Monday, September 17, 2012

Kindergarten Class Visit, 9/12/12 and Pre-K Class Visit, 9/14/12

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here

School is back in full swing, and my class visits to Pre-K and K classes have begun.

Wednesday morning's visit to the kindergarten class at our neighborhood Catholic school was my first class visit of the year, and it was so much fun! I repeated most of what I did for National Library Week last year, but I switched out D.W.'s Library Card for We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems. This resulted in the kids calling me "Banana" for the rest of the session, and again when they visited the library as a class on Friday.

I was thrilled to see that some of the Pre-K kids from last year were in this class and remembered all the songs I taught them. It also melted my heart when, during their class visit to the library, they asked when I would be back and came running to me with books they wanted me to read to them. I love kindergarteners!

My Pre-K visit on Friday was not quite as successful, mostly because I forgot how little they really are at the beginning of the year.  I decided to come up with a new repertoire for Pre-K classes since I'll have quite a few in the next month, and I was getting tired of my old stuff, but I might have overdone it slightly. Here's how it looked:

Book: The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore

Poem: "Good Books, Good Times"
I turned this poem into a call and response chant, and tried to keep the rhythm on my knees as I chanted it, but I didn't have it quite as well memorized as I thought, and the kids' motor skills were not up to the task of keeping time. This is a really good idea, and I think it will definitely work if I use it with a K or First Grade class, but it's too hard for kids who are only just turning four.


Book: Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson
A huge hit, as always. They loved Otto and Ernest!
Book: Read It, Don't Eat It! by Ian Schoenherr

Song: These Are My Glasses 

When it came time to sing the goodbye song, all the kids knew it really well, and the teacher told me that she stole it from me after hearing it last year! I was thrilled and told them I hope they'll keep singing it all year long. I'll be visiting this class once a month all year long - I already can't wait to schedule October's date!

Pajama Story Time, 9/11/12 (at another branch) and 9/12/12

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big 

Book: Dance By the Light of the Moon by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Guy Francis

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers

Book: Ten Little Sleepyheads by Elizabeth Provost, illustrated by Donald Saaf

Song: Five in the Bed
Book: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson
This was a huge hit with parents at the other branch, and a big hit with a preschool boy at my branch, who kept making adorable owl sounds. 

Rhyme: There's a Wide-Eyed Owl 

Book: Little Donkey Close Your Eyes by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
To make this book more interactive, I asked everyone to say "close your eyes" along with me every time it came up.

Song: Goodnight

Preschool Story Time, 9/7/12

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here

This story time came at the end of a very difficult week, on the most difficult day of that week, and I have to admit it was kind of a disaster. Three different kids asked the adults with them if they could leave. ("I don't like this." "This is for babies.") The books I chose that seemed so perfect when I pulled them from the shelves went over like lead balloons, and because I had a splitting headache, I didn't do as great a job with the songs as I could have. That said, three or four kids got really into with me and we managed to make it through the story time. I am also pleased to report that the following week, when it was not my turn to do this story time, lots of kids came and things went a lot more smoothly. When it's my turn again, I have no doubt it will improve greatly. In the meantime, here is my numbers-themed story time.

Book: Every Buddy Counts by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by Fiona Dunbar

Rhyme: I Have Ten Fingers


Book: Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh 

Book: Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jan Thomas

Flannel Board: The Doorbell Rang
This was very successful. I'll definitely use this one again. 

Song: The Number March 
I printed the document, put it on a music stand, and turned the pages as we sang. 

Book: Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by Scott Nash

Song: One Little Monster

Drop-In Story Time, 9/7/12

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words. For descriptions of each of my story times, click here.


Book: 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle

Song: Rain, Rain, Go Away (with zoo animal puppets)
I like this adaptation because it gives me a chance to incorporate zoo animals, even if they don't make a particular sound.

Song: Sunny Day

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Book: Garden of Opposites by Nancy Davis

Letter of the Day: Letter D


Song (with ukulele): ABCs / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep

Song: Sing a Happy Song

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Chickadee

Pajama Story Time, 9/5/12

I use the same hello and goodbye songs at almost every session. Click here for the tunes and words.

I didn't have any notes for this story time, and I waited so long to post about it that I can barely remember everything I did. This was during my crazy week working alone in the children's room, so everything is basically just a blur. I know that in addition to reading these books, we sang Laurie Berkner Band's Goodnight and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Tiger Can't Sleep by S.J. Fore, illustrated by R.W. Alley
I thought this story was silly enough that kids wouldn't be scared of it, but I was wrong - a three-year-old spent the entire story time with his fingers in his ears, as though the tiger might make a scary sound at any moment. 

I don't think this is a very good read-aloud.

The Noisy Way to Bed by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeker
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