Outreach Round-up, 9/19/12 - 9/28/12

I haven't done one of our regular drop-in story times in over a week, which is why there haven't been many blog posts, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. I just sat down to count them up and realized I have read to seven different classes or groups in the last eight weekdays! I've been to the local rec. center and two elementary schools, and I've had three Catholic school classes and one after care group come to me. Every single one of the groups has been lovely, but since I repeated a lot of the same material, it would have been too redundant - not to mention time-consuming -  to post about each of the eight sessions individually. Therefore, I present my first Outreach Round-Up. Depending on how busy my outreach schedule becomes, this might be a regular feature from here on out.

Rec. Center Cooperative Play Program: Wednesday, 9/19

• Books:  Ten Little Caterpillars, The Busy Little Squirrel, My Farm Friends, The Bus for Us
• Songs: One, Two, Three Caterpillars, Gray Squirrel, Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Wheels on the Bus, These Are My Glasses
• Notes: It's fun to sing Gray Squirrel three times, once with gray, once with brown, and once with black, for the three colors of squirrels we have here.  

Catholic School Pre-K: Thursday, 9/20

• Books: Teeny Weeny Bop, Click Clack Moo, Bark, George
• Flannel Board: Silly Sally
• Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, These Are My Glasses
• Notes: Teeny Weeny Bop has a flat ending, and Silly Sally didn't really get a reaction.

Public School Pre-K: Monday, 9/24

• Books: A Visitor for Bear, Otto the Book Bear, May I Bring a Friend? 
• Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, These Are My Glasses
• Action Rhymes: Book Bear, Book Bear
• Notes: During the last verse of If You'd Like to Read a Book,  I changed "shout hooray" to "whisper hooray" in the final line to get the kids quiet for the story. I started lowering my voice slowly as we approached those words so they'd have to quiet down to hear me, and they seemed to enjoy the surprise change from loud to soft.

Public School Kindergarten After Care: Thursday, 9/27 

• Books: Ling and Ting Not Exactly the Same, George and Martha, My Friend is Sad 
• Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, The Banana Dance, Shake My Sillies Out, These Are My Glasses
• Rhymes: This is Big, Big, Big, Book Buddies, Book Buddies (based on Book Bear, Book Bear) 
• Notes: Ling and Ting makes a wonderful read-aloud, and it opens up great discussions, especially when the girls make dumplings and eat with chopsticks. A huge hit with boys and girls. This is Big, Big, Big is perfect for calming a large, wild group, no matter how old they are.

Public School Pre-K: Friday, 9/28 

• Books: A Visitor For Bear, Taking a Bath With the Dog, I Am Not Going to Get Up Today 
• Songs: If You'd Like to Read a Book, Shake My Sillies Out, These Are My Glasses
• Notes: The kids loved the Seuss book, and they giggled like mad over the mouse in A Visitor for Bear.

Catholic School First Grade: Friday, 9/28 

• Book: Ling and Ting Not Exactly the Same
• Notes: The kids didn't know this one, and they all immediately wanted to check it out. Thank God I had multiple copies!

Catholic School Third Grade: Friday, 9/28

• Book: Apples to Oregon
• Notes: 100% perfect for this age group. The kids were engaged from beginning to end, and they laughed in all the right places.