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

• Rhyme: Dinosaur Stomp 
• Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers
• Song: Five Little Ducks
• Song: My Mother's a Dragon (with puppet)

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. 

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea

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

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

Flannel Friday: The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

For the first preschool story time of the Fall (which is today, Friday, at 4:00pm), my theme is numbers and counting. As soon as I decided that, I knew I wanted to find a way to include The Doorbell Rang. It's a book I have always liked, but that tends to flop at story time because the illustrations don't lend themselves well to being shared with large groups. It also bothers me that the text doesn't specifically reference the number of cookies Ma has made- the closest we get is when we're told that Victoria and Sam get six each on the first page. As a kid who did not understand the concept of multiplication until at least two years after her classmates, I needed to have things spelled, and this flannel board does just that.

All the clipart you see in these photos is available from Clker.com, and is in the public domain. I made these pieces at home, where I do not have a flannel board, so I used my kitchen folding table to take the photos. The quality is pretty terrible, but I think they still get across the general way I plan to present this flannel to my preschoolers this afternoon!

Here's the start of the story where Ma has her twelve cookies. Victoria is the red-haired girl, and Sam is the blonde boy. I did my best to match the faces I found to the way they look in the book. I did the best job with these two characters.

Here are Victoria and Sam, now each with their six cookies.

But of course the doorbell rings...

...and in walk two more kids.

The cookies get redistributed, and now everyone has three.

Not for long, though.

Two more boys shows up, and the number decreases to two.

The doorbell rings again, and this time, the group of kids doubles in size.

One cookie each, and not a cookie to spare! 

Thank God, the next time the doorbell rings...

...it's Grandma with more cookies!

(The only piece missing from the picture is grandma's cookie tray. I'm still figuring out how I'm going to create that piece. I printed out a second sheet of cookies, but it's too big.)

I was initially going to try memorizing the text of the book, but I ran out of time, so now I'll probably just read it straight through and use the flannel board to illustrate the distribution of the cookies. I'm also just really excited to have found these various faces. It's not easy to find free clipart of people online to begin with, and even harder to get a diverse group. I'll be looking for more ways to use these guys in the coming months!

This week's roundup is over at Loons and Quines. For more information on Flannel Friday, check out its official website.