November Guest Reader

Recently, I was a guest reader in a first grade classroom.  It was fun to share these books.  This class always appreciates a good story. 

   

I'm Going to Eat You!: A Spooky Pop-up Flap Book by Matt Mitter, illustrated by Jimmy Pickering (one of the students requested a pop-up book)
Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
There's a Dragon In Your Book by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne

Birds Everywhere Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson

• Stand-up Activity – "If I Was a Bird" action song from Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music

• Bridge - Open, Shut Them (fingerplay)

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

• Flannelboard - Five Little Chickadees

I found this rhyme in a Wild Animal Baby magazine (Dec/Jan 2009).  

• Letter of the Day - "B" is for bird

• Transition - Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up,

Tommy Thumb down,

Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,

Tammy Thumb in,

Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,

Dance them on your knees,

Dance them on your head,

Dance them on your shoulders,

Then tuck them into bed.

• Book #2 –  Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere! by Bob Barner 

• Closing - Tambourines to the song "Kookaburra" from Where Is Thumbkin? by Kimbo 

 

 

• Art Experience – Crayons on an owl coloring sheet

Fall Books to Share with Library Field Trips

I did a few preschool tours and field trips these last couple of months.  I am always looking for good books to share as a group readaloud.  Here the ones I used this fall season:

  

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
Shake the Tree!: A Minibombo Book by Chiara Vignocchi, paolo Chiarinotti, Silvia Borando

Thankful Turkeys Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

 

• Book #1 – Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette

• Stand-up Activity – "If You're Happy and You Know It" from Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music 

• Bridge - Open, Shut Them (fingerplay)

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

• Flannelboard - Turkey Feathers

Hand out one turkey feather to each child.  The children bring up their turkey feathers to place on the board when their color is called.  

• Letter of the Day - "T" is for turkeys and thanks

• Book #2 – Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon (board book) 

• Activity – I'm a Little Turkey (action song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" found in The Mailbox Preschool magazine, Oct./Nov. 1999, page 37)

• Closing - Egg shakers to the song "I Know a Chicken" from The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner 

 

• Art Experience – Glue feathers on a turkey drawing

Puppy Dogs Toddler Storytime

Storytime for 1 to 3 year olds:

• Opening - Skinnamarink, Sticky Sticky Bubblegum

 

• Book #1 – If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

• Stand-up Activity – Some Dogs (action rhyme adapted by Carol Hopkins)

Some dogs run
Some dogs bark
Some dogs jump
Some dogs growl
Some dogs roll in the grass
Some dogs yip
Some dogs sniff
Some dogs howl
And some dogs just wag their tails all day.

• Bridge - Open, Shut Them (fingerplay)

Open, shut them
(open and close hands)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap (clap)
Open, shut them

Open, shut them
Put them in your lap
(put hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them
Under your chin
(creep fingers up chest)
Open your mouth, but don't put them in
(do as words say)

Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open shut them
Open shut them
Put them in your lap 

• Flannelboard - Playing Drums On the Mat (clapping rhyme found in the book Artsy Toddler Storytimes: A Year's Worth of Ready-To-Go Programming by Carol Garnett Hopkins) 

• Letter of the Day - "D" is for dog

• Transition - Tommy & Tammy Thumb (fingerplay)

Tommy Thumb up,

Tommy Thumb down,

Tommy Thumb dancing all around town.

Tammy Thumb out,

Tammy Thumb in,

Tammy Thumb dancing all in a spin.

Dancing, dancing, dancing,

Dance them on your knees,

Dance them on your head,

Dance them on your shoulders,

Then tuck them into bed.

• Book #2 –  Puppy Dogs! by Katie Kobble, illustrated by Danny Brooks Dalby (board book, pop-up, lift-the-flap) 

• Closing - Rhythm sticks using the song "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" from Kids In Action by Greg and Steve 

 

• Art Experience – Make stuffed animal collars by using coloring pens on strips of white felt.  Place a small piece of sticky velcro (hook end) on one end.  ***This velcro can be a choking hazard so please warn caregivers or make it optional.  

Windblown Preschool Storytime

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds:

• Opening - "A Tooty Ta" from Dance Like This by Mr. Al

• Literacy activity - Raindrops spell "RAIN"

Make a bunch of raindrops with one letter from the word "rain" on them.  Hand each child one raindrop.  Slowly spell the word.  As you say the letter in their hand, the children place their raindrops on the board. **Add some math by counting the number of raindrops on the board. 

      

  

  

• Book #1 - Kite Flying by Grace Lin 

• Stand-up activity - "Shakin' Like a Leafy Tree" action song from Racing to the Rainbow by The Wiggles 

• Sit down activity - Spring Winds (fingerpaly/action rhyme I found in a Preschool Mailbox magazine, April/May 2005, page 22)

• Book #2 - The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins 

• Book #3 - Windblown by Edouard Manceau 

• Closing - Rhythm sticks to the song "Red Red Robin Stick Dance" from Stinky Cake by Carole Peterson

 

• Art experience - Receipt roll centers and paint to stamp on a paper plate wind spinner that must be cut with scissors