STORYTIME - CONSTRUCTION

BOOKS:




Machines at Work, by Byron Barton

Simple text and pictures show workers on different construction vehicles.


Construction Countdown, by K.C. Olson

Count down from 10 and see what important job each kind of truck has.


Digger Man, by Andrea Zimmerman.

Come along for ride on a great big digger!



Mighty Dads, by Joan Holub.

Simple rhyming text tell the story of Mighty Dads building something new!

Fingerplays:

The backhoe digs a big big hole
The dump truck hauls the dirt
The grader scrapes the ground so smooth
While all the workers work


 (sung to the tune of "twinkle twinkle little star)
See the dump truck drive so slow
It must have a heavy load
Full of dirt or maybe rocks
Working hard it never stops
See the dump truck drive so slow
It must have a heavy load

FARMS

Books:



Wazdot?  by Michael Slack

An alien visits a farm on earth.  With the help of his decoder beam he's able to identify the strange things he finds.  Kids will have fun decoding as well!



Down by the Barn, by Will Hillenbrand

The tractor is picking up all kinds of animals but where are they going?  The kids will love making the sounds along with this story!



Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop, by Lisa Shulman

What is Old MacDonald making in his woodshop?  This story is a twist on a classic story and the kids will love making the noises of all the tools used.



Old MacDonald Had a Farm, by Nancy Hellen

The traditional story that kids will love reading along with you!

Fingerplays:

The cow in the barn goes moo, moo, moo
moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo
repeat
All around the farm
The pig in the barn goes oink, oink, oink,
oink, oink, oink...oink, oink, oink
repeat
All around the farm
The hens in the coop go cluck, cluck, cluck
cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck
 repeat
All around the farm
The lambs on the hill go baa, baa, baa,
baa, baa, baa, ...baa, baa, baa
repeat
All around the farm
The ducks on the pond go quack, quack, quack
quack, quack, quack...quack, quack, quack
repeat
All around the farm

STORYTIME - ELEPHANTS!

BOOKS:




My Bibi Always Remembers, by Toni Buzzeo

Little Tempo sometimes falls behind the herd but when Bibi calls everyone comes.  A heartwarming story set in Africa that portrays the care the elephants have for one another.



Elmer and the Monster, by David McKee

Everyone in the jungle is warning Elmer not to go near the roar of the monster.  Brave Elmer forges on and discovers that sometimes monsters are very scary after all.



My Elephant, by Petr Horacek

Grandma and Grandpa can't play, so why not ask your elephant to play?  Grandma and Grandpa won't mind if he squashes the flower bed and breaks a few things around the house.  A fun intergenerational story with lots of imagination!



What to do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot, by Michelle Robinson

Advice is given on what to do when you meet various animals in the jungle.  The trouble is while avoiding one you may very well invite another one nearby.

Fingerplay:

One elephant went out to play (pointer finger indicating one)
In a Spider's Web one day
He had such ENORMOUS fun
That he called for more elephants to come
HEY ELEPHANT (have children shout with you, they love it!)
                                (now show two fingers)
Two elephants went out to play (fingers indicating two)
In a Spider's Web one day
They had such ENORMOUS fun
That they called for more elephants to come
HEY ELEPHANT! (be sure children shout with you)
                                  (now show three fingers)
Repeat for numbers 4 & 5.

Action Rhyme: “Big Gray Elephant” (from Storytime Katie)
The big gray elephant slowly walks.
She doesn’t make a sound.
She swings her trunk from left to right.
When she puts her feet on the ground.
Swing, swing, left and right,
She doesn’t make a sound.


Early Literacy Tip:  Ask your child what they think the word ENORMOUS means?  This helps build their vocabulary.

Halloween Storytime!

Books:




Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson-
A witch and her cat are happily flying about on her broom when the wind suddenly takes her hat and wand.  Some helpful animals help out asking for a ride on her broom in return.  Is there enough room on the broom?  How do the save the witch from the dragon?



Click, Clack, Boo!, by Doreen Cronin
Farmer Brown does not like Halloween.  He leaves candy outside and goes behind locked doors.  The Halloween Party has just begun in the barn and Farmer Brown is in for some BIG surprises!



A Creepy Countdown by Charlotte Huck
Count to 10 then back again to 1.  Be ready to shiver, shake and laugh you're way through this countdown!



Pumpkin Eye, by Denise Fleming
It's Halloween Night, be ready for a spooky celebration!

Fingerplays:

The Ghost 
I saw a ghost (fingers circle eyes)
He saw me too (point to yourself)
I waved at him (wave your hand)
But he said, “Boo!” (try to scare the person next to you)

Pumpkin A pumpkin is big ( circle hands over head)
A pumpkin is round ( circle hands in front)
A pumpkin has a great big smile ( outline smile on mouth)
But doesn’t make a sound ( Put finger over lips)

Early Literacy Tip:

Talk to your preschooler about the costume they're wearing.  Ask about the colors and what they're pretending to be.  Ask a lot of open ended questions to encourage him/her to describe things.

STORYTIME - COUNTING!




One, Two, That's My Shoe!  by Alison Murray



The Long, Long, Line, by Tomoko Ohmura




Soup for One, by Ethan Long.



Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin


Fingerplay:

I have 10 fingers and they all belong to me
I can do things do you want to see?
I can make them go high. (reach up towards sky)
I can make them go low.  (bring hands down towards floor)
I can shake them very fast.  (shake hands very fast)
I can shake them very slow. (shake hands very slow)
I can hide them behind my back.  (hide them behind your back)
I can put them at my side (put hands at your side)
I can close them up tight (close hands into fists)
I can open them up wide (open them up wide)
I can go clap, clap, clap.
fold them and put them on my lap.

Storytime App with laptop:

  Eric Carle's My Very First App

This is a beautiful interactive app for preschoolers.  It has six different games for preschoolers identifying colors, animal homes, numbers, shapes, animal sounds and food.  They are also leveled, easy, medium and hard.  I played the numbers game at the easy level with the kids today.  This was still quite challenging for them.  They do enjoy when I bring the laptop out.  I am careful to select well reviewed apps that are interactive.  I think it gives the children exposure to the new technology available as well as teaching them their early literacy skills. 

Storytime - FISH!!

Opening Song:  These Are My Glasses, by Laurie Berkner

Books:




Fish Eyes:  A Book you Can Count On by Lois Ehlert




Rub-a-Dub Sub, by Linda Ashman



I'm a Shark by Bob Shea




Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins.

Fingerplays:

1-2-3-4-5 Once I Caught a Fish

One, two, three, four, five!  (count with your fingers)
Once I caught a fish alive: (place palms together to make a swimming fish)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.  (count with your fingers)
Then I let it go again. (throw hands in the air)
Why did you let it go?  (shrug shoulders)
Because it bit my finger so.  (one had bite pinkie finger on right hand)
Which finger di it bite?  (shrug shoulders)
This little finger on my right.  (wiggle pinkie finger on right hand)

This is my right hand
I raise it up high
This is my left hand
I'll touch the sky
Right hand
Left hand
Whirl them around
Right hand
Left hand
Pound, pound, pound

Early Literacy Tips of the Day:

1. When changing your baby's diapers, talk to him/her.  Respond to their babbles.
2. When doing the laundry name each item as you fold it
3. When preparing dinner name the food items
4. Talk, Talk, Talk!

FALL STORYTIME

Five Little Pumpkins by Van Rynbach




Fall Leaves Fall , by Zoe Hall





Plumply, Dumply, Pumpkin, by Mary Serfozo


Apples and Pumpkins, by Anne Rockwell





Fingerplay:

Way up high, in a tree (point up)
Two little apples looking down at me (two fists up in the air)
So I shook that tree as hard as I could (two fists shake 'trunk')
Down fell the apples (fists fall to ground)
Mmmm! Were they good!(rub tummy)

Five little pumpkins sitting on gate
The first one said, "oh my it's getting late!"
The second one said "there are witches in the air!'
The third one said" but we don't care"
The fourth one said" let's run and run and run"
The fifth one said" let's have some Halloween fun!"
oooo-ooooo went the wind
OUT went the lights
and five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Early Literacy Tips:

• When reading Apples and Pumpkins ask the children the colors of apples and pumpkins?
• When reading Fall Leaves Fall talk about green leaves in the summer and colorful leaves in the fall.
• When reading Plumply, Dumply, Pumpkin ask the children what they think Peter's going to do with the pumpkin once he gets it home
• When reading Five Little Pumpkins ask them to find the black cat on each page.

catalog.onlib.orgApples and Pumpkins

Parent as the first teacher

From the moment your child is born his/her brain is developing at a rapid rate.  80% of total brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life!  It is essential that we take advantage of this rapid development and ensure that our children have the best start possible.  Learning does not begin in Kindergarten,  it begins at birth.  This blog is going to provide tips, practices, sample storytimes, fingerplays and anything else that you can do at home to give your child the best start possible. 

The five early practices that children must do in order to become successful readers are:  READING, PLAYING, SINGING, TALKING, and WRITING.*  You can practice all of these from birth! 

READING:

• Reading together with your children is the most important way to help them get ready to read.
• Make book sharing time a special time.
• Let your child see you reading and enjoying books.
• Give books as gifts.
• Visit your public library often.
• Children who enjoy being read to are more likely to want to learn to read themselves.
• Read together and talk about what you read.

TALKING:

•  Talk to your child about what your are doing.
•  Tell your child stories
•  Talk in the language you're most comfortable speaking
•  Ask questions even if you child does not have the words to answer
•  Respond to your babies babbles
•  Add more words to what your child says

SINGING: 

• Songs are a natural way to learn about language
• Songs help children recognize the rhythms and rhymes of spoken language
• Songs help children break down language into separate words.
• Singing can also slow down language for children to clearly hear.
• Clapping along with a song helps children sense the rhythm of words.
• Singing helps children learn new words.

PLAYING:

• Play is one of the primary ways young children learn about the world and language.
• Play helps children practice putting their thoughts into words.
• Playing should include talking with your child.  Ask them what they're doing.
• Play is how children practice becoming adults.
• Play allows children to practice sharing and taking turns.

WRITING:

• Writing and Reading go together!
• Scribbling and drawing are forms of writing.
• Scribbling and drawing help children learn the control they need to hold a pencil.
• Writing your child's name lets them see letters in something familiar.
• Writing doesn't always have to be writing- it can be tracing in sand, playing with clay or play dough, or crinkling up newspaper to help strengthen finger muscles.

*from Every Child Ready to Read, ALSC, PLA 2011