Early Head Start

Presented at Golden Hills' Early Head Start classroom on Thursday, May 9, 2013.
Presented at Peter Sarpy's Early Head Start classroom on Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Book:
I Love Animals by Flora McDonnell

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 Animals on the Farm
(tune: "The Wheels on the Bus")

The cow on the farm says, "Moo, moo, moo."
"Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo."
The cow on the farm says, "Moo, moo, moo."
All day long.


Suggestions for additional verses:
The pig on the farm says...
The dog on the farm says...
The rooster on the farm says...




Goodbye Song
(tune: "London Bridge")


Goodbye, goodbye, we'll see you soon.See you soon, see you soon.
Goodbye, goodbye, we'll see you soon.
On another day!



Activities:

When Cows Get Up in the Morning
(a gentle bouncing rhyme)

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!"

Help your child think of other farm animals and their respective sounds as you continue this rhyme!


Slowly, Slowly

(Creep fingers slowly up child's back or leg as you slowly say:)
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the wooden trail.

(Run fingers quickly up and down child's body as you quickly say!:)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly 'round about the house!                                                  

Ten Wild Horses

Ten wild horses came galloping through town.
(hold up both hands)
Five were black and five were brown.
(show one hand for each group of horses)
They galloped up,
And they galloped down.
(Move hands up and down)
And they galloped away and out of town.
(Move hands away and behind body)

I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Early Head Start classrooms this year!  At Golden Hills I usually come right at the end of nap time (THEIRS, not mine!) so the children are often still sleepy and cuddly!  The children at Peter Sarpy are usually WIDE AWAKE and ready to sing, play and talk! It has been fun watching the children grow during the past 9 months as they have blossomed and discovered more about their world.  I hope they have enjoyed the stories, songs, fingerplays, puppets and musical instruments I have brought with me on my visits.  I wish you all a wonderfully fun, safe summer!

  ~ Mrs. B


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).

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

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on March 19 & 20, 2013.
Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on March 21, 2013.

Book:
Hugs and Kisses by Roberta Grobel Intrater

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!)


Itsy-Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy 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 itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.



Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.

Pat your knees...
Tap your feet...
Jump up high...
Give a hug...
Blow a kiss...
Wave hello...


Activities:

One Little Baby Rocking 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)



Rub-a-Dub-Dub, One Child In a Tub
Rub-a-dub-dub, one child in a tub,
(rub knuckles gently up and down child's chest)
Tell me what you see.
One foot with toes,
(point to parts of child's body)
A hand, a nose,
As clean as they can be!
(rub hands together)

Rub -a-dub-dub, one child in a tub,
(rub knuckles gently up and down child's chest)
Tell me what you see.
Two ears, a cheek,
(point to parts of child's body)
So clean they squeak,
(gently rub child's cheeks)
A chin, a tummy, a knee.
(point to parts of child's body)

Rub -a-dub-dub, one child in a tub,
(rub knuckles gently up and down child's chest)
Tell me what you see.
Legs and arms,
So clean and warm.
Do they have a hug for me?



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).

Our ExploreTime Activity at the library this week was Board Books!

Our next Baby and Me Storytime at the library will be March 26 & 27, 2013!

Peter Sarpy Early Head Start

Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on Thursday, January 17, 2013.

Book:

Songs:

Let's Shout Hooray!
(tune: Old McDonald)

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

Pop! Goes the Weasel

All around the cobbler's bench,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought t'was all in fun.
POP! goes the weasel!

A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle.
That's the way the money goes.
POP! goes the weasel!

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.




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!

Enjoy saying good morning to a variety of places on your young one's body!




Bounce, Tickle and Kiss!

I bounce you here... (rest)  (rest)
I bounce you there... (rest)  (rest)
I bounce you, bounce you everywhere!

I tickle you here... (rest)  (rest)
I tickle you there... (rest)  (rest)
I tickle you, tickle you everywhere!

I kiss you here... (rest)  (rest)
I kiss you there... (rest)  (rest)
I kiss you, kiss you everywhere!



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!"

My friends at Early Head Start were so much fun today!  I think I could have stayed until suppertime taking requests for songs!  Along with the songs I planned (above), we also sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus".  The children, Miss Kendra and Miss Katie helped me learn a fun song about some very sleepy rabbits!  It was nice to have so many of the children's parents there to share in the songs and activities!

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.

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on Thursday, October 18, 2012.
Presented at Golden Hills Early Head Start on Thursday, October 25, 2012.

Book:

Barney Plays Nose to Toes by Margie Larsen and Mary Ann Dudko

Songs:

Hello Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

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

(After singing this the first time I 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!)

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!


These Little Fingers
(tune: "Mulberry Bush")

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!

We like to sing this song using a number of different actions and parts of the body.  After we wiggle our fingers, we might pat our heads, rub our tummies, tap on our feet, tug on our ears, etc.


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!

Use your tickling fingers to trace the flea's path from your child's toe to head and back down again.  We especially like to shake our feet to get that nasty flea off our toe!

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!)


It's Raining!

It's raining!  It's raining!  (fingers move down in front of face to make "rain")
How the wind does blow! (move arms left and right to represent wind)
Raindrops falling from the sky, (adult makes "rain" fall on child's head)
Oops!  One landed on my nose! (point to nose)

We repeat this rhyme, changing the last word to different parts of the body, e.g. knee, ear, shoulder, foot, etc.) 
And, of course, we always end with "tummy" and a chance for a gentle tickle!

Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.
Presented at Peter Sarpy Early Head Start on Thursday, September 20, 2012 .
Presented at Golden Hills Early Head Start on Thursday, September 27, 2012.
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!

(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!)


Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
(tune: I use a melody that is not well-known, but it can also be sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Clap, clap, clap your hands.  Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands. Clap your hands together.

(There are oodles of other verses you can sing, such as: tap your feet, rub your tummy, blow a kiss, turn around, give a hug, wave hello, pat your cheeks, etc.)


Activities:

Peek-a-Boo is a great game to play with your infant.  At Storytime we sometimes use our hands to cover our eyes.  Other times we might use a baby blanket, 2 beanbags, or a puppet!  It's fun to be creative!


One Little Baby Rocking in a Tree

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)


Dance Your Fingers

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!"