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Show Me a Story
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Rachel in Activities, Crafts, StorytellingTelling stories is one important aspect of early literacy. Show Me a Story by Emily Neuburger, a new book in our Parent’s Shelf collection, is full of good ideas to prompt children young and old to participate in storytelling. This would be a great resource for parents to use with their preschoolers, for people who [...]
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Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
Posted on September 22, 2012 by Children's Department Staff in Books & Reading, Letters & WritingWhen her owners are out of cat food Bad Kitty is fed an atrocious variety of fruits and vegetables. The book tells us all the horrid, healthy foods that Bad Kitty has to eat, and then all the terrible things that she does to show her displeasure—one for each letter of the alphabet. Then Bad [...]
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Muddy Dog Song
Posted on September 11, 2012 by Children's Department Staff in Rhymes & SongsChildren love pretending to be animals, and this song will get them wiggling just like a frisky little puppy! I’ve used this song in bathtime and pet-themed preschool storytimes. Try it out at home with your wiggly little ones, too! The Muddy Dog Song (Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat) Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your body [...]
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Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
Posted on September 10, 2012 by Children's Department Staff in Books & ReadingSix-Dinner Sid is one of my favorite pet books. Sid reminds me of a few “stray” neighborhood cats I’ve known. Somehow they managed to stay plump and sleek despite having no official home. Sid is like that. He lives at number one Aristotle Street. Also number two, number three, number four, number five and number [...]
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Paper bag puppets
Posted on September 5, 2012 by Jennifer in Crafts, StorytellingAnimal stories can easily be acted out using simple paper bag puppets, which is also a really fun craft. The website abcteach.com has some cute paper bag puppet patterns you can print for free. Paper bags are inexpensive, and children may learn some new fine motor skills when they figure out how to move their [...]
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The Princess and the Pea
Posted on August 30, 2012 by Children's Department Staff in Activities, Books & ReadingFirst read a traditional version of the story. After reading a traditional version of The Princess and the Pea try out an alternate telling, like The Very Smart Pea and the Princes-to-Be by Mini Grey, The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson, or The Penguin and the Pea by Janet Perlman. [...]
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The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken by Helen Lester
Posted on August 30, 2012 by Children's Department Staff in Activities, Books & Reading, StorytellingYou wouldn’t normally think a wizard, a fairy, and a chicken would be in the same story, but if it’s a fairy tale, anything goes! This fun book tells the story of these three magical creatures, each trying to outdo the other. I saw this story performed by a storyteller, and I immediately wanted to [...]
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Nursery rhymes
Posted on August 23, 2012 by Jennifer in Rhymes & SongsSaying or singing classic nursery rhymes with your child is a great way to enhance literacy skills. When they are very young, they hear the rhythm and rhyme of the words and love the bonding time with their parent or teacher. At the preschool stage, they are soaking in even more early literacy skills. They [...]
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Exploring Cultures Through Fairytales & Folklore
Posted on August 13, 2012 by Grace in Books & ReadingFolktales are a wonderful way to introduce your children to cultural heritages from around the world. Many cultures have developed the same basic stories but the details are often different, reflecting their specific traditions and lifestyle. A fun way to start exploring is to read Cinderella tales from around the world. You can ask your [...]
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Three Billy Goats Gruff
Posted on August 7, 2012 by Jennifer in StorytellingThis works well with a small group of school age kids, but could be adapted for other sizes/ages. Supplies needed – two dry erase boards or posterboard, some markers, 3 billy goat and 1 troll puppets/masks or some kind of representation, and a copy of the well-known fairy tale “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” I like [...]
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