Friday, September 29, 2017

Preschool Storytime: Trains!

This Preschool Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 27 & 28, 2017 .

Each Preschool Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five 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).







Reading:

Railroad Hank by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Benji Davies






All Aboard to Work - Choo-Choo! by Carol Roth, illustrated by Steve Lavis

 ~ As I mentioned to those attending Storytime this week, I take liberties when reading "All Aboard to Work - Choo-Choo!"  I have found, when reading the repeated response ("All aboard to work, choo-choo! Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo-choo!"), that it seems to flow better if I say "All aboard to work - choo-choo!  Chug-a-chug-a, chug-a-chug-a, choo-choo-choo!"  I hope this helps parents feel comfortable making changes as needed to the stories they read to their children.  And, don't worry!  The Verbatim Police will not come knocking on your door if you fail to read everything word-for-word!  The important thing is to breathe life into the words and have fun with the story! 




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!)



The Wheels on the Train
(tune: "The Wheels on the Bus")
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack.
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
All along the track.

The whistle on the train goes, "Whoo!  Whoo!"...
The conductor on the train says, "All Aboard!"...
The people on the train go bumpety-bump...


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!






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?





Name Trains!
Construction paper, markers, glue, and cotton balls were used to make these fun name trains:

















Activities such as this Color-by-Number picture make learning fun!  While your child is strengthening the muscles used to hold crayons and markers, she can also improve her number recognition and color recognition.




Here is a cute (and delicious!) activity to enjoy with your little one.  This would lend itself to loads of substitutions: instead of Nilla Wafers, use banana or kiwi slices; use vanilla pudding or whipped topping for the smoke; add raisins instead of coated candies, etc.





Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Outreach Storytime: Apples!

This outreach storytime was presented at Golden Hills Head Start classrooms on September 25, 2017 and at Belleaire Head Start on September 26 & 27, 2017.


Books:


Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson




Up, Up, Up!  It's Apple-Picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro, illustrated by Kitty Harvill





Songs:
Shake My Sillies Out
(by Raffi)
Listen to the song on YouTube by clicking here

I'm gonna shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out,
And wiggle my waggles away!


If You're Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it
Then your face will surely show it.
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands!

Additional verses:
If you're happy and you know it...
Wave hello!
Give a hug!
Smile at your friend!



Rhymes:

Way up high in the apple tree,
Two red apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could...
Mmmm!  That was good!





Each Outreach Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five 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).

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

TWO-sday Friends Storytime: September 2017

This TWO-sday Friends Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 26, 2017.

Books:

I Love Cake! by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Angie Rozelaar



Where Are You? by Sarah Williamson




The Starry Giraffe by Andy Bergmann 




Songs:

The More We Get Together
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
'Cause your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends.
The more we get together, the happier we'll be!


Activities:

We had some very special guests  - often referred to as "man's best friend" - make an appearance at the library! At the conclusion of Storytime we were joined by several of our Pawsitive Reading dogs and their humans.  Attending our Meet & Greet were Khaleesi, Roto, Husker, Remington, and Clyde.














































Each TWO-sday Friends Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five 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).

Toddler Storytime: My Eyes!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 27, 2017.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five 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).







Reading:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle






I Spy With My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs




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!)




Clap Your Hands, 1,2,3
(tune: “This Old Man”

Clap your hands, one, two, three.
Play a clapping game with me.
Now your hands have gone away.
* Bring them back so we can play!

(last time: “We’ll play this game another day!”)


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!





Rhyme:

I Saw a Little Rabbit
I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop!
I saw his little ears go flop, flop, flop.
I saw his little eyes go blink, blink, blink,
I saw his little nose go twink, twink, twink.
See his coat so soft and furry,
See him hop away in a hurry!





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?







Our Green Box today held two Scavenger Hunts:
Autumn Scavenger Hunt and I Spy Game

Talking:
We spent time during Storytime playing "I Spy With My Little Eye". 

Our Storytime families sat around a variety of small objects that were scattered on the floor.  Parents were encouraged to play with their own child, saying for example, "I spy a yellow truck", or "I spy a blue starfish."  This activity can be replicated at home with a variety of small toys or household objects.  Toddlers will often need several seconds to process what is being asked for (they'll think about "yellow" and also think about "truck").  Several more seconds will be needed to locate the specific item, so be patient as their brains and eyes perform these tasks!










Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Baby & Me Storytime: 9/25/17-9/28/17

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 25, 26 & 28, 2017.

Book:
Pat-a-Cake  illustrated by Annie Kubler











Songs:


Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are. 


My Little Baby
(tune "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah")

My little baby is _______
Cutest little baby I kno-o-o-ow
My little baby is _______
And I love you so!


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!


These Little Fingers
(tune:"The Wheels on the Bus")

These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And now they're on my...head!

There are endless possibilities when singing this song with your wee one!  
For example:
Your fingers can go pat, tickle, rub, clap, wave, tap...
on your baby's feet, back, head, tummy, knees, cheeks...

Rhymes:

Pizza, Pizza, Pumpernickel

Pizza, pizza, pumpernickel,
My little baby shall have a tickle.
One on the nose,
And one on the toes,
And one on the tummy where the pizza goes!




I Saw a Snake Go By One Day
(© Lois Simmie)  

I saw a snake go by one day (make snake motion with arm)
Riding in his Chevrolet (hands on steering wheel)
He was long (extend arms to show "long")
And he was thin (arms show "thin")
And he didn't have a chin. (point to chin)

He had no chin,
But what the heck? (shrug)
He had lots and lots and lots of neck! (touch or tickle baby's neck)


Our activity this week was musical instruments!











Each Baby & Me Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five 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).

Toddler Storytime: My Feet!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 20, 2017.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five 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).




Reading:

Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown






My Two Feet by Rick Walton, illustrated by Julia Gorton




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!)



I Can Walk With Two Feet
(tune: "Mary Wore a Red Dress")

I can walk with two feet, two feet, two feet.
I can walk with two feet all day long.

(other suggested verses)
I can skip with two feet...
I can jump with two feet...
I can march with two feet...
I can run with two feet...
I can slide with two feet...
I can dance with two feet...


Dance, Dance, Dance - performed by Tom Chapin
Listen to this song on Youtube:


Children this age often don't have much experience with, or knowledge of, the range of music styles.  You can provide exposure by having a wide variety of music in your home. Bellevue Library has a large collection of music CDs for children, encompassing age-appropriate music such as pop, rap, country, and folk.  Consider introducing symphonic tunes, ethnic music (Asian, Irish, Caribbean, German, etc.) and musicals.


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!






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?







Our Green Box this week offered a flannel activity called "Counting Feet" which encourages children to count the number of feet on a variety of creatures, in order to know how many shoes each needs!

We also brought out several very large beach balls - just perfect for kicking around out on the library lawn!



Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Baby & Me Storytime: 9/18/17 - 9/21/17

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 18, 19, & 21, 2017.

Book:
Peek-a-Boo! by Roberta Grobel Intrater 









Songs:


Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are. 


Hands Up High
(tune “London Bridge”)

First we wave our hands up high,
Hands up high, hands up high.
First we wave our hands up high.
Then we clap them!

Then we roll our hands down low,
Hands down low, hands down low.
Then we roll our hands down low.
Then we hide them! 


I Can Make My Baby Smile
(tune: “Muffin Man”)

I can make my baby smile,(or laugh)
My baby smile, my baby smile.
I can make my baby smile
When I tickle his (or her, or your) toes!

Additional verses: nose, tummy, feet, chin, etc.


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!



Rhymes:

Tony Chestnut

Tony Chestnut knows I love you!
(point to your toes, knees, chest, head, nose, eyes,
then hug arms to chest)
Tony knows!  Tony knows!
(point to your toes, knees and nose, then repeat) 
Tony Chestnut knows I love you! 
(point to your toes, knees, chest, head, nose, eyes,
then hug arms to chest)
That's what Tony knows! 
(point to your toes, knees and nose)




'Round and 'Round the Garden

'Round and 'round the garden,
Goes the little mouse.
(draw circles on baby's palm with your finger - or - draw circles on baby's back or tummy)
Up, up, up he creeps
(walk your fingers up baby's arm)
Up into his house.
(tickle under baby's arm)

'Round and 'round the garden,
Goes the teddy bear.
(draw circles on baby's palm with your finger - or - draw circles on baby's back or tummy)

One step, two steps,
(walk your fingers up baby's arm)
Tickle you under there!

(tickle under baby's arm or chin)



Our activity this week was Board Books!











Each Baby & Me Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five 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).

Monday, September 25, 2017

Preschool Storytime: Dogs!

This Preschool Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on September 13, 2017.

Each Preschool Storytime includes activities that support all or most of the five 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).





Reading:

A Small Thing...But Big by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Hadley Hooper






Puppy Pool Party by Seth Casteel




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!)


B-I-N-G-O

There was a farmer, had a dog
and Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,
and Bingo was his name-o.



                                                      














Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!



Rhyme:



I Have a Dog and His Name is Rags

I have a dog and his name is Rags.
He eats so much that his tummy sags.
His ears flip-flop,
(hands wave at ears)
And his tail wig-wags,
(wiggle hips)
And when he walks he goes zig-zag.
(one arm in front of body, then cross with other arm)

He goes flip-flop, wig-wag, zig-zag (3 times)
I love Rags and he loves me!


After My Bath:

After my bath I try, try, try
to wipe myself 'til I'm dry, dry, dry.

Hands to wipe and fingers and toes
and two wet legs and a shiny nose.

Just think how much less time I'd take
if I were a dog and could shake, shake, shake!




Talking/Writing/Playing:
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?

Attendees had the opportunity for some creative play with several of the library's dog puppets!









Two activity sheets featured dogs and supported color recognition, the use of crayons, number recognition and counting.



Kibble to Nibble activity sheet can be found here.





How Many Dogs? activity sheet can be found here.


Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.