Dancing – Preschool Storytime

I just realized I had a bunch of storytime posts that I had saved in draft format and never published!  This is one of them.

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MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Hip -Hop Lollipop by Susan McElroy Montanari, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

FLANNELBOARD STORY:

Five Ballet Dancers

Five ballet dancers
Prancing on their toes
They twirl and spin and jump
Then off the stage one goes.

4 ballet dancers…
3 ballet dancers…
2 ballet dancers…

One ballet dancer
Prancing on his/her toes
S/He twirls and spins and jumps
Then off the stage s/he goes.

No more dancers!  The performance is over.
And what do we do at the end of a performance?
We applaud!  (clap)

(taken from Storytimes Online http://youthliterature.com/storytimes/artslit/dancing.pdf)

MOVEMENT: 

“Freeze Dance” from The Fresh Beat Band: Music from the Hit TV Show by The Fresh Beat Band

We danced to this one with scarves.  It was fun!

BOOK:

Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Suzanne Watts

VIDEO:

“Ballet Lesson” from Peppa Pig: My Birthday Party

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: I Got the Rhythmby Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Book: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees (also the video)
Book: Rupert Can Dance by Jules Feiffer
Book: Brontorina by James Howe, illustrated by Randy Cecil
Book: The Cranky Ballerina by Elise Gravel

ATTENDANCE: 24 (adults and children)

DATE PRESENTED: Saturday, July 27, 2019 @ Children’s Room

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Slow Stories – Preschool Storytime

Let’s slow things down a little bit with some stories about slow things like sloths and snails.

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth by Eric Carle

MOVEMENT:

Fast and Slow
(taken from A Box Full of Tales by Kathy MacMillan)
Running, running, running fast
We’re really moving but it won’t last.

Now running, running, running slow
Go as slowly as you can go.

Other verse:
Clapping
Jumping
Turning
Sitting (I added this one as a transition between movement and our next story)

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
The Tortoise and the Hare
I inherited this Flannel from my mom.  It came with a story and pattern, but I don’t know what book it is from yet.  If/When I find it, I’ll update my source.

MOVEMENT: 
Shake Your Shakers
(to the tune of: “London Bridge”)

Shake your shakers, shake shake shake
Shake, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake
Shake your shakers, shake shake shake
Shake your shakers

Other verses:
Shake your shakers fast
slow
up
down

BOOK:

Hi, Harry! The Moving Story of How One Slow Tortoise Slowly Made a Friend by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Barbara Firth

VIDEO:

“Leo the Late Bloomer” from Is Your Mama a Llama…and More Stories About Growing Up based on the book by Robert Kraus, pictures by José Aruego

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: Hurry Up and Slow Down by Layn Marlow
Book: Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni (also the video)

HOW IT WENT:
This was a fun and storytime.  It’s fun to read books about slow things, because it makes me slow down the pace at which I read.  Of course, that meant we ended up going a little longer than I probably should have time-wise, but for the most part, listeners stayed engaged.

ATTENDANCE: 23 (adults and children)

DATE PRESENTED: Saturday, August 24, 2019 @ Children’s Room

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Trees – Preschool Storytime

I just realized I had a bunch of storytime posts that I had saved in draft format and never published!  This is one of them.

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It’s starting to get warm here, which makes me every so thankful for trees!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Little Tree by Loren Long

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Uwungelema

Pattern and story taken from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra.  You can find the patterns here.

MOVEMENT: “Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

BOOK:

The Jelly Bean Tree by Toni Yuly

VIDEO:

“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” from Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Lots More Learning Fun based on the book by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
Flannelboard: The Mouse and the Apple (see the story in my Waiting storytime)
Book: Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
Book: The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, pictures by Chris Turnham
Book: Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
Book: Shake the Tree by Chiara Vignocchi
Book: Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Train Safety – Preschool Storytime

I just realized I had a bunch of storytime posts that I had saved in draft format and never published!  This is one of them.

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I was contacted by our local Metro staff to see if they could present at the library about Train Safety.  We ended up on wrapping it in to a storytime about trains.  The kids had fun and hopefully learned some tips on how to be safe!

MOVEMENT: Welcome Song*

MOVEMENT: “Clap Your Hands” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:

Whoosh and Chug! by Sebastien Braun

MOVEMENT:
Choo Choo Train
Here is the choo-choo train, chugging down the track.
Now it’s going forward, now it’s going back.

 

FLANNELBOARD STORY:
Clickety Clack

 
(Pattern and Idea taken from Mel’s Desk)

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes the train on the railroad track!

Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,
Here comes ENGINE number one.

Clickety-clew, clickety-clew,
Here comes COAL CAR number two.

Clickety-clee, clickety-cluee,
Here comes BOX CAR number three.

Clickety-clore, clickety-clore,
Here comes TANK CAR number four.

Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,
Here comes ENGINE number one.

Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,
Here comes ENGINE number one.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes the train on the railroad track!

MOVEMENT: “Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

BOOK:

Trains Go by Steve Light

VIDEO:

“2-Minute Safety Interstitial: Train” and “Safety Smart® Sing-Along Song” from Disney’s Wild About Safety: Timon and Pumbaa Safety Smart: On the Go!

MOVEMENT: Storytime’s Over*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: Big Choo by Stephen Shaskan
Book: Alphabet Trains by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
Book: I’m Fast! by Kate and Jim McMullan

DATE PRESENTED: Saturday, March 23, 2019 @ Children’s Room

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Pets – Signs ‘n Storytime

I just realized I had a bunch of storytime posts that I had saved in draft format and never published!  This is one of them.

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Disclaimer: I am not bilingual in ASL. I took some courses in college (which seems like a million years ago now…)  I know I am not going to teach anyone to be fluent in ASL – as a fully formed language, there is no way I could do this.  But I view this program as a way to teach parents signs that they might find useful to use with their babies, as children can sign before they can speak.  I am teaching words, not grammar or culture.  I mean no disrespect to the Deaf community, and I welcome comments/ways to improve this service in a culturally respectful manner.

SONG: “Hello Friends” in ASL
taken from Jbrary
I changed this one a little so instead of doing it time to “say” Hello, I sing, “it’s time to Sign Hello” and use the ASL word for sign

SIGNS USED DURING THIS PROGRAM:

BOOK:

The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley

Signs used with the story:
Turtle 
Dog 
Cat
Rat
Bird

MOVEMENT: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I sung this one acapella, and when we clap our hands we do the ASL version of clapping, we stomp our feet, and we pound our chest.  Whenever there is clapping in this storytime (at the end of a book, etc) we always do it the ASL way.

FLANNELBOARD:
Pet Voices

(Flannelboard pattern & rhyme from 2’s Experience Felt Board Fun by Liz & Dick Wilmes. Art by Janet McDonnell)

For this I just put up the different animals, we named them, and then did the sign for each.  We also talked about what sounds they made (which seems weird to talk about sound during a Sign Language storytime, but…), and what color they were.

Signs used with this story:

Bird 
Fish 
Rabbit
Cat
Dog
Mouse

BOOK:

I Spy Pets by Edward Gibbs

Signs used with story:
Bird 
Fish
Turtle 
Rabbit 
Cat 
Dog

SONG: The Alphabet Song

We finger sign along to this one.  This was my second time adding this element in to the storytime, so I passed this handout out to the parents at storytime to help them follow along.

BOOK:

Fifteen Animals! by Sandra Boynton

Signs used with story:
Cat 
Dog 
Fish
Hamster 
Horse 
Pig 
Rabbit 
Mouse
Bird 
Turtle 

VIDEO:

“Iggy’s Pet Friends” from Baby’s First-Word Stories: Pets

Signs used with this story:
Pig
Hamster
Bird
Rabbit

 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

Book: Some Pets by Angela DiTerlizzi, pets by Brendan Wenzel
(signs to use with story: dog, cat, snake, rabbit, hamster, bird, friend)

Book: Pet this Book by Jessica Young & Daniel Wiseman
(signs to use with story: cat, bird, dog, horse)

Book: Emma’s Pet by David McPhail
(signs to use with story: cat, bug, mouse, bird, frog, snake, fish, dog, turtle, father)

 

PRESENTED: Thursday, March 14 at LM Branch

ATTENDANCE: 14 people (adults and children)