storytime katie

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

If You Were a Dog by Jamie A. Swenson
Matilda’s Cat by Emily Gravett*
Pet Shop Lullaby by Mary Ann Fraser
This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne*

Early Literacy Tip

When you enjoy a book, let your children know that you like it and why. Sharing your enjoyment gives them a positive attitude towards books. This positive attitude will influence them when they get to school and learn to read. Let your child choose books and tell you why he/she likes them.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Laurie Berkner’s “Best of Laurie Berkner Band”*

Featured Track: #13 The Goldfish*

Flannelboard: “Dear Zoo”*

Flannelboard: “B-I-N-G-O”*

Prop: “Scat the Cat”

Song: “How Much Is That Doggie In the Window?”
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up*
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Thumbkin

How It Went

“This Book Just Ate My Dog” is fabulous fun and a book I definitely recommend for preschool aged storytimes! “Dear Zoo” remains one of my most successful flannelboards ever. And yes, I did repeat “The Goldfish” from earlier in the session when we did ocean as our theme. But the kids just loved it so, so much. I felt the repeat was more than justified.

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Maisy’s Wonderful Weather Book by Lucy Cousins
Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle
Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin
Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

Early Literacy Tip

Scientific studies of the brain suggest that a child’s natural approach to learning is through play. Songs about weather can be followed by games. Tell your child what you are doing as you pretend you are twirling an umbrella or stomping in rain puddles.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Caspar Babypants’s “More Please!”*

Featured Track: #1 Take the Sun*

Flannelboard: “What’s the Weather?”*

Flannelboard: “Fall Is Not Easy”

Song: “If All of the Raindrops”*
If all the little raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain it would be!
I would stand outside with my mouth open wide,
Ah ah-ah ah ah-ah ah ah-ah
If all the little raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain it would be.

If all the tiny snowflakes were cupcakes and milkshakes
Oh, what a snow it would be!
I would stand outside with my mouth open wide,
Ah ah-ah ah ah-ah ah ah-ah
If all the tiny snowflakes were cupcakes and milkshakes
Oh, what a snow it would be!

If all the bright sunbeams were jellybeans and ice cream
Oh, what a sun it would be!
I would stand outside with my mouth open wide.
Ah ah-ah ah ah-ah ah ah-ah
If all the bright sunbeams were jellybeans and ice cream
Oh, what a sun it would be!
Credit: Childhood

Song: “Rain Is Falling Down”*
The rain is falling down (flutter fingers down)
SPLASH! (clap once loudly)
Pitter patter pitter patter (tap legs softly)
The rain is falling down (flutter fingers down)
SPLASH! (clap once loudly)
Pitter patter pitter patter (tap legs softly)
[Repeat until kids are worn out.]
Credit: Modified from King County Library System

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider*
• Thumbkin

How It Went

Pop-up books are so stellar; they completely grab everyone’s attention, so “Maisy’s Wonderful Weather Book” was definitely the winner today. There was a lot good singing and dancing. And the kids were really good at talking about the weather during the “What’s the Weather?” flannelboard.

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell*
Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastien Braun*
My Book Box by Will Hillenbrand
Not a Box! by Antoinette Portis

Early Literacy Tip

Let children explore using their imagination. We’ve all seen the time after we’ve unpacked a new item or toy and our child is more interested in the box than the toy. Let them imagine whatever they want the box to be!

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Wiggleworms’s “Wiggleworms Love You”*

Featured Track: #4 Little Red Caboose*

Flannelboard: “Building Blocks”

Flannelboard: “Color Zoo”*

Prop: “Memory Box”*

Fingerplay: “I Have a Little Turtle”*
I have a little turtle
He lives in a box
He swims in a puddle
And he lives on the rocks
He snapped at a mosquito
He snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow
And he snapped at me
He caught the mosquito
He caught the flea
He caught the minnow
But he didn’t catch me!
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up*
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Thumbkin*

How It Went

This was our time change this past week, so the kids were extra wiggly. The kids sat super well for “Meeow and the Big Box”, but really wanted to come up during “Dear Zoo” and lift the flaps for me. (Luckily I stand for this storytime and there’s no chance of them getting ahead of the flaps.) I skipped the “Building Blocks” flannelboard because I worried that I didn’t have enough pieces for all the kids. (I have fifty pieces.)

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Fish, Swish, Splash, Dash by Suze MacDonald
Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins*
I’m a Shark! by Bob Shea*
Who’s Is the Ocean? by Dorothea Deprisco

Early Literacy Tip

When we do songs like the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, we are working on new vocabulary (itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, great big hairy) and letting our children hear the song multiple times. Repetition is so much important for little ears!

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Laurie Berkner’s “Best of Laurie Berkner Band”*

Featured Track: #13 The Goldfish

Flannelboard: “I’m the Biggest Thing In the Ocean”*

Flannelboard: “Five Little Fishes Swimming In the Sea”*
(This is just a play on “Five Little Monkeys Swinging In a Tree” and I used a shark puppet to gobble up the fish.)

Puppet: “If You Ever See a Fishy”* (Tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”)
Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that?
Swim this way and that way, and that way and this way?
Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that?
Credit: Childhood

Song: “Baby Shark”
Baby shark, do-do doot-doot
Baby shark, do-do doot-doot
Baby shark, do-do doot-doot, doo
(Repeat with Mama Shark, Papa Shark, and Grandpa Shark. Baby Shark is done with two hands, wrists touching to make a shark mouth. Mama Shark is slightly bigger, Papa Shark is bigger than Mama. For Grandpa Shark, fold fingers in and clap with no teeth.)
Credit: My amazing co-worker Amanda

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider*
• Thumbkin

How It Went

At this point, during our opening song (“Hello Friends”), our American Sign Language has gotten so good! I love seeing the kids and parents/caregivers participate so much during our songs. My crowds keep getting larger and that is such a positive thing! The best part of this storytime was definitely “The Goldfish” — the kids loved dancing along with that song and playing.

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker*
Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee*
Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera
Say Hello Like This! by Mary Murphy

Early Literacy Tip

Children love being able to identify animals and imitate the sounds they make. Identifying animals, matching each sound with an animal picture, and imitating animals sounds build children’s knowledge of the world around them.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Putumayo’s “Sing Along With Putumayo”*

Featured Track: #4 Old MacDonald Had a Farm*

Flannelboard: “B-I-N-G-O”*

Flannelboard: “Open Up the Barn Door”*

Puppets: “When Animals Get Up in the Morning”*
When animals get up in the morning, they always say hello
When animals get up in the morning, they always say hello
And what do they say? [Animal noise]
And that is what they say.
Credit: Jbrary

Fingerplay: “Ten Galloping Horses”
“Ten Galloping Horses”
Ten galloping horses came through the town
Five were white and five were brown
They galloped up and galloped down
Ten galloping horses came through town
Credit: Perry Public Library

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up*
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Thumbkin*

How It Went

I had the grown-ups bounce the kids or have the kids bounce themselves while we read “Clip Clop” and that was hugely successful. “Charlie Chick” is mesmerizing to everyone, adults and kids. Today featured some excellent “B-I-N-G-Oing and some great “Old MacDonald” dancing!

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Eight Animals Bake a Cake by Susan Middleton Elya
The Red Hen by Rebecca and Ed Emberley*
Who Made This Cake? by Chihiro Nakagawa*

Early Literacy Tip

Children can help you measuring things in all kinds of ways — in deciding whether something will fit in a certain space, in cooking, and in making things. Understanding the concept of measuring begins to develop one of the mathematical skills children will need in school.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: The Wiggles “Yummy Yummy”*

Featured Track: #20 Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes*

Flannelboard: “Cake Count”

Flannelboard & Puppets: “Down Around the Corner”*

Flannelboard: “Five Birthday Candles”*

Fingerplay: “Pat-a-Cake”*
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake
Baker’s man, bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it, pat in,
And mark it with a “B” and put it in the oven for baby and me
Credit: Childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes*
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Thumbkin

How It Went

This was the fourth day in a row of dreary rain, so it definitely kept some of my families away which made me sad. I had a mostly preschool crowd this morning. “The Red Hen” was their favorite book, although they liked that I made “Who Made This Cake?” interactive as well. Flannelboards work SO WELL with this crowd; I love having three of them in one plan! I had the children face their caregivers during “Pat-a-Cake” and it was pretty darn adorable. Lastly, the kids did a great job of cleaning up shakers and “Crunchy Munchy Honey Cake” — everyone gave shakers back!

For more information on how I plan and prepare my family storytimes, check out this introduction post. I starred the materials used in the plan. Some activities go unstarred because I only do this program once a week.

The Plan

Books

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek*
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Little Green Peas by Keith Baker*
Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin

Early Literacy Tip

Storytimes are your child’s first classroom setting. By coming regularly and participating together, you are preparing your child for school.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Bari Koral Family Rock Band’s “Rock and Roll Garden”*

Featured Track: #6 Colors*

Flannelboard: “Maisy Mouse”*

Flannelboard: “Brown Bear”

Prop: “Scat the Cat”*

Song: “Driving Round In My Red Car” (Tune: “Bumpin’ Up and Down In My Little Red Wagon”)*
Driving round in my little red car
Driving round in my little red car
Driving round in my little red car
Zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom
(Go through red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Credit: Childhood

Song & Scarves: “These Are the Colors” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)*
Red and yellow, green and blue
These are the colors over you
Red as a flower, green as a tree
Yellow as the sun, blue as the sea
Red and yellow, green and blue
These are the colors over you
Credit: Read Sing Play

Repeating Extension Activities

I had four back-up activities in case I needed them for time. I rarely used them, but here they are:

• Dance Your Fingers Up
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Thumbkin

How It Went

I took over family storytime this fall and was absolutely thrilled to see so many friends from this summer’s “Shake Shimmy, & Dance” programs. I had a pair of sisters being so kind with one another during our scarf songs, I saw a new toddler and his mom snap a selfie, and had some of my favorite kiddos being wonderful at participation. My new introduction and warm-up activity was a huge help! And as always, Scat the Cat and Maisy are magic.