Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 6/7

I really love Tuesdays. And I loved today in particular because I finally got to unveil all my songs I've been saving for the summer theme! I have started doing three story times in a row - 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00, with five minute breaks in between - so today was a bit difficult, as I got used to the timing of the sessions, but my audience was enthusiastic, a little boy tried to steal the show, and I had a request for the Wheels on the Bus - a request, like I'm a rock star! Haha.

Here is the full story:

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?
Today, we tapped our knees, touched our noses, patted our heads, and wiggled our fingers while we waited for stragglers to get settled.

Song: Rum Sum Sum


This was so great! We did the song twice in each session, and by the end of the second time through, many of the kids on the older side had the whole thing down.


Book: To The Beach by Thomas Docherty (2009)
It's a rainy day, so a little boy imagines going to the beach via airplane, sailboat, and camel, and returning home via tanker, helicopter, and tractor. At the end of the story, he wonders where he should go next, and a wordless final page shows his imagined visit to the moon. The kids loved this one, and laughed out loud when we got to the first mention of the camel.

Song: Taba Naba by The Wiggles from (It's a Wiggly Wiggly World)


I learned this song from the Wiggles video we used to watch every day in the special ed. preschool where I worked during library school. Today was my first time ever performing it with a group, and I was afraid it wouldn't go over well, but they really seemed to like it, and the hand motions are simple enough that even the babies could do some of them, with some help from a grown-up. There's no way I could explain the motions without a visual, so here is the video of the Wiggles performing the song with kids.




And these are the lyrics, which I found on Wikipedia. I have yet to learn them, but I'm getting there:

Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere re naba we
Taba naba norem (style)
(repeated 3 times)

Book: Look What I See! Where Can I Be? In the Neighborhood by Dia L. Michels (2001)
The photographs in this book look a little retro, despite being only ten years old, but it didn't detract from the reading experience at all. A baby falls asleep in a different baby-holding apparatus every day of  the week, waking up in such interesting places as the market, the doctor's office, and library story time! Everybody loved this one - especially the aquarium page, when several of the kids pointed and, unprompted said, "Fishy!" 


Flannel Board Song: Who Are the People in your Neighborhood?
My clip art for this song is here. (The man in the suit who is not easily identifiable is a teacher, and the woman with the bun in her hair and a book under her arm is a librarian!) I sing the chorus, and then a simple verse for each community helper. As much as I love Bob McGrath from Sesame Street - which is a bunch! - his version is just too wordy and complicated for toddlers to follow it on the CD.

Book: My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor (2011)
This new farm book has the most adorable illustrations. In the third session, one little boy just fell in love with the book and practically slammed his face against it, trying to get closer to the animals. I can think of no higher praise for an author or illustrator than the fact that a child who wants to live inside your book! I also love the way this book introduces new concepts about farm animals - turkeys can purr, horses sleep standing up, and cows drink a bathtub full of water every day!

Song: Old MacDonald
My story time CD has worn out, apparently, so we did this one a cappella. I'll be burning a new copy of the CD tonight.

Song: ABCD Medley by The Laurie Berkner Band (from Whaddaya Think of That?)

Song: Skinnamarink

Song Between Sessions: We All Sing with the Same Voice by Lisa Monet (from My Best Friend)
I took a break to regroup between sessions, and played this song, just because I like it.

Between sessions one and two, a mom came over to me with a very disappointed little girl and asked that I do the Wheels on the Bus during the second session, since that was all she wanted to hear. But then the girl insisted that they go home, so I didn't wind up having to work it in there after all. I also had a lot of positive feedback about offering three sessions - the second two groups were small - 20 and 40 kids, respectively - and it was nice to have a little breathing room.
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