Fill a Tub with Water flannel board

Introduction to flannel board: Let's see what happens when you fill the tub with water. What might we see in the bathtub? Each line starts with "Fill the tub with water, what do you see?" Let's say that together.  . . . Good!

Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see bubbles floating in the bathtub sea.                Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a washcloth floating in the bathtub sea.           Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a cake of soap floating in the bathtub sea.      Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a shampoo bottle floating in the bathtub sea. Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a little boat floating in the bathtub sea.          Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a pouring cup floating in the bathtub sea.      Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a toy shark floating in the bathtub sea.          Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see some swim goggles floating in the bathtub sea. Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a watering can floating in the bathtub sea.     Fill the tub with water, what do you see?  I see a rubber ducky floating in the bathtub sea.    Fill the tub with water, what do you see? I see a nice clean baby splashing in the bathtub sea.

Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Even when you are giving your children a bath, naming the objects, describing them, talking about floating and sinking, heavy and light, as they play with toys in the bath; these are good ways to expand their knowledge and vocabulary which will later help them understand what they read.

by Amy Alapati and Virginia Krute, Montgomery County (MD) Public Library Flannel board pattern:  filltubwaterFB

Old Macdonald Had a Farm Handout

Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Today we talked about farm animals and sang Old Macdonald. Here is an activity sheet for you and your child to draw farm animals and talk about the sounds they make, which is a first stem to helping your children hear the smaller sounds in words. Don't worry if you can't figure out which animal your child has drawn. Your child will tell you what it is. Enjoy!

Old Macdonald Had a Farm Handout

Jack and Jill Rhyme and Song

Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Preparation: Have the words to the rhyme up on a chart. Have the group say, not sing, the words. Then have the group sing the rhyme. Ask the adults what differences they noticed when singing it vs. saying it.
Early Literacy Aside--Example: Singing slows down language so that children can hear the smaller sounds in words. This helps children later to sound out the words when they learn to read.

Pop Goes Pre-Reading

Song for Explain Early Literacy Aside:To the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel
Our early literacy skill today
is letter knowledge [fill in the name of the skill].
Getting to know lots of shapes [Substitute aspect of skill being highlighted]
will HELP children read.

Add information related to skill: Researchers have found that children recognize letters according to their shapes.  Talking with young children about shapes is one way to support emerging literacy skills.

Some examples for other skills, to fill in:
Skill=vocabulary: Explaining unfamiliar words . . .
Information on skill: Researchers have found that children who have larger vocabularies, who know more words, can more easily recognize words they sound out and can also more easily understand what they read when whey learn to read.
Skill=print motivation . . . Having fun while sharing books
Information on skill: Researchers have found that children who have enjoyable interactions around books and reading are more likely to stick with learning to read even when it is difficult.
Skill=phonological awareness . . . Clapping out the parts of words . . . OR Having fun with rhyming words . . .
Information on skill: Helping children hear the smaller sounds in words will help them later to sound out words when they begin to read.
Skill=print awareness  . . . Pointing to signs all around . . . OR Pointing to words in a book Information on skill: Understanding that the written word stands for the words helps children understand how reading works.
Skill=background knowledge . . . Reading information books . . . OR Telling your children what you know . . .
Information on skill: Children are naturally curious. By adding to the information they know on topics that interest them, they will later be able to better understand what they read. Skill=background knowledge . . . Having children retell stories . . .
Information on skill: When children retell stories they learn how stories work, that the have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This will help them later when they have to write stories in school.

Choose only one skill to highlight (to say the aside).

Videoclip of Explain Aside Using Host Puppet

To view a videoclip of using a host puppet to convey early literacy information in the Explain Aside during storytime, click here.

Goodnight Max by Rosemary Wells

Introduction: Let's look at the cover of this book Goodnight Max by Rosemary Wells. What shapes do you see? Yes, the blanket has colored squares, the moon is a crescent shape; Max's nose looks like a triangle.
Read the book.
Early Literacy Aside--Example Aside: You don't need a book about shapes to talk about shapes. Talking about shapes with your child as we did at the beginning of this book, is the beginning of being able to recognize letters. Children begin to recognize letters by their shapes.

Look at Me (Begin Smart Books)

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Making book sharing times enjoyable times helps to develop your child's print motivation, enjoyment of books and reading. Research shows that children who have had enjoyable experiences around books are more likely to stick with learning to read, when that time comes.
Early Literacy Aside--Example: One thing that helps to keep book time enjoyable is to have your child participate in reading the book. This can be done in several ways. For example, having your child turn the pages, letting your child choose the book to be read or a picture to talk about, or having your child chime in with animal sounds or a word or two. Our book today is called Look at Me. This book lends itself to playful interaction because it has a repeated phrase, "Look at me," AND it's a book-a-boo book, making it a game. Everyone, all together, let me hear you say look at me! Good, try it again. Look at me. Good! Now you'll say that as I read the book with you. Share book using peek-a-boo game, having children say the animals and make the animal's sound. [The lion is the first animal. If that is scary for some children, start with a different animal. Some children may be afraid if you cover your own face. Suggestion--Use a doll or stuffed animal and cover it's face to play peek-a-boo.]

My First ABC Board Book (DK)

Early Literacy Aside--Example: Sharing alphabet books is one way to introduce children to letters. This book My First ABC Board Book has bright, clear photographs of things that interest young children.
Share a page or two: For example, on the B page, we see a baby, bananas, a ball, and bread. We see both the upper and lower case letter so children see that the same letter can look different. You can give the book to your child and let him choose a page to talk about. Talk about the pictures and point out the letter.
Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Naming the letters and pointing to them is a first step to developing your child's letter knowledge, one of the six early literacy skills. You can do this with books and also with signs whenever you are out and about. Remember to keep it enjoyable and stop when your child has had enough. No need to quiz your child on the letters, just expose them to the letters.

Alphabet Song

Early Literacy Aside--Example: Singing the alphabet song is one way to introduce children to letters. Part of letter knowledge, one of the early literacy skills that helps children be ready to read in school, is knowing the names of letters. At first your child may not relate the letters they sing to the written letter. That's ok; this is a first step.The alphabet song is to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Sing Alphabet Song. Now let's sing it again to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb. The letters come out in a different rhythm. They are less likely to lump l m n o together. Sing Alphabet Song again to new tune.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Introduction: I'd like to share this book with you called Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. It can be tricky to use with little hands. Sometimes children tear the flaps because they don't have good coordination yet. They do like flap books because they can play with the book and it's a kind of peek-a-boo game.
Early Literacy Aside--Example: This simple story has signs which supports the early literacy skill called print awareness, helping your child understand that print has meaning. Pointing to the words on the signs as you read the book helps children understand that these are the words we are saying.
Read book. Point to the words in the signs as you read.
Early Literacy Aside--Empower: As you go around your day, point out signs to your children. Even when your children notice logos like on gas stations, stores, or restaurants, this is the beginning of print awareness.

Please, Baby, Please by Spike and Tonya Lee

Introduction: Our book today is called Please, Baby, Please written and illustrated by Spike and Tonya Lee. Some of the things this baby does may look quite familiar to you! When you read this book to your baby, you can read the words or talk about the pictures.
Read book Please, Baby, Please by Spike and Tonya Lee. When you read the book with your child, don’t worry about getting through the whole book! Leave a little time when you are talking about the pictures, to let your child babble back to you. Now let’s all say this phrase, “please baby please” together. I’ll read part of this book again and let’s all chime in with “please baby please." You’ll notice I made this phrase repeat throughout so your toddler can join in. It is easier with the repetition. You may also like to try sign language. For children who are pre-verbal, can’t say words yet, using gestures is one way they make themselves understood. Just be sure to SAY the words as you use the gestures and encourage your child to do so as well. [See attachment for signs.]
Early Literacy Aside--Example: By encouraging your child to speak, to repeat words, you are helping to develop their narrative skills. This is the expressive part of language which later helps to develop comprehension when they read. Even giving time for your baby to babble as you share books together is helping with to develop this skill. 

Sign language please baby please

Adult/Child Animal Flannel Board

Introduction: Our next activity is with animals and what they are called. Baby animals are often called something different from the adult animal. This activity helps your children learn these words.[Put up adult and baby animal figures as you say their names, having children repeat them with you. If you like you can pass out the baby animals to each child. You put up the adult animal and the child puts up the matching baby animal as you say the name of it. Have children repeat the words for both adult and baby animals. Encourage adult to help if needed.]
Early Literacy Aside--Example: Saying the words for both the adult and baby animals helps to develop your children’s vocabulary.
Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Today you saw how we can expand children's vocabulary by giving specific names to things. We did it with animals. You can do the same with the vehicles you see all around you. If your child is calling everything that goes a car, you can say, yes, that’s a car, that’s an SUV, that’s a van, that’s a pick-up truck, and so forth. Even if they can’t say all these words, hearing you say them is how they begin to learn these words. You can also add description, like that shiny yellow car with silver hubcaps. These little things you do throughout the day in enjoyable ways all build your child's vocabulary which later helps them understand what they read.

Adult Animals

Baby Animals

Fire Truck by Peter Sis

Introduction: This book Fire Truck, written and illustrated by Peter Sis, has lots of interesting words in it.
Early Literacy Aside--Example: Listen to the many different words your child is hearing, words we might be using in everyday conversation. Because books have three times as many rare words as we use in conversation, it is important for children to hear the language of books. As I'm reading this book, just hold up a finger when you hear a word you would not be using everyday when talking with your child. Then we'll see how many you heard at the end of the book.
Read the book. Ask how many words they heard that they would not use in conversation with their children.
Early Literacy Aside--Empower: As you read books at home with your children, you may notice some words they are not familiar with. You don't have to explain every unfamiliar word, but you might choose one to point out and explain. Don't replace unfamiliar words, or they won't hear them. This is how you help their vocabularies grow!

Opening Song for Adult Introduction

Here's a song to encourage parents/caregivers to participate in the storytime.Storytime Announcement (Tune: Yankee Doodle)
Please turn down your cell phones now,
So they will not distract us.
Please join along and sing the songs,
It always helps to practice.
Storytime can help us read.
Storytime is what we need.
Storytime is lots of fun!
Storytime's for everyone.

Early Literacy Aside: Explain: When you participate in our storytime activities, you help to show your children the joy of books, reading, and other language-building activities. They recognize that YOU, the important person in their lives, thinks storytime is important. You help support print motivation, your child's enjoyment of reading, which will later help them stick with learning to read even if it is hard for them.
Submitted by Mary Binda, Augusta County (VA) Public Library

Eats by Marthe Jocelyn

Introduce book: Our next book is Eats by Marthe Jocelyn and Tom Slaughter. You will see that they use very stark and bright colors, making it easy for young children to see the pictures. There are just two words on a page, the animal and what it eats. Children let's see what the animal is right on the cover. A monkey! and he is eating a banana. Yummy!
Read the book. Point to some of the words as you read them.
Early Literacy Aside--Example (for Print Awareness): You may have noticed when I read the book that I not only pointed to the pictures but also to the words. The words are so distinct. It is as if they are part of the artwork. Pointing to the words as well as the pictures helps your child focus on the print. They can see that pictures and words represent real things, part of print awareness, one of the early literacy skills that will later help them to read.

For Vocabulary: Read the book. Add some more information as you talk about the pictures. Fore example: Bees like to eat nectar. See the black and yellow striped bees? They make a buzzing sound. Let me hear you make a buzzing sound. Good! Nectar is a sweet liquid that flowers have and the bees love to eat it.
Early Literacy Aside--Example (for Vocabulary): Even though there are just one or two words on a page, you may have noticed that I said more than just those words when I read the book. When you read books with your children take time, especially with simple books like this, to add more information to the words on the page. This helps build their vocabulary, learn new words.

Choose only one skill to hightlight (to say the aside).

Song for Introduction

Storytime Announcement (tune: Yankee Doodle)
Please turn down your cell phones now,
So they will not distract us.
Please join along and sing the songs,
It always helps to practice.
Storytime can help us read.
Storytime is what we need.
Storytime is lots of fun!
Storytime’s for everyone.

EarlyLiteracy Aside--Explain: When you participate in storytime with your children you send them the message that what we do in storytime is important. You let them know that reading is important and enjoyable, worth doing. They love to do things with you. By being present you help to support their print motivation, their enjoyment of books and reading. This will later help them stick with learning to read even if it is difficult for them.
Submitted by Mary Binda, Augusta County (VA) Public Library

Cock-a-Moo-Moo by Juliet Dallas-Conte

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Hello, parents. Today in storytime we are highlighting one of the early literacy skills, phonological awareness. This is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words including rhyming, beginning sounds and today we'll be doing animal sounds. Developing this skill will help children later sound out words as they learn to read.As you read Cock-a-Moo-Moo, note when the rooster crows that the font is large which means to use a LOUD voice. Point out the words for the corresponding sounds. Conclude the story by having the children say cock-a-doodle-do loudly to convey the rooster getting it right. Early Literacy Aside--Example: Hearing and learning animal sounds helps children hear the smaller sounds in words too. Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Hearing the rhythm of language and making the sounds of animals, both of these contribute to phonological awareness, hearing the smaller sounds in words, one of the skills that researchers have found helps with reading later on. Take opportunities during the course of the day to point out and to imitate sounds you hear, a car horn, the doorbell ringing, and so forth.

Submitted by Mona Ferguson, Public Library of Charlotte and Mechlenburg County (NC)

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

Cat Puppet: There's a cat in my hat, a cat in my hat, a cat in my hat today (do twice). What does the kitty cat say? [cat puppet says meow]Read Mama Cat Has Three Kittens Early Literacy Aside--Example: When children hear rhymes, rhythms and sounds of animals, it helps them develop phonological awareness, hearing the smaller sounds in words. This is a skill that will help them as they begin to read. Early Literacy Aside--Empower: Keep doing rhymes with things in your children's world. Today we did cat in my hat. You can do ball in the hall or star on my car (give a star sticker).

Submitted by Cathy Cartedge, Public Library of Charlotte and Mechlenburg County (NC)

Tickle Teddy by David Ellwand

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 to read. And it's fun too.Read the book. Early Literacy Aside--Example: Even though young children do not understand the meanings of the rhymes, it is important for them to hear them.  By six months babies are already able to recognize the sounds of the languages they hear.  They also are losing those sounds they don't hear even though they were born able to learn to make them. Submitted by Sandy Smith, Muskingum County (OH) Library System

Print Motivation

Early Literacy Aside--Explain: Our Early Literacy Tip of the Day is on print motivation or showing children how to love books. You know that kids love to read the same book over and over. This is how children learn, so go ahead and read Dora the Explorer or their favorite book one more time. Your kids will love you for it.Early Literacy Aside--Empower: As you leave, please pick up a book from the table and read it with your child. If for some reason your child is not interested, don't force it on her. Find something she is interested in or wait until your child is ready to listen. It's OK to not finish a book! Don't make it a chore that needs to be done.

Submitted by Kim Connett, Marion (OH) Public Library