTORY OF UMBERTO THE OWL!

An illustrated book to support the cognitive development of boys and girls

Early acquisition of the ability to remain attentive and focused, to solve problems creatively, to play with ideas, to postpone gratification, to control impulses, to look at from multiple perspectives, to actively process information held in memory... in other words, 'acquiring good abilities to control one's mental processes early on' promotes psychological development, school learning and adaptation to the environment.

A Harvard University researcher, Deborah Phillips, compared these cognitive control processes (generally referred to as Executive Functions) to an air control system. Just like those who co-ordinate air traffic so that all aircraft can land and take off on time and without collisions, we have to process a lot of information simultaneously, organising our functioning according to rules and priorities that depend both on what is happening in the external environment, around us, and on our internal goals. Without a system to control our mental processes... disasters strike!

Cognitive control is particularly important in today's highly variable and challenging environment. In fact, although many human capacities become automated with development, various conditions require control processes. For example, while reading is such an automated process for

an adult that it is sometimes unavoidable, understanding what is read or reading in a foreign language or with little light requires cognitive control processes to stay focused on relevant information and inhibit irrelevant information, to update one's knowledge according to new content, and possibly to change one's point of view.

When do these control processes come into play? Until about twenty years ago, it was thought that such control processes were typical of the adult, mature person, and that the child was predominantly uncontrolled, impulsive, incapable of regulating his mental processes to achieve a goal. Today, on the other hand, we know, thanks to scientific research, that cognitive control processes emerge early, already in the first years of life, and that, although they increase until adulthood, they have their maximum development and greatest malleability precisely from childhood.

Many factors can affect the development of these processes: individual cognitive and emotional characteristics, life habits, relationships with parents, the activities children are exposed to, and the social and historical conditions of the surrounding environment. One thing is certain, however: these important cognitive control processes can be 'nurtured' by the environment,

NOTE:

For ease of reading, in the text we mostly refer to the male gender. However, the proposed activities are applicable to males and females without distinction.

especially acting in the most sensitive period, which is childhood. This is all the more necessary today, as a large number of studies have shown that the development of good executive functions in the preschool period predicts later learning abilities, school performance, behavioural control and problem-solving skills, time management and emotional regulation at later ages.

That is why it is so crucial to start with the youngest children from an early age on with activities related to the training of these important cognitive processes. In order to do this successfully and effectively, it is necessary to choose an attractive and entertaining mode, such as joint reading, which is also a key developmental stage.

As early as the second year of life, a book opened and read together with an adult, alone or in a small group, is in itself an important growth moment that promotes language, memory, attention, problem solving, as well as, of course, being a moment of pleasure, sharing and fun.

But what are the most beautiful books? Are they not those where the ending is all to be built, where the child becomes an active protagonist of the narrative, where the adventure of the protagonist is in fact a challenge for the child and where unexpected and unusual things happen?

The 'ActiveStories' series of books is just that: not just illustrated stories, but 'active' stories in which reading is alternated with games and activities to be done together with the boys and girls to stimulate, while having fun, their cognitive control processes: from those related to social and emotional skills (Wild Wolf, the village joker),

to the prerequisites of mathematics (Umberto the Owl, wizard of numbers), of writing (Tucano Gilberto, a somewhat uncertain writer) and of reading (The giraffe Mimì and the ABC scarf). In each book, the child will accompany the protagonist animal on an increasingly challenging adventure that will enable her/him to exercise basic control faculties, such as the ability to retain and actively process information in short-term memory, the ability to inhibit impulsive responses or distracting stimuli, and the ability to change point of view, perspective, and solution rules. The goal is not to reach the end of the story, which can be repeated, enriched and varied at will, nor to overcome all the challenges, as everyone has their own, depending on the interests and improvisation with which the protagonists intend to enrich the plot. Rather, the goal is to immerse oneself in the story, understand its opportunities, find new solutions and thus be an active protagonist!On the middle page of the book you will find other fun activities, which make this book even more unique.

All that remains is to wish you bon voyage... with Umberto the Owl, who will accompany the boys and girls on an incredible adventure to cheerfully train their ability to control numbers, space, relationships, magnitudes and quantities.

HEY, YOU! UMBERTO THE OWL IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Yes, this story is not like all the others, strange, unexpected and somewhat magical things happen here, which can only be solved with your help...

With a little attention, memory and ingenuity, you will help Umberto overcome the challenges you will encounter together. It will be a special adventure, because it can always change, with games that you and your friends young and old, can modify and invent.

And remember: it is not important to win and there are no right or wrong answers. The important thing is to participate and have fun...

The adventure begins... ready, set, go!

Umberto the little owl is really tiny, but this does not deter him because his mind is wise!

Today a question is on his mind and needs the answer urgently. "If I want to binge on candy, will there be a way not to get sick?".

So he starts stirring in the pot, until he smells something strange. Suddenly the room begins to shake and a blue light appears. In the silence, after all the turmoil, Umberto realises that his castle is destroyed. He cannot pretend that nothing has happened, he has to tidy up quickly!

Umberto enters the nearest room, it's his workshop and... by golly! His always tidy ampoules are now all mixed up. Large and small without distinction, there is a great confusion.

With precision and patience he must place them in the right cupboard. If he starts from the beginning, it will be an easy exercise. Tell him the colour or size and he will say thank you for your kindness.

01 Many ampoules

Tell the child that in order to put the ampoules in order, it is necessary to describe them by shape, colour or other and give an example. Attention: the ampoules on the right page must be described one way and the ampoules on the left page another. Starting with the small green square cruet and going clockwise, indicate the cruets by asking to name each one as quickly as possible, e.g. the

colour of each one ("green, red, green..."). Returning to the initial cruet, proceed counter-clockwise to the other page and ask to name a different characteristic, e.g. size ("small, big, large..."). The change in the delivery, once the centre has been reached, must be made explicit before starting the activity. If the child demonstrates mastery of this first level of difficulty, propose naming the

ampoules by choosing two new characteristics ("with cap, without cap", or according to the shape of the container, or the label "triangle, square, circle"). Another way is for you to designate the ampoules according to a precise pattern (e.g. every 2 or 3). After starting the sequence, you can interrupt and ask the child which ampoule to point to next. Finally, ask if there are more

red ampoules or green ones (alternatively, if there are more big ones or small ones, round ones or square ones). Invite the child to give an approximate answer and then verify the accuracy by counting the ampoules with you.

There is one thing Umberto loves: cultivating the vegetable garden early in the day!

Between carrots, broccoli and potatoes there are so many beloved plants! The pumpkin, however, is the queen, the most beautiful in the kitchen.

Orange and roundish it is a truly elegant plant.

So to be more serene he goes down to his garden, all proud. He had never done it, even there... what a disaster! The pumpkins are scattered, the carrots moved: all the vegetables so abandoned! What a blow to the heart!

Goodbye good cheer...

06 Harvesting vegetables

Tell the child that in order to make up for the disaster in the garden, she/he has to help Umberto harvest the vegetables so that he can cook them and prepare a delicious soup. Indicate the vegetables on the sign above: carrot, broccoli, radish, artichoke, pumpkin. The child must find the vegetable shown to him/her in the garden,

even if it is depicted from different perspectives. You can start by pointing at a single vegetable and then, to increase the difficulty, point at two or more vegetables at the same time: the child will then have to search for several vegetables together. You can also ask them to point to all the vegetables seen from above, below, tilted to

the right (towards the lizard) or to the left (towards the spider). Finally, the child can count the vegetables while pointing at them and you can ask how many vegetables in all Umberto planted in the garden. The adult can time the activity, later asking the child to point to the vegetables faster.

Mission accomplished!

We have reached the end of the adventure! Thank you for helping our friend Umberto overcome the many challenges you encountered. We feel that in this training everything went very well, congratulations! And you, what did you think? Was it fun? What was the nicest moment and what was the most difficult? Do you think you improved? In what way? Look at the smilies on the next page and tap on the most suitable one!

AN ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH A LOT OF EXERCISES TO ENHANCE THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN

Follow Umberto the owl in his adventures of numbers and magic, among potions, tricks and experiments!

Along the way he will meet many animals, but not all of them want to help him...

But you can!

In addition to the story of Umberto the Owl, accompanied by beautiful illustrations, you will find in this book numerous activities to do with children to learn to estimate quantities, make comparisons, quantify objects and recognise numerical symbols.

ActiveStories is a series of stories designed to train cognitive and executive functions. Halfway between a storybook and an exercise book, each book alternates the illustrated story with activities aimed at strengthening cognitive and executive functions in different areas: language prerequisites, writing, numbers and emotional and social skills.

Wild Wolf, the village joker

Enhancing cognitive and executive functions in the emotional and social spheres by Silvia Drovandi, Roberta Facondini and Chiara Pecini

Umberto the owl, wizard of numbers

Enhancing cognitive and executive functions in mathematics prerequisites by Sofia Gentili, Lucia Donata Nepi and Chiara Pecini