Book: No Talking
Notes: We're still working our way through this novel, and they're still loving it.
Book: Eggs 1-2-3, Who Will the Babies Be?
Song: Over in the Meadow
Notes: This book-song combination was perfect. The kids loved guessing who would hatch from the eggs, and they loved singing along to Over in the Meadow. By the end, some of them were grunting the verses rather than singing, but it was still fun.
Book: I Feel Better with a Frog in my Throat
Notes: The kids liked this book, but claimed it made them nauseous. I would complain, but they are still talking about the book two weeks later, which I think is a positive sign.
Books: Princess Hyacinth, Owl Moon, Chrysanthemum
Notes: The psychiatric hospital is a new partner for my library, and this was my first visit. I read to a group of about 10 school-age kids. The book that got the biggest applause was Owl Moon, but Chrysanthemum was a close second. These kids were reluctant to respond to me at the beginning, but by the end, they were begging me to stay. They were among the most engaged and attentive group I've ever read to, and I can't wait to go back in March~
Book: The Day-Glo Brothers
Notes: The class had a lot of questions about day-glo and the girls were interested in being told on every page which brother was which.
Books: Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, The Red Shoes, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
Songs: A Hat Goes on My Head, Sing a Happy Song, If You're Happy and You Know It
Notes: This group is so great. The Red Shoes is a quiet, poetic story, but they were completely into it! The kids are also coming out of their shells more in this second half of the year. They actually let me lead a little bit of a discussion about things we wear, and where on our bodies they belong.
Books: Birdsongs, A Home For Bird
Songs: Chickadee, Hat, Coat, Pants, and Shoes, These Are My Glasses
Notes: Birdsongs got them a little wound up, especially in the first class, but they absolutely loved both books and wanted more even when we were out of time!
Books: Duck and Goose, What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?, Meet Wild Boars
Songs: Five Little Ducks, Shake My Sillies Out, These Are My Glasses
Notes: Duck and Goose was kind of a flop, but the Mr. Wolf book was a surprise hit. They loved laughing at the wild boars and assured me they would never let one come to their house.
Books: Birdsongs
Songs: Chickadee, Hat, Coat, Pants and Shoes
Notes: Though their teacher didn't think so and kept interrupting me to yell at the kids, this group was very good this week. They loved guessing the names of the bids and making the sounds, and they followed directions much better than the Pre-K classes earlier in the week.
Book: Yum! Yuck!
Activity: I gave each child a popsicle stick sign with two sides. One side had a smiley face and said yum; the other said yuck and showed a frown. I asked each kid one at a time to name a food they love, and the kids had to show the correct sign to demonstrate whether they did or did not like that food. The kids got a little crazy, and whenever I tried to rein them back in, the teacher - who is also the one who brought kindergarten - just lost it and started yelling. She was very sarcastic, and that just confused the kids even more. I wish she understood that I have control over the room, even if the kids aren't sitting silently like little robots.
Song: Hat, Coat, Pants, and Shoes
Notes: We did this book as a guessing game. I said one of the foreign phrases, then asked the kids to repeat it. Then we looked at the visual clues to find out what the English phrase might be. After a few guesses, we opened the flap to find out. The kids really liked it,.
