Saturday, November 5, 2011
We've Moved!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Storytime Sneak Peek
Before registering for storytimes, parents and caregivers often ask me what a typical storytime is like, so I thought that we would share with you a Preschool storytime that we had this past week to give you a special sneak peek at our weekly storytimes.
Every week has a theme that we choose our books and craft on. For this week, the theme was "Ready for Fall!". Books are chosen based on age-appropriateness, length and quality of the story, illustrations, and how well we think the kids will respond and interact with the story. Our books this week were:
Let it Fall! By Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Apple Farmer Annie. By Monica Wellington
A New House for Mouse. By Petr Horacek
Mouse's First Halloween. By Lauren Thompson
Before stortyime starts we have a playtime with puzzles, books, and toys. Coming to a storytime is not only a great oppurtunity for kids to socialize with each other, but for parents/caregivers as well! A few minutes before storytime starts, we clean up our toys together and select what color floor cushion we each want to sit on. We start every storytime with the same song, so children get into the routine of knowing of what to expect and settling into a storytime setting.
Welcome Song:
Wiggle your fingers, wiggle them so
Wiggle them high
Wiggle them low
Wiggle them left
Wiggle them right
Now wiggle them, wiggle them out of sight.
We then look at the covers of my books and see if we can guess what our theme for the week is about from talking about the titles and pictures from the covers.
Our first book was "Let it Fall", by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. This is a great book with colorful illustrations that talks about the different things there are to do in the fall, and the children made a lot of personal connections to it since they had also gone apple picking or to a harvest fair as well.
After reading a book we then transistion into a song, fingerplay, movement activity, or flannelboard activity. For this week, we did a flannelboard activity called "Little Mouse" where a little gray flannel mouse is hidden behind a different colored house every week. Using a flannelboard is a creative way to visually engage the children, hold their attention, and have them participate with you. They love it!
Little Mouse Flannelboard
Little Mouse, little mouse, are you in the blue house?
(repeat the rhyme with the children for each color house until you find the mouse)
After our flannelboard, we read "A New House for Mouse" by Petr Horacek. This story is about a little mouse, a big apple, and finding just the right home for the both of them. We used a flannel apple for this story as well. Every time mouse took a nibble from his apple in the story, we took away a piece of our flannel apple too!
Then it was time for a movement activity so we did "Slow and Fast". This is a great activity for getting the wiggles and giggles out in between a story, and the kids have a blast seeing how fast and slow they can do the movements
Slow and Fast
Clap, clap, clap your hands as sloooowly as you can
Now clap, clap, clap your hands as quickly as you can!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers as sloooowly as you can
Now wiggle, wiggle your fingers as quickly as you can!
(repeat with different motions until you feel like the group is all wiggled out and ready for the next story!)
We then read Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington, followed by a movement song about colors called "If You're Wearing Red Today", sung to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?". Before starting the song we all look at the different colors we're wearing so that we are ready to stand up when a color that we are wearing is named.
If You're Wearing Red Today!
If you're wearing red today, red today, red today
If you're wearing red today, please STAND UP!
(we then talk about where the color is on their clothing before having a seat for the next color)
If you're wearing blue today, blue today, blue today
If you're wearing blue today, please STAND UP!
(repeat for all the different colors that children might be wearing that day)
Finally, we read "Mouse's First Halloween" before then moving on to our craft for the day, which was making our own Jack-O-Lanterns with different colored foam shapes and googly eyes!
Every week has a theme that we choose our books and craft on. For this week, the theme was "Ready for Fall!". Books are chosen based on age-appropriateness, length and quality of the story, illustrations, and how well we think the kids will respond and interact with the story. Our books this week were:
A New House for Mouse. By Petr Horacek
Before stortyime starts we have a playtime with puzzles, books, and toys. Coming to a storytime is not only a great oppurtunity for kids to socialize with each other, but for parents/caregivers as well! A few minutes before storytime starts, we clean up our toys together and select what color floor cushion we each want to sit on. We start every storytime with the same song, so children get into the routine of knowing of what to expect and settling into a storytime setting.
Welcome Song:
Wiggle your fingers, wiggle them so
Wiggle them high
Wiggle them low
Wiggle them left
Wiggle them right
Now wiggle them, wiggle them out of sight.
We then look at the covers of my books and see if we can guess what our theme for the week is about from talking about the titles and pictures from the covers.
Our first book was "Let it Fall", by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. This is a great book with colorful illustrations that talks about the different things there are to do in the fall, and the children made a lot of personal connections to it since they had also gone apple picking or to a harvest fair as well.
After reading a book we then transistion into a song, fingerplay, movement activity, or flannelboard activity. For this week, we did a flannelboard activity called "Little Mouse" where a little gray flannel mouse is hidden behind a different colored house every week. Using a flannelboard is a creative way to visually engage the children, hold their attention, and have them participate with you. They love it!
 |
| My Little Mouse flannelboard |
Little Mouse, little mouse, are you in the blue house?
(repeat the rhyme with the children for each color house until you find the mouse)
After our flannelboard, we read "A New House for Mouse" by Petr Horacek. This story is about a little mouse, a big apple, and finding just the right home for the both of them. We used a flannel apple for this story as well. Every time mouse took a nibble from his apple in the story, we took away a piece of our flannel apple too!
 | |
| Flannelboard for "A New House for Mouse" |
Then it was time for a movement activity so we did "Slow and Fast". This is a great activity for getting the wiggles and giggles out in between a story, and the kids have a blast seeing how fast and slow they can do the movements
Slow and Fast
Clap, clap, clap your hands as sloooowly as you can
Now clap, clap, clap your hands as quickly as you can!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers as sloooowly as you can
Now wiggle, wiggle your fingers as quickly as you can!
(repeat with different motions until you feel like the group is all wiggled out and ready for the next story!)
We then read Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington, followed by a movement song about colors called "If You're Wearing Red Today", sung to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?". Before starting the song we all look at the different colors we're wearing so that we are ready to stand up when a color that we are wearing is named.
If You're Wearing Red Today!
If you're wearing red today, red today, red today
If you're wearing red today, please STAND UP!
(we then talk about where the color is on their clothing before having a seat for the next color)
If you're wearing blue today, blue today, blue today
If you're wearing blue today, please STAND UP!
(repeat for all the different colors that children might be wearing that day)
 |
| A piece of art ready for the fridge! |
Monday, October 24, 2011
Halloween Crafts 'n Treats Party
Children and parents are
invited to drop-in for a crafting good time, complete with Halloween goodies
and treats! Crafts and refreshments will
be provided, and children are encouraged to come in costume.
To be held in the Middletown Public Library’s
Meeting Room from 2:00 – 4:00pm on Saturday, October 29th. For all
ages.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Reading Mermaid
The newest reading (and art!) inspiration for children at the library comes from the sea. Created by local children and paper artist Lisa May at Harborfest's community arts tent for children at the Newport Yachting Center on October 1st and 2nd, the Reading Mermaid is a beautiful papier-mâché sculpture adorned and festooned with seashells. It was thoughtfully donated to the library by Lisa May and Festival Fete, which sponsors locally grown art, food, and merriment.
Each Festival Fete arts festival features a community art project, such as the Mermaid, which is then donated to a local organization to be displayed and enjoyed by everyone. It's art by the people, for the people!
Each Festival Fete arts festival features a community art project, such as the Mermaid, which is then donated to a local organization to be displayed and enjoyed by everyone. It's art by the people, for the people!
Once Upon a Halloween
Once Upon a Halloween
with Diane Edgecomb
with Diane Edgecomb
Who: Appropriate for ages 4 and up.
When: Wednesday, October 26th at 3:30pm
Where: Middletown Public Library Meeting Room.
When: Wednesday, October 26th at 3:30pm
Where: Middletown Public Library Meeting Room.
Free tickets can be picked up in the Children's Department
or reserved by calling 846-1573.
What
would Halloween be without some chillin' tales for the spookiest time
of the year? Once Upon A Halloween is a fun-filled, Halloween event -
complete with a huge cauldron bubbling over with fog for the last
dramatic story! This family program contains some old chestnuts as well
as great new Halloween stories full of surprises.
All tales are
appropriate for family audiences and contain a well-rounded blend of
suspense and humor.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Storytime's Are Back On!
A new session of storytimes is revving up for October and November.
Playful Preschooler's Storytime
4-5 year olds on Tuesdays at 11am
Toddler Time
Storytimes consist of age-appropriate stories, songs, fingerplays, and rhymes, with a simple craft or snack. Toddlers can enjoy a playtime following storytime, while parents and caregivers socialize.
2-3 year olds on Thursdays at 11am
This 4 week session begins on October 20th and runs until November 10th.
Please call or visit the Children’s Department at 846-1573 to register for either of these free programs!
Register your 4-5 year olds for age-appropriate stories, songs, rhymes, and snacks or a simple craft. Storytimes
are followed by a playtime! Take this opportunity to connect with
other parents and caregivers while your child plays with new friends.
4-5 year olds on Tuesdays at 11am
This 4 week session begins on October 18th and runs until November 8th.
Toddler Time
Toddler Time is a special storytime for 2 and 3 year olds
with a parent or caregiver.
Storytimes consist of age-appropriate stories, songs, fingerplays, and rhymes, with a simple craft or snack. Toddlers can enjoy a playtime following storytime, while parents and caregivers socialize.
2-3 year olds on Thursdays at 11am
This 4 week session begins on October 20th and runs until November 10th.
Please call or visit the Children’s Department at 846-1573 to register for either of these free programs!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!
Today we are having a special pajama storytime to go hand-in-hand with our participation in Jumpstart's Read for the Record day this year. This year's book was Lllama Llama Red Pajama, by Anna Dewdney. All across the country, children, parents, teachers, and librarians joined together to all read the same book today to bring attention to early literacy, and to also hopefully break a reading record of having as many people as possible all reading the same book on the same day.
If you missed out, here is a great video of the author herself reading Llama Llama Red Pajama:
Another classic bedtime book we're reading today is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak:
We also read Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow, How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen, and Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed? by Barney Saltzberg.
Another great book to share at bedtime is Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
If you missed out, here is a great video of the author herself reading Llama Llama Red Pajama:
Another classic bedtime book we're reading today is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak:
We also read Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow, How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen, and Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed? by Barney Saltzberg.
Another great book to share at bedtime is Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)