Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Royalty Storytimes- February 24-March 1

This week we had fun with our Royalty Storytimes!

 Preschool Storytime Lineup

"Celebrate" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
C is for Crown
Hush Little Dragon by Boni Ashburn
The Knight and the Dragon flannel
Royal puppets
"Dragon, Dragon" Action Rhyme 
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox
"The Grand Old Duke of York" Rhyme
Who Wants a Dragon? by James Mayhew

"If You're Happy and You Know It" from Wiggleworms

Dragon, Dragon: 
Dragon, Dragon, Turn Around

Dragon, Dragon, Touch the Ground
Dragon, Dragon, Fly Up High!
Dragon, Dragon, Touch the Sky!
Dragon, Dragon, Give a Roar! 
Dragon, Dragon, Sit on the floor.

The Grand Old Duke of York: 
He had 10,000 men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
For when you’re up, you’re up,
And when you’re down, you’re down.
And when you’re only halfway up,
You’re neither up nor down.

Toddler Storytime Lineup

"If You're Happy and You Know It" from Wiggleworms Love You
C is for Castle
Royal puppets
I Want To Do It Myself! by Tony Ross
"Milkshake" from Wiggleworms
Who Wants a Dragon? by James Mayhew
Princess Isabella's Lost Ball Flannel
"Dragon, Dragon" action rhyme 
5 Little Knights flannel rhyme
That's Not My Dragon! by Fiona Watt

Ready To Read: Vocabulary- Words!
Touch/Feel books like That's Not My Dragon are a great way to show your toddler new vocabulary. Letting your child feel with her fingers what "knobbly" means is much more effective than a verbal explanation.

Singing with your child is a great way to introduce words that don't normally come up in conversation.

Forest Animals- Week of February 18-23

This week we took a walk in the Forest for our Forest Animal Storytimes!

Preschool Storytime Lineup
"Celebrate" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
D is for Deer
Forest animal puppets
The Foggy, Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt
Suzy Goose Flannel
"Jumping and Counting" from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit by Catherine Rayner

Moose March:
Moose march slowly,
Moose tippy-toe,
March, Moose, March, to and fro,
Moose march fast,
Whoa, Moose, Whoa!

Toddler Storytime Lineup

"Walking, Walking" from Wiggleworms Love You
D is for Deer
Forest Animal puppets
The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
"Jump Up, Turn Around" from Jim Gill
Good Night, Owl by Pat Hutchins
"Finger Poppin" from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? Flannel

Moose March:
Moose march slowly,
Moose tippy-toe,
March, Moose, March, to and fro,
Moose march fast,
Whoa, Moose, Whoa!

Ready To Read: Vocabulary- Words!
Reading books like Bill Martin's Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? helps to introduce your toddler to words you would not use in normal conversation, like blue heron or mule deer.

Practice animal sounds with your little one, and use a variety of words to describe the noises.  In Good Night, Owl your child can practice buzzing, peeping, rat-a-tating, screeching, etc.

Elephants Storytime- Week of Dec 3-8 2011

Lots of Elephants this week for our Elephant Themed Storytimes!

"Clap Your Hands" from Wiggleworms Love You
E is for Elephants
Peanut by Linas Alsenas
Let's be Elephants Action
"Very, Very Tall" from Wiggleworms Love You
If You're Happy and You Know It by James Warhola
6 Blind Mice Flannel
"Going to the Zoo" from Raffi's Singable Songs for the Very Young
Circus Opposites by Suse MacDonald
Elephant and Monkey- puppet story

Ready To Read Skill: Vocabulary- Words!
Talk about words for different textures with your child. Have them repeat the word for "squishy" while they squeeze a toy or doll, or "rough" while rubbing sandpaper.

Books that show the meanings of concept words, like Circus Opposites, are very helpful for young children to form understandings of more abstract ideas.

Tools Storytimes - Week of July 4, 2011

This week at storytime we talked about tools!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter H for Hammer
Tool Belt
Book -Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia
Action Rhyme - Pound Pound Pound
Song - Little Red Wagon from Songs for Wiggleworms
Book -Building a House by Byron Barton
Flannel- Old MacDonald Built a House
Book - Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia
Song - Happy and You Know It from Songs for Wiggleworms

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:

Introduction to the letter H for hammer
Paddington Bear's Tool Belt
Book -Tools by taro Miura
Flannel- Old MacDonald Built a House
Book -I Love Tools by Philemon Sturges
Action Rhyme - Baking Tools
Prop Story - Growing Vegetable Soup from the book by Lois Ehlert


Ready to Read Skill: Words (Vocabulary)
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. All the books we looked at this week that are great for building vocabulary- not only the names of the tools, but also the actions they require.

Messy Storytime - Week of June 20, 2011

This week at storytime we talked about messy things!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter 'M' for mud
Flannel- Let's Make a Mudpie
Book - Smash! Mash! Crash! by Barbara Odanaka
Song - The Wheels on the Bus
Book -Mucky Duck by Sally Grindley
Action Rhyme - Ice Cream on my Nose
Song - Milkshake from Songs for Wiggleworms

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:

Introduction to the letter 'M' for mud
Song - Stick to the Glue from Jim Gill Makes It Noisy in Boise, Idaho
Book - I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
Song - Jump, Jump, Jump in the Mud
Prop Story - The Day Barnaby Bear Fell Into the Batter Bowl
Action Rhyme - Ice Cream on my Nose
Book -I Stink! by Kate McMullan

Ready to Read Skill: Words (Vocabulary)
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 Smash! Mash! Crash!, Mucky Duck, I Ain't Gonna Paint No More, and I Stink!

Zoo Storytimes - Week of April 9, 2011

This week we are talking about going to the zoo!

Our Toddler Storytime lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter 'Z' for zoo and zebra
Rhyme/Song - The Animals at the Zoo (to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus)
Book - Hello Baby by Steve Jenkins
Flannel Story - 1 Little Monkey Goes to the Zoo
Song - Milkshake from Songs For Wiggleworms
Book - From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Action Rhyme - If You're a Monkey and You Know It
Song - Clap Your Handsfrom Wiggleworms Love You
Book - Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Our Preschool Storytime linup included:

Song - Very Very Tall from Wiggleworms Love You

Introduction to the letter 'z' for zoo and zebra

Book - Who Ate All the Cookie Dough by Karen Beaumont
Song - Going to the Zoo from Raffi's Singable Songs For the Very Young

Draw and Tell - Monkey Face

Book - Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr.

Creative Dramatic - Feeding Time based on Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice

Rhymes:

Animals at the Zoo
The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss!
Hiss, hiss, hiss! Hiss, hiss, hiss!
The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss,
All day long!

elephants... boom, boom, boom!
flamingos... squawk, squawk, squawk!
lions... roar, roar, roar!
hippos... snort, snort, snort!

If You're A Zoo Animal

If you're a monkey and you know it,* jump up high!**

If you're a monkey and you know it,* jump up high!**

If you're a monkey and you know it,
and you really want to show it,

If you're a monkey and you know it,* jump up high!**

*elephant - **swing your trunk

*lion - **shake your mane

*giraffe - **bend your neck

*alligator - **snap your jaws

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 Hello Baby! and From Head to Toe.

Sea and Shore Storytimes - Week of March 12, 2011

Our Toddler Storytime Included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter S for Sun, Sea Shells
Props- What should Bear pack for the beach?
Book - I Saw the Sea and the Sea Saw Me by Megan Montague Cash
Song - If You're Happy and You Know It from Songs for Wiggleworms
Action Rhyme - Fish On Sticks
Book - Fish Wish by Bob Barner
Puppets - The Fish in the Ocean
Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Book - Where is Baby's Beach Ball? by Karen Katz

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Wake Up, Warm Up from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter S for Sun, Sea Shells
Puppets - Things that live in the Ocean
Book - Bebe Goes to the Beach by Jan Peck
Book - How Will We Get to the Beach by Brigette Luciani
Song - Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Flannel Story - Moving Day by Robert Kalan
Book - I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Action Rhyme - Submarines on Sticks
Book - Clumsy Crab by Ruth Galloway




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 Fish Wish and I'm the Biggest thing in the Ocean. 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.

Big and Little Storytimes - Week of January 29, 2011

This week at storytime we talked about the differences between big and little things.

Our Tuesday Toddler Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter L for Little Lion
Book - BIG Little by Leslie Patricelli
Action Rhyme - Big Balloon
Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Book - Panda Big, Panda Small by Jane Cabrera
Flannel - The Five Little Ducks
Book - Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker

Our Thursday Toddler Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Fingerpopping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the letter L for Little Lion
Book - BIG Little by Leslie Patricelli
Flannel - Big and Little Balls (Thursday)
Song - Jumping and Counting from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Book - Dot and Dash Meet Their Friends by Emma Dodd (Thursday)
Action Rhyme - In Between
Song - Tall Small from Wiggleworms Love You
Book - Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker

Our Preschool Storytime Lineup included:
Song - Can't Wait to Celebrate from Jim Gill's Irrational Anthem
Introduction to the letter L for Little Lion
Book - Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya
Action Rhyme - Big Balloon
Book - Where's My Teddy by Jez Alborough
Book - The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner

Rhyme:
Big Balloon

Here I have a small balloon.
Watch me blow and blow.
Small at first, then bigger.
Watch it grow and grow.

Do you think it's big enough?
Maybe I should stop!
If my balloon gets much bigger
It is going to POP!

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.

Colors Storytimes - Week of January 9, 2011

This week at storytime we talked about colors!

Our Toddler Storytime Lineup Included:
Song - Finger Popping from Preschool Aerobic Fun
Introduction to the Letter R for Rainbow
Book - Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Song - Tall Small from Wiggleworms Love You
Flannel Story - Rainbow Fish
Book - Duckie's Rainbow by Frances Berry
Song - Walking, Walking from Songs for Wiggleworm
Book - Can You Find Colors? from Scholastic
Song - Milkshake from Songs for Wiggleworms

Our Preschool Storytime lineup included:
Song - Clap Your Hands from Wiggleworms Love You
Introduction to the Letter R for Rainbow
Book - Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Song - I Took a Bath in the Washing Machine from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song
Book -Maisy's Rainbow Dream by Lucy Cousins
Song - If You're Happy and You Know It from Songs for Wiggleworms

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. This week, we learned lots of words for colors, and some more like waddle, paddle, and pollen.