Who's There on Halloween? by Pamela Beall

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Rhyming is one way that children learn to hear that words are made up of smaller parts. By doing rhymes with them you are supporting phonological awareness. This skill helps them when they later try to sound out words. And it's fun, too!Read Who's There on Halloween? by Pamela Beall

Song: Do a rhyming song to the tune of Are You Sleeping? We are rhyming; we are rhyming. Rhyme with me; rhyme with me. Nose rhymes with toes; nose rhymes with toes. (substitute other words from story) Rhyme with me; rhyme with me. Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Take advantage of lots of opportunities to play rhyming games with your children. Simple activities like this will help your child be able to sound out words when they learn to read.

Submitted by participants in Saskatchewan Library Association Conference

Move Over Rover! by Karen Beaumont

Early Literacy Aside--Example:  As we read this book listen for words that rhyme, words that sound similar. Even the title of the book Move Over Rover has two words that rhyme. Hearing and making rhymes will help your children sound out words when they learn to read.Read Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont Repeat the story using stuffed characters and a box or crate as a doghouse and let the children tell the story, using rhyming phrases from the book. Submitted by participants of Saskatchewan Library Association Conference

Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway

Early Literacy Aside--Explain:  Today we are focusing on phonological awareness, the early literacy skill that includes rhyming and helps children hear parts of words. This activity will help children later sound out words as they learn to read.Early Literacy Aside--Example: This story, Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway, has rhyming and non-rhyming segments. We'll see words that rhyme and words that don't. Rhyming breaks words into smaller parts. Words that sound like the sounds they make also support phonological awareness. This is called onomatopoeia.

Submitted by participants of Saskatchewan Library Association Conference

Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Researchers have found that one of the early literacy skills is phonological awareness. This is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words, like rhyming and hearing the beginning sounds of words. Today I'll be pointing out ways you can help your children with this skill.Early Literacy Aside--Example: Our next book is one we can sing. Listen to all the rhymes in this book. Singing slows down language and rhyming breaks down words into parts. Both of these help your children hear the smaller sounds in words. You can also think of other words that rhyme, or add extra verses at the end. Read the book Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter.

Nursery Rhymes

Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Rhymes help teach "phonological awareness," an awareness of the sounds that make up words. You may have noticed that your child enjoys the way a nursery rhyme sounds even if it doesn't make much sense to him. When you introduce a new rhyme or song, repeat it at least twice. Three times is even better. And be sure to keep repeating the old, familiar rhymes too. Submitted by Cindy Christin, Bozeman (MT) Public Library

Songs

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Singing songs is  one good way for children to become aware of the different sounds that make up words. We call this phonological awareness. Singng helps them get a feel for the rhythm of language and how words are divided into syllables because there is a different note for each syllable. This will help them sound out words when they learn to read. Submitted by Cindy Christin, Bozeman (MT) Public Library

What Shall We Do With the Boo-Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: I will be having the children hear and make animal sounds. This is one of the ways to develop phonological awareness, hearing the smaller sounds in words. This is the beginning step to later sounding out words when they learn to read.Book Introduction: Our next book is What Shall We Do with teh Boo-Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell. All join in together with the animal sounds and the crying baby! [If you want you can practice the animal sounds and the boo-hoo for crying before starting the book.] Read the book. Early Literacy Aside--Example: Good job everyone. Parents, letting the children hear and make the sounds helps them later hear the sounds in words. Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Feel free to check out these books I have displayed which have animal and other sounds, which will help with phonological awareness.

Submitted by Cindy Thompson, Roanoke City (VA) Public Library

Mortimer by Robert Munsch

Mortimer's song is repeated:Clang, clang, rattle-bing-bang Gonna make my noise all day. Clang, clang, rattle-bing-bang Gonna make my noise all day. You pass out musical instruments and have them play to the rhythm of the song. Early Literaacy Aside--Example: As the children are saying the words of the sounds, they are developing phonological awareness. Having them play to the rhythm of the words also helps develop this skill which will later help them sound out words when they learn to read.

Submitted by Barbara Slough, Glasgow Library, Rockbridge Regional Library (VA)

Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

Read the book The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. Encourage adults and children to make the sounds of the animals.Early Literacy Aside--Example: Having your child hear and make the sounds of the animals in this story is one enjoyable way to help develop phonological awareness, to eventually be able to hear the smaller sounds in words. Submitted by Nancy Gattoni, Roanoke County (VA) Public Library

Old MacDonald Had a Farm Song

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Songs are a great way to incorporate the early literacy skill, phonological awareness. Hearing and learning animal sounds helps your children hear the smaller sounds in words and singing emphasizes different syllables. This helps your children later to sound out words. Submitted by Wendy B. Rancier, Roanoke County (VA) Public Library

Old MacDonald Has a Farm Song

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Researchers have found that one of the early literacy skills is phonological awareness. This is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words, like rhyming, playing with syllables or parts of words, and hearing beginning sounds of words. The beginning of this skills starts with children hearing and saying the sounds of animals.Sometime durng storytime sing "Old MacDonald" with the children, including several animals--cow, pig, sheep, chicken, duck, etc. Early Literacy Aside--Example:  Making the sounds of animals contributes to phonological awareness and hearing sounds in words. Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Take advantage of opportunities to sing and say the sounds of animals with your children. It's fun and it also helps them hear the smaller sounds in words.

Submitted by Kimberly Burnette-Dean, Roanoke County (VA) Public Library

Jazzmatazz! by Stephanie Calmenson

Early Literacy Aside--Example: What a fun and noisy book this is! Listen to the different kinds of sounds that music can make like plink, plink and bang-a-bang along with the jazz rhythm of Doo-dat, diddy-dat, diddy-dat, doo! As children learn to hear and make not only animal sounds but sounds of many different things, they are developing phonological awareness which will later help them sound out words as they learn to read.

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean (or other song with repeated sounds)

For any song with repeated sounds. Example: My Bonnie Lies Over the OceanStart out with one sound, say /b/ (buh). Each time you hear a /b/ raise your hands over your head. Sing the song and raise your hands over your head each time you hear the sounds /b/. Then add another sound, say /m/ (mmmm). Each time you hear /m/, tap your knees. Sing the song again doing the motions for both sounds. Early Literacy Aside--Example: Putting motions to the sounds helps some children hear the sounds by emphasizing them. This helps develop phonological awareness, the ability to hear the smaller sounds in words which will later help them sound out words. Words to song: My bonnie lies over the ocean; my bonnie lies over the sea. My bonnie lies over the ocean; so bring back my bonnie to me. Bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me.

Rhyme Along with Me

[When you read a rhyming book or say a rhyme, you can pick two rhyming words and then sing this song to emphasize the rhyming words.]To the tune of Row Your Boat: Rhyme, rhyme, rhyme along, rhyme along with me Small and tall are rhyming words [or whatever two words you are rhyming] Now rhyme along with me. Early Literacy Aside--Example:  Emphasizing words that rhyme helps children hear the rhyme. Being able to hear the smaller sounds in words helps develop their phonological awareness, a skill that will help them be able to sound out words when they later learn to read.

Pamela Martin-Diaz, Allen County (IN) Public Library

These Words Rhyme

After reading a book that rhymes, I read the book and then come back to a page that have two rhyming words. We talk about the words that rhyme and then sing a song [to the tune of "Skip to My Lou"]Small, tall [or whichever two words you have noted] these words rhyme Small, tall, these words rhyme, Small, tall, these words rhyme, Rhyme along with me. [You can also do this with a nursery rhyme, pointing out two rhyming words.] Early Literacy Aside--Example:  Helping your children to recognize and say rhyming words helps them hear the smaller sounds in words, which develops phonological awarness. This is a skill that will later help them sound out words when they learn to read.

Idea from Pamela Martin-Diaz, Allen County (IN) Public Library

Row Your Boat

During several consecutive storytimes you would choose a song to sing every time. For example, I chose Row Your Boat.In each storytime we sing the song correctly: Row, row, row your boat; gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily; life is but a dream. Then we sing the song again in a silly way, changing the first sound of each word: Bow, bow, bow, bour boat, bently, bown be bream Berrily, berrily, berrily, berrily; bife bis but ba bream. Then we sing it again correctly. Early Literacy Aside--Example: Singing nonsense songs like this help children hear the smaller sounds in words, in a fun way! Try it with different songs. Being able to change the first sound in a word is part of phonological awareness.

The next week when we sing Row Your Boat changing the first sound of each word to a different sound. For example: Low, low, low lour loat; lently lown le leam Lerrily, lerrily, lerrily, lerrily; life lis lut la leam. Sometimes the children like to make their own changes and sing to the group.

Super Duper 1, 2, 3

 Super Duper 1, 2, 3 Can you say this word (or name) with me? [volcano--or word/name of your choice] Say it  (You say it) [Children/adults repeat the word with you] Clap it  (You clap it) (Say it again and clap it) [Children/adults clap the word with you, one clap per syllable] Snap it [snap fingers] (Say it again and snap it) [Children/adults snap fingers together with you, one snap per syllable] Tap it [tap with foot or tap knees] (Say it again and tap) [Children/adults tap feet (or knees) with you, one tap per syllable] Early Literacy Aside–Example: You can do this little song with any word! Dividing words into sound parts, into syllables, helps children hear the smaller sounds in words, one part of phonological awareness, the ability to hear the smaller sounds in words.

Who Took the Farmer's Hat? by Joan Nodset

Read the book Who Took the Farmer's Hat? by Joan Nodset. Have children make the sounds of the animals the farmer sees.Early Literacy Aside--Example: Did you know that according to studies, by playing with sounds, you are developing phonological awareness and your children will be better ready to sound out words when they learn to read.

Submitted by Linda Gosnell, Pamunkey (VA) Regional Library

Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

Early Literacy Aside--Explain:The ability to hear and play with the sounds of words, as in rhyming, is an important skill for reading. To recognize these rhymes and how words are related by sound is part of what educators term phonological awareness and will help your children later sound out words.During the storytime, read the book Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino Each page describes the animal that might be llama's mother. Let's guess what will come on the next page. I will emphasize the word that will rhyme on the next page. For example, if I say now, guess what animal we will see. The author gives us other clues, like brown and moo. So, we know the animal will rhyme with now is COW! Early Literacy Aside--Example: Some books, like this one, use rhymes in a playful way. Playing with rhyming words is one good way to help children hear the smaller sounds in words which will later help them sound out words when they learn to read.

Making Gingerbread Fingerplay

Fingerplay:Stir a bowl of gingerbread (pretend to stir) Smooth and spicy brown Roll it with a rolling pin (pretend to roll dough) Up and up and down With a cookie cutter (imitate) Make some little men Put them in the oven (imitate) 'Til half past ten! (pretend to look at watch) Early Literacy Aside--Example: Rhyming is one way that children learn to hear the smaller parts of words, also called phonological awareness. Talking about the words that rhyme as you say rhymes with your children will better prepare them to read when they begin to sound out words in school. Adding motions makes it more fun!

Submitted by Amy Cook, Henrico County (VA) Public Library--Tucahoe Area Library