This month the focus is on children
ages four and five and on preschool storytimes. Just a reminder that a webinar on
this topic will be held on November 10 at 2:00 p.m. Some topics that will be
covered include: tips for incorporating books and activities on the five
practices of ECRR (Talk, Sing, Read, Write and Play) into storytimes; what
types of books are recommended for these ages along with suggested titles;
music, art and play activities; and some book extensions. If you cannot attend,
you can access the archived webinar at another time. All webinars held this
year can be found at:
http://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/0,2351,7-160-62245-370596--,00.html
Scroll down to webinars, and click on the date/topic.
By the way, all the dates for the 2017 webinars along with topics are already
posted at this site.
TIPS for Preschool Storytimes
•Have the parent/caregiver present for
this program – it is an excellent way to model to the caregiver how to share
books, language, and songs and encourage them to extend the experiences at home.
•Programs
are almost always thematically
arranged. Do not be so concerned about a certain theme however, that you pick
books that are really unsuitable for group sharing, or are not developmentally
appropriate.
•Limit
to 20 to 25 caregivers with their preschooler (children can sit in front and
caregivers behind them or they can sit together but make sure that adults are
not blocking children’s views. Tell the parents that they are expected to join
in with the rhymes and songs and participate in the storytime. This is
particularly true if the parents sit in the back and not with their child, so
that they are not talking to other parents, texting or causing you to lose
control of the program.)
•Begin with an opening finger rhyme or
song and/or by introducing the theme. Alternate 3 or 4 stories with one or two
activities such as: active rhymes, finger rhymes, creative dramatics, poems, or
songs. Use various methods of storytelling to tell those stories with one story
more VISUAL through the use of a
flannel or magnetic board, puppet, tell-and-draw story, etc. Also, try to use one
PARTICIPATION book every storytime.
Have children do an activity which allows them to stretch or be active midway
through the program.
•Include
an art activity, or other open-ended, hands-on activity at the end if desired
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Opener (Song or Rhyme but song is suggested. Use same opener every week.)
Book (Use your longest story here )
Activity: Fingerplays, Rhymes, Songs, or Creative Dramatics (Use 2 or 3 Different Activities)
Book (Make sure this book or the one that follows is a “participation story”)
Activity: Fingerplays, Rhymes, Songs, or Creative Dramatics (Use 2 or 3 Different Activities. Make sure one activity/song gets them up and moving)
Book (Try to use a visual – a puppet, prop, magnetic or flannel board story)
Activity: Fingerplays, Rhymes, Songs, or Creative Dramatics (Use 2 or 3 Different Activities - a Combination of the Above) Closing Song or Rhyme
Optional Activity – can be open-ended art, educational toys etc.
If children are experienced with storytime and are good listeners, add one more book followed by 2 activities. I recommend not reading/sharing two books in a row. Consider using one age/developmentally appropriate NONFICTION book occasionally.
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With Any Luck, I’ll Drive a Truck. David Friend. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2016. ISBN:
978-0-399-16956-4. $16.99.
When the title is a rhyme, you just know
this book is going to be a good choice for emphasizing phonological awareness.
But this gem is great for another early literacy skill --- vocabulary! Listen
to just a few of the words children are introduced to: concrete; backhoe;
crane; 18-wheeler; flatbed trailer; combine; plow; earthmover; paver; baling
hay; jackhammer; plowing; bulldozer; and trash compacter. With Michael Rex’s
brightly colored child-appealing illustrations, this book cannot help but be a
hit. Opening the book, children are greeted by end papers displaying brightly
colored construction cones and barriers. A boy then reminisces about all the
different types of equipment he learned to drive at different ages in his life.
So what if the trucks at the end turn out just to be toys--- children will
already have enjoyed coming along for the ride. And, the end illustration with
the boy now a man driving a truck with his stuffed animal friends attached to
the front, make this a fun journey indeed!
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Make Way for Readers. Judy Sierra. Simon & Schuster, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-4814-1851-5. $17.99.
Another story in rhyme, this is a book every children’s librarian will love sharing because it is about preschool animal friends participating in storytime! Miss Bingo, “the storytime rhymer, the singing flamingo,” is in charge. She tells them stories “of kittens, mittens and mice; Miss Muffet, her tuffet, sugar and spice.” Then Miss Bingo honks “Now stretch up high, now stretch down low.” But, uh-oh, gator tramples on Annabelle’s (little mouse’s) toe! Rory the fox distracts her with a book, and Annabelle again smiles and giggles. At the end of storytime, Miss Bingo, the flamingo, closes with “Toodle-oo, little readers, Please come again soon!” And for certain, children will want to not only revisit the book, but hopefully attend another library storytime!
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There
are tons of great web sites that are helpful for planning preschool storytimes.
Below
are just a few of my favorites.
First,
we have talked about the importance of children’s narrative skills. So how can
we do this in storytime? One way is through the use of a flannel or magnetic
board. First you can share a book, and
then as you place the pieces on the board, children can help retell the story.
But if you are like me (with little artistic talent), then you need patterns to
make your pieces. So where do you find patterns for well-loved children’s
books? Here are a few sites:
1. Daycare Resource Flannel Stories
2. Kiz Club Storybook Printable Patterns
3. Make Learning Fun Book Printables
We all know the importance of sharing rhymes and songs for phonological awareness,
but where can you find a ton of ideas for songs and rhymes AND how to do actually do them?
Here are two great sites:
1. King County Library
System Tell Me A Story - Tons of videos with librarians demonstrating
fingerplays, rhymes, and songs are shown on You Tube at this site.
2. http://www.storyblocks.org/ Rhymes and songs are
demonstrated via video, from Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy.
What if you are just looking for some sites to help you plan preschool
storytimes? Check out these favorites:
1. Storytime Katie
2. Perry Public Library's (Ohio) Storytime
Themes
3. Jbrary
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Preschool
Storytime Activity--- Coloring, Crafts or Open-Ended Art?
For all
the years I conducted preschool storytimes, hearing that other librarians
passed out coloring sheets at the end of their storytime really bothered me.
Having received my master’s degree in early childhood education, I knew that
coloring sheets went against the concept
of developmentally appropriate practice, especially as it relates to the
promotion of children’s creativity, critical thinking or problem solving. As I
learned in my graduate classes, it would be far better to hand out a blank
piece of paper and crayons, and have children draw and color something they
enjoyed hearing about in storytime. Here is an article that cements the
feelings that I had:
“Coloring Books: Not My Idea of a Good Time.”
http://eceducation.blogspot.com/2010/01/coloring-books-not-my-idea-of-good-time.html
Then,
enter 2016, and one finds that coloring books are such a hit, that even adult
coloring books have become best-sellers! Coloring books are now the thing!
Another
popular activity some librarians employed was to hand children a paper bag and
pre-cut pieces, and have them design (insert whatever the theme was for that
day) something like a dog, cat, pig etc. which was to look exactly like the one
the librarian had previously made and held up for examination. Again, I thought
back to my early childhood classes, and remembered a teacher I had that literally
gave a graduate student a failing grade for following her storytelling book
with this type of activity. She was a world-renown educator, and I can still
see her red face while blasting the student ---“What is the child learning? How
to follow directions? How does this allow the child to have any creativity or
make any decisions?” So trust me, I never made a paper bag puppet in my
storytimes unless children colored it the way they wanted, or had different
objects they could choose from to make their own original creation. Mary Ann
Kohl’s book Preschool Art: It’s the
Process, Not the Product! became my bible. And I only use open-ended art at the end of my storytimes, and, I made
certain that my graduate library students in my Kent class that I (still) teach
also knew the importance of open-ended art vs. pre-assembled crafts. There are
tons of educational articles to back up this assertion. Here is one by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children, which is the world’s
largest and most renown organization for early childhood educators:
http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/process-art-experiences
After
years of doing and teaching open-ended art, I was eventually attacked by some
crafters at an educational conference who were adamant that preschool crafts for
children help children with fine motors skills, as well as listening skills.
And they asserted, for some children, there is great pride in being able to
reproduce a teacher/librarian made model.
So what
are my thoughts now? I still recommend open-ended art as much as possible, but
I guess I will concede the fact that an occasional coloring sheet or a
follow-the-directions craft isn’t all bad!
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