Ocean Animals Storyrtime - Week of February 22, 2010

This week at Storytime we learned about Ocean Animals!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter 'O' for Ocean and Octopus
Puppets - Sea Creatures
Book - Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone
Flannel - The Fish in the Ocean Go Swish, Swish, Swish
Song - Shake Your Sillies Out from More Singable Songs by Raffi
Book - I Saw the Sea and the Sea Saw Me by Megan Montague Cash
Action Rhyme - Fish On Sticks
Song - If You're Happy and You Know It from Songs For Wiggleworms
Book - Hooray For Fish by Lucy Cousins

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Can't Wait To Celebrate from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Introduction to the letter 'O' for Ocean and Octopus
Book - Way Down Deep In the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck
Action Rhyme - Fish on Sticks
Book - Pop-up Sea Creatures: Squirmy, Scary, Prickly Creatures from the Deep
Song - Shake My Sillies Out from More Singable Songs by Raffi
Flannel Story - Teasing Mr. Shark
Book - Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone

Ready to Read Skill: Vocabulary (Words)
Vocabulary means knowing the names of things. Knowing many words will help your child recognize written words and understand what he or she reads. Some great ways to work on this skill include talking to your child about what is going on around you, speaking clearly and using short sentences, and pointing out pictures in books when you say certain words. Books we looked at this week that are great for building vocabulary include Secret Seahorse and Pop-up Sea Creatures. Both offer new (more specific) words for concepts children are already familiar with; for example, names of different types of fish and other sea creatures.

Playing Games Storytime - Week of February 15

Last week at Storytime we talked about Games and Playing. We had fewer storytimes than usual due to the weather, but we still had a lot of fun at Toddler time and Family Storytime!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup included:

Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun

Story - Maisy Goes To the Playground by Lucy Cousins

Fingerplay - Balls are For Bouncing

Book - Ting-a-ling by Siobhan Dodds

Flannel Story - Teddy Wore His Red Shirt

Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem

Story - Peek-a-Pet by Marie Torres Cimarusti

Our Family Storytime lineup included:
Song - Clap Your Hands from Wiggleworms Love You

Book - Maisy Goes To the Playground by Lucy Cousins

Flannel Story - Teddy Jumped His Red Rope

Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem

Story - What Shall We Play? by Sue Heap

Fingerplay - Balls Are For Bouncing

Game - Simon Says

Book - Not A Box by Antoinette Portis

Flying Things Storytimes - Week of February 8

This week we are talking about things that fly!


Our Toddler Storytime lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction the the letter F and things that fly
Book - Pilot Pups by Michelle Meadows
Flannel Story - 5 Balloons
Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's IrrationalAnthem
Book - Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek
Action Rhyme - I Saw a Little Bird
Book - Airplanes by Byron Barton

Our Preschool Storytime Included:
Song - Can't Wait to Celebrate from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Introduction to the letter 'F' and things that fly
Book - My First Airplane Ride by Patricia Hubbell
Song - The Airplane Song from Whaddaya Think of That? by Laurie Berkner
Book - Birds by Kevin Henkes
Flannel Story - A Flying We Will Go
Book - Happy Bees by Arthur Yorinks
Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem

Sick Storytime - Week of February 1, 2010

This week at Storytime we are reading about getting sick and then getting all better!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup Included:

Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun

Introduction to the letter 'D' for doctor

Book - Bark, George! by Jules Feiffer

Action Rhyme - Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands

Song - Milkshake from Songs for Wiggleworms

Book - Boo Hoo Boo-Boo! by Marilyn Singer

Flannel Rhyme - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem

Puppet Story - Hiccups for Elephant (based on the book by James Preller)

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:

Song - Can't Wait to Celebrate from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem

Introduction to the letter 'D' for doctor

Book - Imogene's Antlers by David Small

Flannel Story - The Cow Buzzed (based on the book by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha)

Book - Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Action Rhyme - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Song - The Sneezing Song from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song

Book - How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen

Song - Milkshake from Songs for Wiggleworms

Rhymes:

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands

Wash, wash, wash your hands

Wash them nice and clean.

Wash the bottoms and the tops,

And fingers in between.

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,

One fell off and bumped his head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Ready to Read Skill: Narritive Skills (Storytelling)

Narritive Skills means being able to describe things and events and tell stories. Working on this skill will help your child understand what they are reading as they get older and move to more advanced books, because they will be able to recognize that stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Ways to improve Narritive Skills include telling your child are doing throughout the day, listening to them and asking questions, and encouraging them to tell stories. Another way to practice Narritive Skills is to take a favorite book and tell it or act it out in a different way like we did this week when we used puppets to tell Hiccups for Elephant, and flannels and fingerplays to act out The Five Little Monkeys and The Cow Buzzed.