Stories Rhymes and Singalong Times!: Bellevue West High School Early Head Start

Showing posts with label Bellevue West High School Early Head Start. Show all posts

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Baby & Me Storytime

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue West High School's Early Head Start program on Thursday, February 6, 2014.

Book:

Hug You, Kiss You, Love You by Joyce Wan

Songs:

Wave Your Bells In The Air
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

Wave your bells in the air, in the air.
Wave your bells in the air, in the air.
Wave your bells in the air, oh, wave them way up there.
Wave your bells in the air, in the air.

Tap your bells on the floor, on the floor.
Tap your bells on the floor, on the floor.
Tap your bells on the floor, let's all tap them once more.
Tap your bells on the floor, on the floor.

Shake your bells all around, all around.
Shake your bells all around, all around.
Shake your bells all around, now shake them near the ground.
Shake your bells all around, all around.

Clap Your Hands, One, Two, Three
(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!

Final time:
Clap your hands, one, two, three
Play a clapping game with me.
Now your hands have gone away.
We'll play this game another day!

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round,
'Round and 'round.
'Round and 'round.
The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round,
All through the town.

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish...
The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa...
The doors on the bus go open and shut...

Rhymes:

It's Snowing

It's snowing! It's snowing!
How the wind does blow!
Snowflakes falling from the sky.
Oops! One landed on my...head!

Have fun with your little one by continuing this rhyme, choosing other parts of her body where a snowflake might land and unexpectedly tickle her! Snowflakes might land on Baby's neck, toes, ears, back, tummy, knee, etc.

One Little Baby Splashing in the Sea

One little baby rocking in a tree. (adult gently rocks child)
Two little babies splashing in the sea. (adult/child make "splashing" motion)
Three little babies crawling on the floor. (move hands in "walking" motion in front of child)
Four little babies knocking at the door. (make a fist and "knock" in the air)
Five little babies playing hide and seek. (cover eyes with hands)
Don't look! Don't look!
Until I say...PEEK! (uncover eyes)

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)

POPCORN!

Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap with each "pop")
Pour the corn into the pot!
(rub palms of hands together quickly)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap with each "pop")
Take and shake it 'till it's hot!
(rub palms of hands together quickly)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap with each "pop")
Lift the lid, what have you got?
(rub palms of hands together quickly)
Pop! Pop! Popcorn!
(clap twice, then raise arms in the air and/or gently lift baby into the air)

We enjoyed discovering some of the many ways to make music with jingle bells! We held them in our hands, but we also tried putting the bells on our feet... and then shaking our legs! A couple of the little ones were even willing to walk around with a bell hooked to their ear! Boy, did that feel silly! One youngster enjoyed listening to the sounds made while threading the loops of bells onto his arm. Once his arm was full and his hand was completely covered, he had fun dumping the bells onto the floor as he played his own improvised game of "Where did my hand go?!"

Providing opportunities for your child to experiment with musical sounds doesn't have to cost money - although there are nice quality rhythm instrument sets readily available for purchase if you want to make the investment. There is a reason why children have been beating metal pots and pans with wooden sticks for centuries: everyone has pots and pans around their house, they are fairly safe for children to handle, and they are a lot of fun to play! You can provide even more variety by letting your little one make sounds using empty oatmeal or cornmeal canisters, metal pie pans, plastic Easter eggs or plastic water bottles filled with objects securely sealed inside. Until they try it themselves, infants and toddlers won't know that a wooden spoon striking a metal pan sounds different than hitting the couch, a wall, the side of the dog kennel...or the side of the dog. I encourage you to take time to enjoy the expressions of delight and wonder as your child learns more and more about their amazing world!

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).

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, December 10th and Thursday, December 12th, 2013.
Presented at Bellevue East High School's Early Head Start program on Thursday, December 12th, 2013.

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!

This is one of the songs we use to get to know one another each week!
After singing "Hello, Friends", each adult introduces him/herself and their baby.
We then sing the song again for each child, substituting their name for the word "Friends".

Ten Little Tootsie Toes
(tune: "One Little, Two Little")

One little, two little,
Three little tootsies,
Four little, five little,
Six little tootsies,
Seven little, eight little,
Nine little tootsies,
Ten little tootsie toes!

Ten little, nine little,
Eight little tootsies,
Seven little, six little,
Five little tootsies,
Four little, three little,
Two little tootsies,
One little tootsie toe!

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way!

Bells on bobtail ring,
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight!

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a
One-horse open sleigh! (repeat)

Activities:

Icka Backa Soda Cracker

Icka backa, soda cracker,
Icka, backa boo!
Icka backa, soda cracker,
Up goes you!

Icka backa, soda cracker,
Icka, backa boo!
Icka backa, soda cracker,
I love you!

As I Went Walking to Town One Day
(Underlined words and syllables represent the
stressed beats in this rhyme.)

As I went walking to town one day,
Oh, it was a sunshiny day!
As I went walking to town one day,
I met a cow along the way!
And what do you think that cow did say?
Mooooo!

What other animals could you meet along the way?
What sounds do they make?

Two Little Hands

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.
Two little hands lay in my lap.
Two little feet go bump, bump, bump.
Two little feet give one big jump!
Two little hands reach oh, so high.
Two little hands wave bye, bye, bye.

Our activity this week was Musical Instruments! It was fun to put on some recorded music and play along! Most parents already know that they have an entire cupboard full of instruments in their house: it's called the "pots and pans cabinet"! Children are often quick to learn that a saucepan and a spoon make wonderful sounds! I also spoke with the parents about making homemade instruments. Oatmeal or cornmeal canisters make great drums, recycled aluminum pie tins with bells attached can be used for tambourines, plastic Easter eggs filled with rice or beans (and well-sealed before giving to Baby) make awesome shakers!

Library News:
In the past couple of weeks we have welcomed new friends Xavier, Ari, Calvin, Junie and Olivia!

Our next Baby and Me Storytime will be Tuesday, December 17 and Thursday, December 19, 2013.

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).

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented to children and parents at Bellevue West High School's Early Head Start classroom on April 11, 2013.

Book:
Farm Babies

Songs:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!

(After singing the song I invite an adult to introduce him/herself and their child. We repeat the song, substituting the child's name for the word "friends". We do this until everyone has been introduced and all the children have been serenaded!)

The Baby in the Cradle
(tune: "The Wheels on the Bus")

The baby in the cradle goes rock-a-rock-a-rock,
The baby in the cradle goes rock-a-rock-a-rock,
The baby in the cradle goes rock-a-rock-a-rock,
The baby in the cradle goes rock-a-rock-a-rock.

The clock on the dresser goes tick-a-tick-a-tock...

The rain on the window goes tap-a-tap-a-tap...

Then out comes the sun so we clap-a-clap-a-clap...

Activities:

Popcorn
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Pour the corn into the pot.
(rub palms of hands together briskly)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Take and shake it 'til it's hot.
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Lift the lid. What have you got?
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop... pop... pop...
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
POPCORN!
(raise arms or lift baby gently into the air!)

Pizza, Pizza, Pumpernickel
Pizza, pizza pumpernickel,
(gently pat child's legs in rhythm on the underlined syllables)
My little baby shall have a tickle.
(continue patting child's leg )
One on the nose,
(gently tickle child's nose)
And one on the toes,
(tickle toes)
And one on the tummy
(gently pat child's leg in rhythm on the underlined syllables)
where the pizz-a goes!
(gently pat child's tummy in rhythm on the underlined syllables)

Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

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).

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue West High School Early Head Start on Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Book:
Play Baby Play! by Marilyn Janovitz

Good morning knees…tummy…hands…cheeks…

When Cows Get Up In The Morning

When cows get up in the morning,
They always say "good day!"
When cows get up in the morning,
They always say"good day!"

"Moo, moo, moo",
That's how they say "good day!"
Moo, moo, moo,
That's how they say "good day!"

(Have fun gently bouncing or rocking with your little one as you enjoy this rhyme together! What other animals can you include in this song?)

Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Today's ECRR Activity Highlight: TALKING!

Your little one will hear millions of words before she starts uttering them herself. It is important to expose her to lots of conversations as she learns the sounds, cadence and inflections of her language! Enjoy talking to your child as though you are having a two-way conversation. At first, she will just listen intently. Later, she will try to converse with you by cooing when you stop talking. Be sure to leave a few pauses as you talk. She will learn that this is her cue to "talk"! These "conversations" make for delightful experiences with your child!

Educator and best-selling author Jim Trelease shares some very convincing evidence here on the importance of reading and talking to your children. Of particular interest to me were the statistics found in the diagram "Total words (in millions) heard by child by age 4 (by family income)" and in the surrounding paragraphs.

Our ExploreTime Activity today was Bean Bags!
Our bean bag playtime can also be a great opportunity to talk with your child. As you are playing, ask your child questions such as, "Can you put the bean bag on your head?", "Look! Mommy has a bean bag on her nose!", "You have 2 red bean bags and one yellow bean bag!" "This bean bag is a rectangle." Lots of repetition is important in cementing these concepts in his mind, so talk, talk, talk away! Repetition will also help him understand the organization of our language. For example, your English-speaking child will learn that the acceptable way to describe this:

would be to say, "a black cat", while a child raised in France will look at the same picture and learn to say, "un chat noir" (a cat black). The reason English-speaking children do not say, "Mommy! Look at that cat black!", is because he has heard enough descriptive words to know that he should say black cat, red ball, blue book, yellow banana, etc.

My next Baby & Me Storytime at Bellevue West Early Head Start will be on April 11, 2013!

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)

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, January 10, 2013

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue West High School Early Head Start on Thursday, January 10, 2013.

Book:

Mama Mama/Papa Papa by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Laura Regan

Songs:

Hello Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello (child's name),
Hello (repeat child's name),
Hello (repeat child's name),
We're glad you came today!

(We sing this as many times as needed until each child has been serenaded!)

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!

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

(Help your child wiggle his fingers or wiggle yours in front of him!)
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!

(Pat fingers on baby's head)
These little fingers go
Pat, pat, pat,
Pat, pat, pat,
Pat, pat, pat.
These little fingers go
Pat, pat, pat,
And now they're on my tummy!

(Gently rub baby's tummy)
These little fingers go
Rub, rub, rub,
Rub, rub, rub,
Rub, rub, rub.
These little fingers go
Rub, rub, rub,
And now they're on my ...

(choose another part of baby's body and continue singing!)

Activities:

Good Morning Toes

Good morning toes,
Good morning toes
And how are you today?
I trust you had a good night’s sleep
And now you’re ready to play.

Good morning knees…
Good morning tummy…
Good morning hands…
Good morning cheeks…
(lay child in front of you and touch each of baby’s body parts)

Icka Backa Soda Cracker
Icka backa soda cracker,
Icka backa boo!
Icka backa soda cracker
Up goes you!
(bounce baby side to side, then lift up on “up goes you”)

Icka backa soda cracker,
Icka backa boo!
Icka backa soda cracker
I love you!
(bounce baby side to side, then hug on “I love you”)

I shared with the parents today about the importance of reading to their children. Board books, with their thick pages and sturdy binding, are ideal for babies and toddlers! I spoke briefly about the importance of exposing their children to the rich vocabulary of our language. Every Child Ready to Read® encourages parents and educators to introduce a wide variety of words to their children. This practice will aid children significantly when they start learning to read. The more words your child knows, the better his ability to recognize them in written form once he begins sounding out words.

Thank you for the privilege of interacting with your precious little ones each month. It is such a pleasure to see your little ones grow and develop and share their unique personalities!
~ Mrs. B.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, November 7, 2012.
Presented at Bellevue West High School Early Head Start on Thursday, November 8, 2012.
Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on Thursday, November 15, 2012.

Book:
Farmy Farm by Chris Raschka

Fingerplays and Songs for the Very Young illustrated by Carolyn Croll

Songs:

Welcome to Storytime!
(tune: Old McDonald)

At storytime we have (child's name) today.
We're so glad, let's shout hooray!

(After singing the song I invite an adult to introduce him/herself and their child. We repeat the song, inserting the child's name. We do this until everyone has been introduced and all the children have been serenaded!)

(At BWHS and Peter Sarpy we sang this in place of "Welcome to Storytime")
Hello Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

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

(After singing the song once, we repeat the song for each child, substituting the child's name for the word "friends".

Baby, Baby, Wash Your Hands
(tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Baby, Baby, wash your hands. Baby's bath is fun!
Baby, Baby, wash your hands. Now your hands are done!

Baby, Baby, wash your toes. Baby's bath is fun!
Baby, Baby, wash your toes. Now your toes are done!

(Parents then help me come up with other parts of baby's body that need washing.)

(At Peter Sarpy I used "One Little Baby Rocking in a Tree" instead of "Dance Little Baby")

Dance, Little Baby
(tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Dance little baby, dance up high.
Never mind, baby, I am nearby.

Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,
Backward and forward, 'round and 'round.

Dance little baby, dance up high.
Never mind, baby, I am nearby.

Activities:

'Round and 'Round the Garden

'Round and 'round the garden
(hold child's hand, palm up)
Goes the little mouse.
(draw circles on child's palm with finger)
Up, up, up he creeps,
(crawl fingers up child's arm)
Up into his house.
(tickle under child's arm)

'Round and 'round the garden
(hold child's hand, palm up)
Goes the teddy bear.
(draw circles on child's palm with finger)
One step, two steps,
(crawl fingers up child's arm)
Tickle you under there!
(tickle child's neck)

(An alternate action, especially for very young babies, is to use the child's back or tummy instead of his palm.)

Cuckoo Clock

Tick... tock... tick... tock, ("tick, tock, tick, tock")
Goes the little cuckoo clock. ("goes the li...ttle cu-ckoo clock")
Tick... tock... tick...tock, ("tick, tock, tick, tock")
Now I'm striking one o'clock. ("Now I'm stri-king one o-clock")
CUCKOO! ("Cu-ckoo")

(This rhyme can be said quite slowly, which makes for a gentle rocking motion. When we slow down our speech we lengthen some of the words, which helps your child hear syllables as well as the cadence of our language. When speaking, put the emphasis on the underlined words or parts of words. Cradle baby in your arms or hold him up with your hands under his underarms. Gently rock child from side to side in rhythm with your words. When you say "CUCKOO", gently lift your child into the air. For older children: have child stand and gently rock from side to side in rhythm with the chant. Invite your child to raise hands above his/her head and/or jump one time for each "CUCKOO" they hear. Continue this chant, changing the verse to "two o'clock...CUCKOO! CUCKOO!, three o'clock...CUCKOO! CUCKOO! CUCKOO!, etc.)

One Little Baby Rocking in a Tree (Used at Peter Sarpy EHS)
One little baby rocking in a tree. (adult gently rocks child)
Two little babies splashing in the sea. (adult/child make "splashing" motion)
Three little babies crawling on the floor. (move hands in "walking" motion in front of child)
Four little babies knocking at the door. (make a fist and "knock" in the air)
Five little babies playing hide and seek. (cover eyes with hands)
Don't look! Don't look!
Until I say...PEEK! (uncover eyes)

Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Today I talked with parents about the importance of incorporating music into a child's daily activities and experiences. As I mentioned in my notes for "Cuckoo Clock", it is important for children to hear the in-di-vid-u-al sounds in words, as this is a vital pre-reading skill. Songs and chants help emphasize these smaller parts of words by drawing out the syllables. Studies have shown that attaching music to words can help a person retain the words longer. Parents sometimes teach important information (e.g. their address or phone number) to their children by using a chant. ("I live with my mommy and daddy at 4-2-9-9 Ba-ker Av-e-nue!") There are many books and music CDs that can help parents in their effort to incorporate more music into their daily routines. I shared the board book Fingerplays and Songs for the Very Young illustrated by Carolyn Croll, as a suggested resource. I'll share more about the importance of music in next week's Baby & Me Storytime blog.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue West High School Early Head Start on Thursday, October 11, 2012

Book.:

Will You Wear a Blue Hat? a Rookie Toddler Book by Scholastic

Songs:

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!

Eensy Weensy Spider

The eensy weensy spider went up the waterspout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again.

Hello, Friends!
(tune: Goodnight Ladies)

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

Repeat the verse, inserting a child's name in place of the word "friends".
Repeat until everyone has had a chance to be greeted!

Ten Little Tootsies
(tune: "One Little, Two Little, Three Little")

One little, two little, three little tootsies,
Four little, five little, six little tootsies.
Seven little, eight little, nine little tootsies,
Ten little tootsie toes!

Ten little, nine little, eight little tootsies,
Seven little, six little, five little tootsies.
Four little, three little, two little tootsies,
One little tootsie toe!

Activities:

A Flea on My Toe

On my toe there is a flea.
Now it's climbing past my knee,
Past my tummy,
Past my nose,
On my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea.
Now it's climbing down on me,
Past my tummy,
Past my knee,
On my toe,
Take that, you flea!

Dance Your Fingers Up

Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down.
Dance your fingers to the side and dance them all around.

Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your tummy and put them all to bed.

Our Hands Say Goodbye

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Let's do it again!"

Our hands say goodbye with a clap, clap, clap.
Our feet say goodbye with a tap, tap, tap.
Clap, clap, clap,
Tap, tap, tap.
We roll our hands around and say... "Goodbye!"

Today I introduced the practice of "story walking" with the parents and babies. Today I used "Will You Wear a BLUE Hat? by Scholastic as our example. The Every Child Ready to Read curriculum encourages story walking as a way to experience a book before actually reading it with your child. Story walking involves such things as pointing out the title, author and illustrator of a book, looking at the pictures and talking about what is happening, introducing new words, and expanding language by using descriptive words. This monologue will become a dialogue as your child's verbal skills develop. As I turned the pages, I pointed out some (but not all) of the pictures, making observations such as, "The little boy has three hats. What color do you think he'll pick? Will he pick the one with tassels?", "He needs some mittens. Where mittens go on his ears?", "He needs a scarf for his neck. Where is YOUR neck?"
At this stage our babies are listening, and before long they will start joining in the conversation!