Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson Handout

Read the book The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson. Have participants join in with the repeated phrase "but the cow loves cookies."
Early Literacy Aside--Empower: At the end of storytime pass out the attached handout. Tell the adults they can cut out the pictures with their children and play different games.  Children can match the animals to what they eat. Use the pictures to help children retell the story, too! Young children can say the sounds of the animals. Have children say the repeated phrase “but the cow loves cookies.” Older children can retell the story using the pictures to remember the order. All these are steps to help your children retell stories and help them understand how stories work which will later make it easier for them to understand what they are reading. Handout: cowlovescookies

Little Red Hen Handout

Early Literacy Aside--Empower: In our storytime today, we read the story of the Little Red Hen by Byron Barton. Your children also retold the story with me on the flannel board. In today's handout I have the repeated phrases and the order of what the little red hen did. There are also boxes for your children to draw the animals. You can cut them out and have the children retell the story for you. For your younger children, they can say the words "Not I" or say the sounds of the animals. Having your children retell stories helps them understand the story better and helps them learn how stories work. Enjoy!Handout: lrhenhandout

Rock a Bye Baby

Song as lead in to book: Rock a Bye Baby[Adults rock baby back and forth] Rock a bye baby on the tree top, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, And I'm there to catch you, cradle and all.

Early Literacy Aside--Example: When we sing to babies, they hear language slowed down which makes it easier for them to hear the sounds in words. Even thugh we may not sing to our children for this purpose, it is the beginning of helping them to later sound out words when they later learn to read.

Jane Klein, Chester County (PA) Library System

Too Much Noise by Ann McGovern

toomuchnoise.jpg

Empower Aside: I have a handout for you related to the book we did with a flannel board today in storytime, Too Much Noise. Using little cues like the flannel board pieces can help your children retell the story. The handout has squares where your children can draw in the animals, you can cut them out and then retell the story together. Your youngest children can say the animal sounds, slightly older children can say the names of the animals and perhaps repeat the words "too noisy" and your preschoolers can try retelling the whole story. All of these are stages in helping your children develop narrative skills which will help them later understand what they read and how stories work. Enjoy!Handout for Too Much Noise:  multsttoomuchnoise

 

Song in Spanish

Here is a song that is fun to sing in English, Spanish or both, to the tune of "Frere Jacques."Esta canción es divertida cantar en inglés, español, o ambos, al tuno de "Frere Jacques."

Hello children.                  Hola niños. How are you?                   ¿Como están? Very well thank you.        Muy bien gracias. How about you?               ¿Y Usted?

Although today we are having  fun singing songs in two languages, talk with your children in the language  that is most comfortable for you. It is best for children to know one language  spoken fluently. If children know one language well, they can learn another one  more easily. If you are fluent in more than one language you can choose which  language to talk with your child in.

Aunque hoy  nos divertimos por cantar en dos idiomas, recuerde hablar con sus niños en el  idioma que usted mejor sepa.  Es mejor para  los niños saber un idioma con fluidez.  Si los niños saben bien un idioma, es más fácil para ellos aprender  otro.  Si usted habla con fluidez más que un idioma, puede elegir en cual quisiera hablar con su niño.

by Katie Cunningham, http://bilingualchildrensprogramming.blogspot.com

Library Love Song

Library Love Song[Storytime presenter] I love you, you love me We're a happy library With a great big hug And a wish from me to you Won't you say you'll read books, too!

[Child to adult/parent] I love you, you love me Won't you share a book with me? With a great big hug And a wish from me to you Won't you say we'll read books, too!

Early Literacy Aside--Example: Keeping that close connection as we read with children is something they cherish. It is this kind of feeling around reading books that helps them see reading as something enjoyable. This attitude helps them want to hear more books, read more and makes learning to read easier.

Jane Boss, Hennepin (MN) Public Library and Diana Price, Bucks County (PA) Free Library

Tree Poster

This poster is available in English and Spanish through the Library of Virginia: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/el It is downloadable and has print specs if you want to get it printed by a printer in poster format. I print off a picture of an apple blossom and tape it to the branch of the early literacy skill I am highlighting that day. Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Our early literacy tip today is on print awareness, helping children understand that print has meaning. Today in storytime I'll be pointing out ways we can support this pre-reading skill as you read and play with your children.

I Love Books Song

I Love Books Song: to the tune of Skip to My LouBooks, books, I love books Books, books, I love books Books, books, I love books I know that you do, too. This song can be used as an Opening Song and/or a Closing Song to articulate the joy we find in reading books. Print Motivation, a child's enjoyment of books and reading, can help children stick with learning to read when they art taught to read in school.

Shapes Around Us by Daniel Nunn

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Children learn to recognize letters by their shapes. Today I'll be pointing out some ways you can support letter knowledge by talking about shapes. During the storytime read Shapes Around Us by Daniel Nunn. Early Literacy Aside--Example: This book helps us think of so many shapes we see in the world around us. What a great way to help children notice shapes which later helps them recognize letters! Early Litearcy Aside--Empower: Pointing out and playing with shapes helps children to recognize and draw letters. Be sure to include both the upper cas and lower case versions of letters.

Songs

Sing songs in English and in at least one other language during storytime.Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Adults, you can sing anywhere about anything in any language! Singing helps children hear the smaller sounds in words to help them sound out words later. Also many songs have new words for them to learn which will help them know the meanings of words when they get to school.

Randi Kay Stephens, Sacramento (CA) Public Library

Magnet handout

Early Literacy Aside--Empower: I am gong to give you a pre-literacy skill magnet that says "Talking" to put on your frig. This will remind you to extend your conversations with your children. In this way you are building on what they know and they will be able to better understand what they read. The magnet also lets you know you are already your child's first teacher! Great job, parents!Workshop Participant, Sacramento (CA) Public Library

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Early Literacy Aside--Example: You can use unfamiliar words with your children and model what they mean. For example, you can whisper when reading "whispering" and have your child say a quiet, "hush." This is a simple way to expand the words your children know. Let's try it as we read Goodnight Moon.Read Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Sing your own songs

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Singing with your children helps them to hear words broken into smaller parts because there is a different note for each syllable. Hearing these smaller parts of words will help them later to sound out words.Early Literacy Aside--Empower: We sang some songs today in storytime. You can make up your own songs and sing about the things you do everyday. Singing helps children hear words broken down into part and you can do this throughout the day in fun ways. Heather Bratt