Monday
9:15am-9:30am (2-3 year olds)
9:30am-9:45am (3-4 year olds)
9:45am-10:15am (4-5 year olds)
12:30pm-1pm (5 year olds-Kindergarten)
Tuesday
9:15am-9:30am (15 months-2 year olds)
9:30am-9:45am (2-3 year olds)
9:45am-10am (3-4 year olds)
10am-10:30am (4-5 year olds)
In the 3 and 1/2 years I've been going to the local sites, I have found that a lot of them want me to come in and out quickly and provide very little space for me to perform the storytime. The children are often packed in like sardines, on a circle-time rug, and are told to NOT MOVE from their spot by their teachers. I have to keep this in mind when I plan, that means very little movement/dancing songs because there just isn't space for it. I also need to make sure the plans are creative enough and have enough child involvement that the kids aren't bored.
I think it's really important that I continue these visits, even if the conditions aren't ideal. This is often the only time some of these children see anything library related at all, so any time I can get into their classrooms and show off library pride I do!
The plan is a little all over the place. I'll designate what I used for the younger rooms (3 year olds and younger) and what I did for the older rooms (4 year olds and up). It varied room to room and I didn't use ALL the material listed for every room. Hopefully it won't be too confusing. Please feel free to leave questions in the comments if something isn't clear.
The theme requested by the preschool director was "You Are Special". They were celebrating the Week of the Young Child and thought that was an appropriate theme. I had a little difficulty finding materials that really fit this theme, especially for the little ones. I went with materials that focused on self-esteem, being different and unique, and just generally getting along with one another and friendship.
Opening Song - All Ages:
"These Are My Glasses" by Laurie Berkner from Whaddaya Think of That
I didn't have a CD player or iPod with me so I sang all the songs acapella. I often do this on visits because I'm never sure what technology the rooms will have and I want to be prepared for everything.
Books for Young Rooms:
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf
It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
You Are Special, Little One by Nancy Tafuri
Books for Older Rooms:
Artist Ted by Andrea Beatty
Chamelia by Ethan Long
It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
A Dog is a Dog by Shephen Shaskan
Cheetah Can't Lose by Bob Shea
Action Song for Older Rooms:
"The Wiggle Song" by Carole Peterson from Sticky Bubble Gum
My hands are starting to wiggle
My hands are starting to wiggle
My hands are starting to wiggle
Around and around and around!
I didn't follow this song exactly since I didn't have the music to go along with it. I sang the first verse using "hands" and then I allowed the kids to suggest other body parts to wiggle. They really enjoyed helping me "write" the song as we went. We used everything from tummy to shoulders to hips to feet, and I always ended with "all of me is a wiggle". A great success!
Closing Song for Younger Rooms:
"Skinnamarink"
Closing Song for Older Rooms:
"The More We Get Together" using sign language
I did this recently in a preschool in-house storytime with great results. Here's a great video from Skokie Public Library showing exactly how to do the signs.
How It Went:
I would say that overall the storytimes were successful. The really young ones just kind of stared at me the whole time and didn't participate (even though their teachers did!). I think it was the first time the little ones had any sort of structured storytime so I was very impressed with how well they sat for me, even if they didn't participate. The best book for the young ones was The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. I chose this book simply because it shows things in a different way. The children laughed at all the colors and helped with animal noises.
The theme was a difficult one, but the older rooms really got into the discussions of how it's okay to be different and how we should all get along even if we aren't all the same. That itself was really encouraging because I could tell that the books were getting through to them and they were relating to the stories. Chamelia and Cheetah Can't Lose were the most successful books in that aspect. They deal with being different and fair and what being a good friend means and the children really understood that.
The songs were successful too. Everyone enjoyed "These are My Glasses" and the older kids really got into the sign language of "The More We Get Together". Apparently in the music class at the school they already sing "Skinnamarink" so everyone knew that one and sang along with gusto, which is always fun.
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