Author: Katie
I'm an Early Literacy Librarian, blogging about storytime and beginning readers.

Flannel Friday: Rhyme Wheel

This prop was created by the amazing Melissa of Mel’s Desk and I…um, I kinda of ran with it.

I started using this rhyme wheel in my Pajama Storytimes as a way to teach nursery rhymes and songs in a participatory way. Since I didn’t want to buy hundreds of the cake circles, I instead laminated the rhyme/song and taped it to the cake circles. That way I can change them out depending on the day and the rhyme.

Pictured above, I have “Baa, Baa Black Sheep” and “Hey Diddle Diddle”. I’ve also made “Five Little Ducks” so far and then…well, I went and got a new job so I stopped temporarily.

The kids and parents really enjoyed these rhyme wheels and I’m glad that I got to teach them some of the nursery rhymes and songs that I grew up on!

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I am hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

June 6, 2014 6 Comments Short URLFlannels

Flannel Friday Round-Up 6/6

This week’s round-up will be using a linking tool again! Though it is a thumbnail version on the site, you still need to click through to see it since I’m a WordPress.com hosted blog.

Borrowing instructions that Andrea shared: To share your Flannel Friday post, please click “Add Your Link” by the cute blue frog. Please enter the URL for your post rather than your website and label your post as “Post Name (Blog Name)” i.e. “Rockets! (Storytime Katie)”

If there are any tech problems, I will be around on Twitter (@katietweetsya) and you are also welcome to leave a link if the linking tool doesn’t work! Looking forward to everyone’s amazing submissions!

June 5, 2014 0 Comments Short URLFlannels

Flannel Friday: Seven Continents

Travel the world in this Montessori-inspired flannelboard:

I first got this idea from Pinterest, which led me to Living Montessori Now. I used one of the templates that they provided.

This flannelboard has no rhyme to go along with it — I used this in Number Seven storytime and talked with the kids about the continent that we live on and what the other continents were called. We found where approximately Chicago was and pointed to it. The kids and I had a good time talking about the world and I loved working some geography into storytime!

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Linda is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

May 30, 2014 4 Comments Short URLFlannels

Languages!

The Plan

Books

languages

Counting Ovejas by Sarah Weeks
Everywhere the Cow Says Moo! by Ellen Slusky Weinstein
Say, Hello! by Rachel Isadora
Where’s Spot? By Eric Hill

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: Braille Match

Flannelboard: “Ratoncito, Ratoncito”

Action Rhyme: “My Hands Say Thank You” (Sign THANK YOU)
My hands say thank you with a clap, clap, clap
My feet say thank you with a tap, tap, tap
My head says thank you with a shake, shake, shake
My heart says thank you with a kiss to take
Credit: American Library Association

Song: “Frere Jacques”
Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous ? Dormez-vous ?
Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
Ding, daing, dong. Ding, daing, dong.
Credit: Childhood

Song: “Los Pollitos Dicen”
Los pollitos dicen, pío, pío, pío,
Cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frío.
La gallina busca, el maíz y el trigo,
Les dá la comida, y les presta abrigo.
Credit: Library School

Craft

I put out foam stickers and let the families spell out whatever words in whatever languages they wanted to!

How It Went

Thursday morning
This was a bittersweet storytime because it was my very last at my old job. It was an amazing theme to go out on, and I was so proud of the materials I found and used. Our favorite book was “Where’s Spot?” — which I had on the easel so I could sign the book as I read it. I did focus a bit more on Spanish since that’s our largest language population. I really enjoyed singing in French and Spanish — I could have also done Latin or German, but I figured they didn’t want to hear Carmina Burana or Stille Stille Stille!

May 26, 2014 2 Comments Short URL, Family Storytime

Flannel Friday: Crayons

Today’s flannelboard is an easy one to make and I got to test my puffy paint skills on it!

Flannelboard: “I Have a Crayon”
I have a crayon, I’ll give it to you.
Here is my crayon, my crayon of blue.
I have a crayon, a lovely little fellow.
Here is my crayon, my crayon of yellow.
I have a crayon, it’s here on my head.
Here is my crayon, my crayon of red.
I have a crayon, we can draw a circle.
Here is my crayon, my crayon of purple.
I have a crayon, what do I see?
Here is my crayon, an orange one for me.
I have a crayon, the best ever seen.
Here is my crayon, my crayon of green
Credit: Anne’s Library Life

I used this, obviously, in crayon storytime. But you could easily use this in art storytime, color storyime, etc. To make things super easy on myself, I used the Ellison die-cut as my template!

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Lisa is hosting the round-up today! You can also check out our website, Pinterest, or Facebook!

May 23, 2014 4 Comments Short URLFlannels

In & Out!

The Plan

Books

inandout

If All the Animals Came Inside by Eric Pinder
Inside Outside by Lizi Boyd
Inside Outside Dinosaurs by Roxie Munro
One Ted Falls Out of Bed by Julia Donaldson

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Dear Zoo”

Fingerplay: “Won’t You Come Out?”
Jack-in-the-box
You sit so still (close hand with thumb inside)
Won’t you come out?
Yes, I will! (pop out thumb)
Credit: Preschool Express

Song: “Hokey Pokey”
Credit: Childhood

Song: “In and Out the Window”
Go in and out the window
Go in and out the window
Go in and out the window
As we have done before
March all around the village
March all around the village
March all around the village
As we have done before
Credit: Jbrary

Craft

This adorable Jack-in-the-Box craft came from Leah at Sunflower Storytime. I had the boxes prepped and the kids decorated with stickers and colored the clown!

How It Went

If you don’t know the magical storytime book that is “Inside Outside Dinosaurs”, you are missing out. The kids sat mesmerized while I turned the pages and the text — dinosaur names — is ridiculously simple and effective. I asked them to tell me the story of “Inside Outside” and while it wasn’t absolutely perfect, the preschoolers really enjoyed that activity.

May 22, 2014 0 Comments Short URL, Outreach Storytime

ALSC: Unconventional Preparations for Storytime

newalscblog

I wrote down all the secrets preparations that I go through before a storytime. See my confessions at the ALSC blog!

May 21, 2014 0 Comments Short URLALSC Post

ALSC: Leaving Your Job With Care & Class

newalscblog

Since I’m preparing to take a new job at a new library, I wrote about leaving my current library at the ALSC blog. It’s been a long, hard process but I know I’m leaving my job in the best shape I can.

May 20, 2014 0 Comments Short URLALSC Post

ALSC: Seven Reasons to Go Beyond Storytime

newalscblog

This past week, I posted over at the ALSC blog about why you should go beyond storytime and do other preschool programming. It’s a topic I’m super passionate about, so please click on through and read why!

May 19, 2014 0 Comments Short URLALSC Post

Hats & Mittens!

The Plan

Books

hatsmittens

One Mitten by Kristine O’Connell George
Red Hat by Lita Judge
The Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney
Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin

Extension Activities

Flannelboard: “Froggy Gets Dressed”

Flannelboard: “Mitten Match”

Action Rhyme: Mittens
Mittens for the snow time when the world is white
Mittens for my two hands (hold out two hands)
Mittens left or right (show left and right)
Mittens with a thumb place (show thumb)
Mittens warm and snug
Mittens make me feel like a bug in a rug (hug self)
Credit: Perpetual Preschool

Song: Winter Pokey (To the Tune of Hokey-Pokey)
You put your right mitten in,
You take your right mitten out.
You put your right mitten in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the winter pokey, [shiver] and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
Other verses: boots, scarf, hat, snowsuit
Credit: Modified from Childhood

Craft

This tissue paper craft was another Oriental Trading craft kit that I bought years ago when it was on clearance. I prepped this craft by attaching the foam outline to the acetate sheet with hot glue so all the preschoolers had to do was glue down the tissue paper with gluesticks, which they love doing.

How It Went

Thursday morning
No one showed up! It was a Polar Vortex week and sometimes these things happen!

Friday morning
The kids loved doing the Winter Hokey Pokey — we probably could have done three or four rounds of it! Their favorite book was definitely “Under My Hood, I Have a Hat”, with “One Mitten” as a fairly close second. They loved matching the mittens on the flannelboard and laughed uproariously when they realized Froggy forgot his underwear.

May 19, 2014 0 Comments Short URL, Family Storytime

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