storytime katie

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli***
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw***
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson

Early Literacy Tip
Early experiences help to form the architecture of the brain and lay a strong foundation for both social and emotional development. We’re practicing sharing today with our stars.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Zoom Zoom Cuddle & Croon by Kathy Reid-Naiman***

Featured Track: #1 I Like to Rise (with foam stars)***

Flannelboard: “Four Little Stars”

Flannelboard: “What’s the Weather?”***

Repeating Extension Activities

• Clap Your Hands*
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Wiggle Your Fingers & Stomp Your Feet*
• Zoom, Zoom, Zoom**

How It Went

Tuesday morning
Originally, I only had planned three books: It Looked Like Spilt Milk, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me and Touch the Brightest Star. That was before I did my average age for the classes and realized I had a lot more younger toddlers than I planned for. I added Higher, Higher and I’m so glad that I did. I use it a lift/book and ask parents to lift their children/children’s arms up higher as we go. Also: foam stars while the kids danced was adorable. We also sang a surprise “Twinkle Twinkle” since it was requested!

Thursday morning (9:30)
I had the best group of dancers this morning. Shaking their little squirrel tails during It Looked Like Spilt Milk and jumping like crazy during “I Like to Rise”. I didn’t really deviate from my Tuesday line-up in terms of books and songs and extensions because Tuesday worked so well. I feel like this has been my favorite session of toddlers since I’ve started here and it’s just been an absolute joy to do it. I’m starting to dread that I’m not doing the toddler classes in our winter session!

Thursday morning (10:30)
When you have a new family sign-up and after storytime they rave about you/your class to your co-worker? Yeah, that was this class. I don’t really have anything else to say!

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker**
Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield & Ant Parker***
Early Bird by Toni Yuly***
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Early Literacy Tip
We often want to build on our children’s curiosity but don’t always know the answer to their questions. We can often discover the answers together in books.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Rise & Shine by Caspar Babypants***

Featured Track: #3 Silly Bird (with shaker eggs)***

Flannelboard: “Five Little Birds”***
One little, two little, three little, four little,
Five little birds so small;
One little, two little, three little, four little,
Five little birds on the wall.
Kitty Cat came from a nearby bush…..MEOW!
Gave the garden gate a push……SQUEEEEAK!
And one little, two little, three little, four little,
Five little birds went WHOOSH!
Credit: Lyrics Nursery Rhymes

Puppets: “Two Little Birds”***
Two little birds sitting on a hill
One named Jack, the other named Jill
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill
Come back Jack, come back Jill
(Other verses: cloud/quiet & loud; pole/fast & slow)
Credit: Modified from childhood

Repeating Extension Activities

• My Thumbs Are Starting to Wiggle
• Open, Shut Them*
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Tick, Tock**
• Wiggle Your Fingers & Stomp Your Feet*

How It Went

Tuesday morning
I was prepared for a frustrating storytime since it was only twenty-four hours since we rolled the clocks back for daylight saving time. Poor kiddos don’t know why their stomachs say it’s lunch time and we’re still in storytime! I planned a pop-up book and shaker eggs to make storytime more fun than usual. And this group was angelic. No crying/screaming, no zooming around the room, full of participation from kids and parents, and we barely used any extension activities since the group was doing the best job of sitting. We got through THREE books! So good!!

Thursday morning (9:30)
This class was also really good. I read Early Bird with them and the parents acted out the prepositions in the story and it was so nice to see the parents really engaging with their kiddos. I brought the cat puppet around after our flannelboard rhyme to greet every child. This was a really great way to get the kids to rejoin with their caregivers because the kitty waited until they were together before nuzzling them or accepting a hug. We launched straight into a book after that!

Thursday morning (10:30)
I don’t know what’s going on with my 10:30 Thursday morning. I have a full twenty kids registered for class and I’m only seeing half of them each week. And it’s different kids each time! This group needed to move some more and I didn’t think we would get to read Charlie Chick because of their wandering attentions. But our shaker song saved us and pulled up back together. Thanks, Caspar Babypants!

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

Freight Train by Donald Crews***
I Love Trains! by Philemon Sturges***
I’m Fast! by Kate and Jim McMullan
Trains by Byron Barton*

Early Literacy Tip
Be sure to share factual books with your children. Follow their interests, whether in a particular animal, in how things work, in trains, or in anything else the piques their curiosity.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Anna and the Cupcakes***

Featured Track: #3 Train Song***

Flannelboard: “Clickety-Clack”***

Repeating Extension Activities

• Clap Your Hands***
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Wiggle Your Finger & Stomp Your Feet**
• Zoom, Zoom, Zoom**

How It Went

Tuesday morning
My favorite thing about this morning is a toss-up between TWO things actually. One is a little boy who was so sad that his grandpa didn’t come in storytime and then found out our theme was trains and cheered up immediately! The second thing is leading a train around the room to the TRAIN SONG wearing a conductor hat, scarf, and blowing a train whistle. Also: getting toddlers up to move around and settling down with “Zoom Zoom Zoom” is perfection!

Thursday morning (9:30)
One of my newer toddlers high-fived me on the way into the storytime room — caregiver informed me that means I’m in the club. I consider that my proudest accomplishment this week! This group was more reserved, but that meant that I read through three books with them. Also in toddler news: we have a new big sister in the class and she was very proud to announce it during our “Name…Oops” fingerplay.

Thursday morning (10:30)
In this group, I only have three returning toddlers from last session. That meant that TODAY was the first time many of them had ever done “Zoom Zoom Zoom”. That, of course, meant that we repeated it three times to the delight of toddlers everywhere. This grouped absolutely needed to get up and move and TRAIN SONG was the perfect opportunity.

For more information on how I plan and prepare my toddler storytimes, check out this introduction post. And for a complete list of the repeating extension activities, visit this post. I starred the materials used in the plan; multiple stars indicate use for more than one session.

The Plan

Books

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.***
Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Meeow and the Blue Table by Sebastien Braun
Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia***

Early Literacy Tip
You don’t actually need to read books aloud to your children in order for them to benefit. Simply looking at and talking about the illustrations in books help children develop appreciation for the visual arts.

Theme Extension Activities

Featured CD: Ralph’s World***

Featured Track: #8 All My Colors

Flannelboard: Lots of Cars***

Props: Green Says Go***

Repeating Extension Activities

• Elevator Song***
• Everyone Can March*
• This Is Big, Big, Big***
• Thumbkin**
• Wiggle Your Finger & Stomp Your Feet*

How It Went

Tuesday morning
What an excellent storytime! (I am so happy it went perfectly today because I had a neighboring librarian observing. Toddler time can be so unpredictable.) Parents and caregivers were really into both books today Toot Toot Beep Beep and Brown Bear, Brown Bear since they provided so many opportunities for participation. As always, the “Elevator Song” is always a crowd pleaser. On the way out, a parent told me that I’m a “rock star” in their house.

Thursday morning (9:30)
I’m noticing for whatever reason that this session, I can basically stick to the same plan for each group. It’s some kind of MAGIC that’s going on, but it makes my life so much easier in terms of book selection and knowing what comes next. I had a full crowd this morning and some more reluctant movers, so “Thumbkin” and “Elevator Song” were great. This group really liked leaving their parents to sit in front of me to hear the books today!

Thursday morning (10:30)
This was a super quiet group of kiddos. We only had twelve toddlers (out of a possible twenty) which makes the whole dynamic of the group shift. I had one toddler who just wanted to zoom around the whole time, but had a great involved caregiver who was engaging and staying with their toddler’s energy. Their favorite moment was definitely reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear all together.