Stories and More: We <3 Reading!

I’m a million years behind (slight exaggeration) in posting but here’s what we did for Stories and More in November!

FOCUS: PRINT MOTIVATION – LOVING BOOKS AND READING!

Children who have positive experiences with books – like being read to by someone who loves and cares for them – are motivated to become readers. So this month I tried to focus on loving books and reading! We shared stories and rhymes I love, and we made our own books!

Storytime plan:

Opening song: Hello and How Are You?

Hello, hello, hello and how are you?

I’m fine, I’m fine, I hope that you are too!

Introductions and Early Literacy Reminder: Children who love books and reading want to become readers! The best way to do that is to make reading FUN.  Today we’re going to share some of my FAVORITE stories. They don’t have to be your favorites, too, but I hope that you like them!

Rhyme: Wake Up Toes

Wake Up Toes, wake up toes, wake up toes and wiggle, wiggle wiggle.

Wake up toes, wake up toes, wake up and wiggle in the morning!

Ask for suggestions for more body parts to wake up!

Early Literacy Reminder: This is one of my favorite books and it demonstrates so well the power books can have to grow a child’s imagination. Listen to the story and consider what you and your child might play after reading a story.

Book: Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn

Active song: Hurry, Hurry Drive the Firetruck

Hurry, hurry, drive the firetruck (pretend to steer)

Hurry, hurry, drive the firetruck

Hurry, hurry, drive the firetruck

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! (pretend to ring bell)

Continue with: Hurry, hurry turn the corner (lean to the side), climb the ladder (pretend to climb), squirt the water (pretend to hold hose and spray water), back to the station (pretend to steer)

Fingerplay: Here Are My Glasses

Here are my glasses (hold up hands with index fingers and thumbs in a circle like glasses),

Here is my book (hold hands together like a book),

I put on my glasses (hold finger circles up to eyes)

And I open up my book (open hands)

I read, read, read (move hands)

And I look, look, look (move head with finger circles over eyes)

I take off my glasses (move finger circles)

And I [clap] close up my book!

Flannelboard: Hooray for Hat!

Settling Rhyme: One Little Fish

One little fish is swimming in the water (put palms together and zig zag like a fish swimming)

Swimming in the water,

Swimming in the water,

One little fish is swimming in the water,

Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP! (raise hands and clap together on POP!)

Book: Moo! by David LaRochelle

Song: Skinnamarink

Here’s the Sharon, Lois and Bram original. I found the ukulele chords here – although there are other versions; this one worked best for my voice. I also taught everyone the ASL signs for “I love you” before we sang.

Goodbye Rhyme: Our Hands Say Thank You

Our hands say thank you with a clap, clap, clap

And our feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap.

Clap clap clap,

Tap, tap, tap,

Turn around and take a bow.

Early Literacy Play Activities:

One of our activities was to make our own books! What better way to love books than to make one of your own that you’re sure to love because YOU made it? I found blank board books at Bare Books for the babies and we got these paper books from Office Depot. Kids had markers, stickers, and stamps of various kinds to use to create their own stories. I encouraged parents to ask their kids about what they were creating and to write words for them if desired.

Our second activity was pretend play – and making up stories – using plastic dinosasurs, animals, and bugs. The kids loved talking about the animals and what they were doing.

Take-homes:

Books: Everyone took home a book I love. I hope they love them too – but it’s alright if they don’t. Babies took home a copy of Sandra Boynton’s Going to Bed Book (who DOESN’T love Sandra Boynton?). Toddlers got Lola Loves Stories and Preschoolers got a copy of Grumpy Bird, a book I love so much I have a Grumpy Bird tattoo.

Activities: Everyone took home their own handmade book. Several parents asked about where I got the blank books as they wanted to make more at home. I told them they could also simply staple several pages of paper together if they wanted.

Here is the handout that went in the bags and includes more information on the books and activities and how to use them, plus additional ideas for home.

I hope this is useful! Let me know if you have any questions or comments.