“Letter R” preschool storytime

Opening Song
I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my ears. I wiggle my nose.
I wiggle my shoulders. I wiggle my chin.
I stretch my arms wide and pull them back in.
I wiggle my elbows. I wiggle my knees.
I hop like a bunny. I smile and say, “Cheese!”
Now I have no more wiggles left in me
And I sit on the floor as still as can be.
Source: Storytime with Jason

Alphabet Monster (with puppet)
I’m the Alphabet Monster
And nothing tastes better
To the Alphabet Monster
Than eating a letter.
Today I will eat an “R” if I may
With the million more letters
I munch every day.
I’m hungry now. What shall I do?
I think I’ll eat a “y” an “o” and a “u” . . . . . . That means YOU!
Source: Storyblocks (adapted)

Book – Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Song – Lunch Money – “Are You a Rabbit?”

A Ram Sam Sam
A ram sam sam
A ram sam sam
Guli guli guli guli guli
Ram sam sam
A rafi, a rafi,
Guli guli guli guli guli
Ram sam sam
Source: Storyblocks 

Book – Rah Rah Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre

Ravioli (Tune: Alouette)
Ravioli, ravioli,
Ravioli, that’s the stuff for me.
Do you have it on your sleeve?
Yes, I have it on my sleeve.
On your sleeve? On my sleeve.
Ra-vi-o-li…
(repeat with other body parts or articles of clothing. I printed and laminated small pictures of ravioli so that the kids could each use one during the song.)
Source: Apparently it’s an old camp song, but I found it at King County Library System.

Run (tune: Frere Jacques)
Run, run, run,
Run, run, run.
Hop, hop, hop,
Hop, hop, hop.
Tiptoe very quietly,
Tiptoe very quietly.
Then you stop
Then you drop!
KERPLOP!
Source: King County Library System

 Book – Rain by Manya Stojic
I used egg shakers for rain, bells for lightning, and a select few “mature” kids got rhythm sticks for thunder. 

Ring Them on the Floor (with the instruments I had passed out)
tune: “Jimmy Crack Corn”
Ring them in the air and
Ring them on the floor
(repeat two more times)
And ring them all day long.
Play them quiet and
Play them loud
(repeat two more times)
And play them all day long.
Source: Can’t seem to find where I got this from. If anyone knows, let me know so I can give credit!

Rain
Rain on the green grass.
(flutter hands down to the ground)
Rain on the tree. (arms up like branches)
Rain on the rooftop (fingers together over head to make peak of roof)
But NOT on me! (brush shoulders with fingers)
Source: King County Library System

Goodbye
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as high as we can
Good-bye! (in high, squeaky voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as low as we can
Good-bye! (in a deep voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as fast as we can
Good-bye! (very quick)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as slow as we can
Good-bye! (very slowly and drawn out)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as quiet as we can
Good-bye! (in a whisper)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as loud as we can
GOOD-BYE! (yelling)
Source: Jbrary

Early literacy tip:  R is for read-alouds! Children should not go to bed without the experience of being read to; even older children enjoy it. It doesn’t always have to be books, either! You can read a newspaper article, advertisement, or cereal box. Encourage children to say words they recognize!

• Teaching Early Literacy by Diane Barone et al

  Other books that could work
  Revenge of the Raccoons by Vivek Shraya and illustrated by Juliana Neufeld

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“Dear Zoo” yoga storytime

Opening – How I explain the rules of yoga storytime: stay on your mat and keep your hands to yourself.
(Skip to my Lou –  from Jim Gill)
Stomping feet, one and two
Stomping feet, one and two
But if my feet were covered in glue
I’d stick to the glue, my darling.

Clapping hands, one and two
Clapping hands, one and two
But if my hands were covered in glue
I’d stick to the glue, my darling
(hands in Anjali mudra, or prayer position)

Extend and Stretch
Frere Jacques
Extend and stretch (sit in sukasana – easy seated pose, or crisscross applesauce- and do seated side bends)
Extend and stretch
Twist and turn (seated twists)
Twist and turn
This is yoga, (hands overhead on “this,” then bring to prayer position on “yoga”)
This is yoga
Om sweet om, (hands in prayer, bow forward)
Om sweet om
Source: I got this from Kids Yoga Guide teacher training, but here is another from Be Grace Yoga 

Song: Kira Willey’s “The Shimmy“

Open the Book
Arms, legs, both
Close the book. Open the book. Turn the page.
Start seated with arms stretched out in front of you, palms touching. To “open the book,” stretch the arms wide. To close it, bring them back together. To “turn the page,” open just the right arm and close it, then the left arm and close it. Repeat “turning pages” until the kids giggle. Repeat the whole sequence using legs instead of arms. Then try arms and legs together. 

Book – Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
elephant – prasarita padottonasana with arms extended like elephant’s trunk. Make an elephant trumpet noise as you float forward.
giraffe – upward salute/urdhva hastasana
lion – lion’s breath
camel – ustrasana/camel pose
snake – cobra pose/bhujangasana
monkey – dance around like a monkey
frog – malasana/yoga squat and jump around
puppy – puppy pose into adho mukha svanasana/ downward facing dog. Wag your tail.

Song: “Dancing Bear” – Bari Koral Family Band

Hoberman Sphere breathing ball

Savasana This was a guided savasana. We thought about our favorite animals at the zoo and how some were fast and some took their time, how some were strong, and how some were soft, and how some were smart, and how we have all those qualities in ourselves too.

Peace begins with me
Hold both hands overhead. On the word “peace,” touch the thumbs and pinky fingers together. On the word “begins,” touch the thumbs and ring fingers. On the word “with,” touch the thumbs and middle fingers. On the word “me,” touch the thumbs and pointers. Repeat this four times, the first time loudly and hands overhead. The second time, bring the hands down a little and speak a little softer. The third time, bring hands lower and whisper. The last time, bring hands to knees and speak words silently to self.
Source: Kids Yoga Guide Teacher Training

Lion’s breath mask. I used streamers instead of construction paper for the mane, and I added a craft stick at the bottom for the kids to hold. Check out https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyogibrarian%2Fvideos%2F1017036694999888%2F&show_text=0&width=560“>this video!

Namaste!

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“Letter Q” preschool storytime

Opening Song
I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my ears. I wiggle my nose.
I wiggle my shoulders. I wiggle my chin.
I stretch my arms wide and pull them back in.
I wiggle my elbows. I wiggle my knees.
I hop like a bunny. I smile and say, “Cheese!”
Now I have no more wiggles left in me
And I sit on the floor as still as can be.
Source: Storytime with Jason

Alphabet Monster (with puppet)
I’m the Alphabet Monster
And nothing tastes better
To the Alphabet Monster
Than eating a letter.
Today I will eat a “Q” if I may
With the million more letters
I munch every day.
I’m hungry now. What shall I do?
I think I’ll eat a “y” an “o” and a “u” . . . . . . That means YOU!
Source: Storyblocks (adapted)

Book – Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood

What Begins with Q? (The Farmer in the Dell)
What begins with Q?
What begins with Q?
We all know.
We’ll tell you so.
What begins with Q?
Quack begins with Q…
Queen begins with Q…
Quiet begins with Q…
Source: Mother Reader

I’m a Little Patch Quilt
I’m a little patch quilt warm and nice
(Cross arms, hug self)
Cozy and snug in snow and ice
(Move hands down as if snow is falling)
When the winds start blowing cold outside (Blow and move hands from side to side in wind like motions)
Put me over your bed inside!
Source: King County Library System

Book – Quiet! There’s a Canary in the Library by Don Freeman 

Quietly
Quietly, quietly not a sound
I’m listening and I’m listening
As I look around
No sounds as I nod (nod)
No sounds as I clap (clap)
No sounds as I tap my hands on my lap (tap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap (stamp and clap)
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
Loudly, loudly, stamp and clap
All that noise, well fancy that!
Source: Library Meow

Song –Mr. Eric’s “Jumping Song”

Book – The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony

My Hat (while wearing some sort of silly hat)
On my head I wear my hat
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro
Where else should my silly hat go?
On my hands I wear my hat
It is such a quiet hat
That my hands don’t wiggle
They just go clap.
Then I rest them in my lap.
Source: King County Library System

Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hills and far away,
When mama duck said,
“Quack, quack, quack,”
Four Little ducks came running back.
Four …Three… Two…One little duck…
No little ducks went out to play,
Over the hills and far away,
When mother duck said
“QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!”
Five little ducks came running back.
Source: Traditional but here’s a video from King County LIbrary System

Goodbye
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as high as we can
Good-bye! (in high, squeaky voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as low as we can
Good-bye! (in a deep voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as fast as we can
Good-bye! (very quick)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as slow as we can
Good-bye! (very slowly and drawn out)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as quiet as we can
Good-bye! (in a whisper)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as loud as we can
GOOD-BYE! (yelling)
Source: Jbrary

Early literacy tip:  Q is for quotes from a text! A family member and a child get a notebook and vertically fold each page in half to make 2 columns. Together, select favorite quotes from a book and write these in the left column. In the right column, write your responses – how it made you feel, or something silly like a nonsensical sentence that rhymes. Share the quotes and responses with another family member. This helps the child learn to respond to a book and to appreciate other perspectives.

• Teaching Early Literacy by Diane Barone et al

 

 

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Spirals!

May’s Little Ones event was a celebration of spirals. (The yogini in me said I was teaching sacred geometry to little ones, but shhh, no one noticed.)

We observed the spirals made from 2-liters and tornado tubes. 

We cut spirals out to make whirlygig friends, like in this post from Library Makers. (Seriously – SO many good ideas from them!)

We played with sea shells and pine cones in play-doh. (Again, Library Makers.)

 

We used onions and our thumbprints to make snails like this post from Fun Handprint Art.

We developed fine motor skills placing bingo chips on the spiral on the light table, like this post from Reggio Children Inspired.

Finally, I was going to set up a version of the game SNAIL (also known as French hopscotch), but, to be completely honest, I was being lazy and didn’t feel like taping the floor that much. 😉 Instead I copied Library Makers AGAIN and just taped down a spiral in which the kiddos were to walk on the straight lines and hop on the dotted lines.

 

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