Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all five of the early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing – were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).
Writing: Children used an autumn colored crayon to draw a line between numerals 1 through 5 and the same number of objects shown on the opposite column on the paper.
Reading:
Books:
The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
Singing:
Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!
Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")
Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!
(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song. Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us. At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)
Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!
Pumpkins Growing
(tune: "Are You Sleeping?")
Pumpkins growing...(echo)
On the ground...
Look at all the pumpkins...
Orange and round...
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There's a chill in the air."
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "We're looking for some fun!"
The fifth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
Whoooo! went the wind and...OUT went the light!
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!
Pumpkins Growing
(tune: "Are You Sleeping?")
Pumpkins growing...(echo)
On the ground...
Look at all the pumpkins...
Orange and round...
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There's a chill in the air."
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "We're looking for some fun!"
The fifth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
Whoooo! went the wind and...OUT went the light!
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")
What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box
For us to play?
Talking:
Playing:
Our enrichment activities included playing with Pumpkin Spice Play Dough, which smelled w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l! but was not edible! We used plastic stamps to make impressions of letters in the dough. I overheard some great conversations about going home to do some baking. Must have been the pumpkin pie spice!!
The other activity allowed children and adults to explore the sight, smell and feel of a freshly-cut pumpkin!
Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.
