Colors – Signs ‘n Storytime

This was my third Signs n’ Storytime.  As I’ve mentioned before, I approach this storytime as a way for parents to get exposed to some signs that they can use with their little ones.

Disclaimer: I am not bilingual in ASL. I took some courses in college (which seems like a million years ago now…)

This month, we focused on colors.  So instead of learning completely different signs with each book, we had a lot of time to review the same signs.

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:
Color
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Purple
Pink
Brown
Black
White
Gray
Rainbow

This video from ASL That is a quick introduction to a bunch of color signs:

BOOK:

Knock! Knock!  by Anna-Clara Tidholm.

Signs used with the story:
Flash Lights (We used this sign when the Knock! Knock! sound happened, as doorbells are often connected to lights to signal their “ring” to a deaf person)
Blue
Red
Green
Yellow (thought the kids in storytime thought the Yellow door in this story was Orange, so we actually signed that instead…  It does look orange-y in the illustrations)
White 

MOVEMENT:
 Hokey Pokey

FLANNELBOARD:
I Went Walking
 
Based on the book by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas

Signs used with story:
Black
Brown
Red 
Green
Pink (the pig is a light pink, even though it looks white in the photo)
Yellow

MOVEMENT: If You’re Happy and You Know It

I sung this one a capella, 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.

BOOK:

Cat’s Colors by Airlie Anderson

Signs used with story:
Gray
Green 
Red 
Blue
Purple
Orange
Black
Yellow

VIDEO:
  
“Planting a Rainbow” from 20 Stories for Spring based on the book by Lois Ehlert.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

      

Book: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
(signs to use with story: white, black, red, blue, green, brown, yellow, pink, gray,             orange, purple)
Book: Butterfly Butterfly by Petr Horácek
(signs to use with story: pink, brown, green, red, orange, purple, blue, yellow, 
Book: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
(signs to use with story: blue, red, yellow, green, brown)
Book: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes story by Eric Litwin, art by James Dean
(signs to use with story: white, red, blue, brown)
Book: Meeow and the Little Chairs by Sebastien Braun.
(signs to use with story: black, orange, green, blue, red, yellow)
Book: Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett
(signs to use with story: blue, yellow, pink, brown, gold, green, gray, white)
Book: See the Colors: Sign Language for Colors by Dawn Babb Porochovnic, illustrated by Stephanie Bauer

HOW IT WENT: This was a nice theme, because it was easy to find good books to use.  I had a much smaller group this time.  I also learned that some of the handshapes (“g”, “p”, “k”) seemed to be hard for the little ones to make.  I need to do some research into how to explain them better.  I was ok with “g” (make a fist, point your pointer finger out, and point your thumb out too), but describing the others caught me off guard.  If anyone has a good resource for this, please share!

PRESENTED: Thursday, September 13, 2018

ATTENDANCE: 4 people (adults and children)

Colors – Toddler Storytime

There are so many colors and we read about a few of them in this storytime.

SONG: Now it’s Time to Say Hello*
taken from jbrary

MOVEMENT:  “Wake Up Toes” from Morning Magic by Joanie Bartels

MOVEMENT:
Open Shut Them*

SIGN: ASL sign for COLOR
asl - color
taken from Costello, Elaine Ph.D.  Random House Webster’s American Sign Language Dictionary.  1994.

BOOK:
Bear Sees Colors by Wilson
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

MOVEMENT: “Reach for the Ceiling” from Toddlers on Parade by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

COUNTING SONG:*
10 Crayons label
10 Crayons

FLANNELBOARD:
One Little Red Fish label
One Little Red Fish
(to the tune of “Little Red Wagon”) 
One little red fish, (hold up one finger)
Swimming in the water (put palms together and move them like a fish swimming)
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
One little red fish,
Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble – POP! (clap hands on POP!)

Other verses:
Increase the number and change the color

MOVEMENT: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music

BOOK:
Lemons are not red by seeger
Lemons are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

MOVEMENT: “Two Little Blackbirds” from Fingerplays and Footplays by Rosemary Hallum and Henry “Buzz” Glass

VIDEO:
Knuffle Bunny DVD
“Planting a Rainbow” from  Knuffle Bunny…and More Great Childhood Adventure Stories!

MOVEMENT: Now it’s Time to Say Goodbye taken from jbrary

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
Yellow is My Color Star by Horacek See the Colors Sign Language for Colors by Prochovnic Duckies Rainbow by Barry Butterfly Butterfly by Horacek Wow Said the Owl by Hopgood

Book: Yellow is My Color Star by Judy Horacek
Book: See the Colors: Sign Language for Colors by Dawn Babb Prochovnic, illustrated by Stephanie Bauer
Book: Duckie’s Rainbow by Frances Barry
Book: Butterfly Butterfly by Petr Horácek
Book: Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

THOUGHTS ON THIS STORYTIME:
I originally was thinking about doing a different flannelboard for this group, but it seemed the wiggles were going around, so I thought this one with a song might be better.  Shout out to my friend Diana G., who gave me this flannelboard at the Los Angeles Storytime Underground flannelboard swap this weekend.  (Thanks Diana!)

When I read Lemons are Not Red it says that carrots are not purple, they’re orange, but sometimes they are purple…  I know that kids aren’t going to be bothered by this.  But then after storytime I also had a parent tell me that the moon, in fact, is black as it is only made colored by the light’s reflection off it, so maybe it’s time to pick a different story for colors.

ATTENDANCE:  10 am:  38 people      11 am: 45 people

* For these songs, please see my Storytime Movements & Music page

Colors – Infant Storytime

We celebrated all different colors in our storytime today.

SONG: Now it’s Time to Say Hello*
taken from jbrary

MOVEMENT: Peek a Boo*

BOUNCE: Trot, Trot to Boston*

SIGN LANGUAGE: sign for “COLOR”
asl - color
taken from Costello, Elaine Ph.D.  Random House Webster’s American Sign Language Dictionary.  1994.

BOOK:
Lemons are not red by seeger
Lemons are Not Red
 by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

MOVEMENT: “Clap, Tap and Bend” from It’s Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

FLANNELBOARD:
One Little Red Fish label
One Little Red Fish
(to the tune of “Little Red Wagon”) 
One little red fish, (hold up one finger)
Swimming in the water (put palms together and move them like a fish swimming)
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
One little red fish,
Swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble – POP! (clap hands on POP!)

 

Other verses:
Increase the number and change the color

BOUNCE: “Ladies Ride” from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music 

MOVEMENT: Patty Cake

BOOK:
Duckies Rainbow by Barry
Duckie’s Rainbow by Frances Barry

TICKLE: See the Little Mousie*

NURSERY RHYME:
BaaBaaBlackSheepFlannelboard
(Pattern taken from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra)Baa Baa black sheep, Have you any wool?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame.
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.
Baa Baa black sheep, Have you any wool?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full.
MOVEMENT: “Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Children’s Favorite Songs Volume 3 from Walt Disney
MOVEMENT: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Songs for Wiggleworms by the Old Town School of Folk Music
MOVEMENT:  Now it’s Time to Say Goodbye
taken from jbrary

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:
One Blue Fish by Reasoner
Book: One Blue Fish by Charles Reasoner

HOW IT WENT:
Colors are a fun theme, but I wish I had spent a little bit more time gathering materials for this storytime. Though I do like the ones I used this storytime, I wonder what else I could be using. Do you have a favorite colors book for infants?

ATTENDANCE: 36 people (adults and kids)

* For these songs, please see my page Storytime Movements & Music