Merve’s School Bag Countdown

The sun peeked through the window and tickled Merve’s nose. Today was a very special morning because it was the first day of school! Merve hopped out of bed and looked at her empty blue backpack sitting on the chair. "It is time to get ready!" she whispered with a big smile.

Merve’s mom, Ayla, walked into the room carrying a stack of supplies. "Good morning, Merve!" Ayla said. "Are you ready to pack? Let's play a counting game to make sure we have everything we need." Merve clapped her hands. She loved games, especially counting games!

Merve went to her desk and picked up her new notebooks. They had shiny covers in all different colors. Ayla looked at the stack and asked, "How many notebooks?" Merve touched each one carefully as she counted. "One, two, three, four, five! Five notebooks!"

Next, Ayla found a small box filled with erasers. Some were shaped like little stars and others like pink hearts. Ayla held the box open and asked her daughter, "How many erasers?" Merve peeked inside and counted them all. "Eight erasers!" she announced proudly.

Then came the most important supply of all. Merve spread her yellow pencils across the soft rug. They were brand new and very sharp. Ayla looked at the big pile and asked, "How many pencils?" Merve pointed at each one. "Sixteen pencils!" she shouted.

Ayla reached into a desk drawer and pulled out the sharpeners. They were small, round, and bright green. "You will need these to keep those pencils sharp," Ayla said with a wink. "How many sharpeners?" Merve held them in the palm of her hand. "Three sharpeners!"

Merve grabbed her pack of markers from the shelf. She lined them up in a long, beautiful row on the floor. They looked like a rainbow. She looked at the line and asked herself, "How many markers?" After a quick count, she cheered, "Twelve markers!"

Ayla pulled a sheet of shiny gold stickers from a folder. "These are for your best work," Ayla explained. The stickers glittered in the light. "How many stickers?" she asked. Merve counted the rows of stars on the page. "Twenty stickers!" she said with wide eyes.

Merve found a jar of colorful paper clips on the corner of her desk. She spilled them onto the white tabletop to see them better. Blue, red, and yellow clips scattered everywhere. "How many paper clips?" Merve wondered. She counted every single one. "Eighteen paper clips!"

Ayla held up a box of brand-new crayons. The box was full of bright tips waiting to draw. "Don't forget your colors!" Ayla reminded her. "How many crayons?" Merve looked at the box and counted the tops. "Fifteen crayons!" she said, tucking them into the side pocket of her bag.

Suddenly, Pamuk the cat jumped onto the bed. He was very curious about all the school supplies. He batted at a long plastic ruler with his white paw. Merve giggled and petted his soft fur. "How many rulers, Pamuk? One ruler!" Pamuk purred loudly in response.

Finally, the bag was full and ready to go. Merve zipped it up and put the straps over her shoulders. Ayla gave her a big hug right by the front door. "How many happy students are ready for school?" Ayla asked. Merve stood tall and cheered, "One happy student!"