Storytime is the Heart and Soul of the Library To many people, storytime and libraries go hand-in-hand. But surprisingly many new parents don’t know about the storytime programs available at their…
There are a lot of things that go into a successful storytime, but planning is a huge part. Whether you are doing a storytime with kids at a library or in your classroom, having a plan in your mind beforehand will eliminate those engagement killing moments where you putz with a CD player or ponder […]
Best Storytime Ideas for Preschoolers Do you have daily storytime with a classroom of kids? Do you run story time at your library? Do you just enjoy reading stories and doing book inspired activities and songs with your child? If you answered YES to any of these questions then these ideas are for you! Our […]
DON'T worry if your child isn't paying attention to the book, and DO turn off your phone. Essential library story time tips for parents and caregivers.
Starting Friday, September 8, the Doylestown District Center Library will offer Sensory Storytimes. This program is ideal for preschool children who are differently abled, may be on the autism spectrum, have sensory processing issues, or feel overwhelmed by noises or crowds. If your child has difficulty sitting through a traditional storytime, this inclusive program of […]
Storytimes in libraries and other community learning opportunities are viewed as critical components of young children’s preparation to enter school.
This is a list of nearly 20 picture books that teach the value of the library and/or reading. Each of these is highly recommended by myself, a children's librarian. I have included full page spreads, plots, and comments to help you choose your favorites! The Not So Quiet Library (Zachariah Ohora) Oskar and Theodore are excited to share a quiet Saturday at the library, when all the sudden they are interrupted by a noisy five-headed monster! It seems the monster thought the library was a buffet, b
Here’s another Book Babies plan! This was the plan for September, 2023. Instead of doing a prop this month, we got up and did some dancing with our little ones! At first, it felt a little awk…
Our fall session for storytime begins at the end of September, but with Labor Day weekend coming up and fall programming beginning soon after, I know I have to get in gear and started planning for my storytimes. This fall I’ll be offering a toddler storytime for children ages 2 – 3.5 years old with their parents and caregivers as well as a parachute storytime opportunity for a wider range of children ages 2 – 5 with their parent or caregiver. Sometimes I feel like parents think I just pull a few books off the shelf, grab some CDs and head into storytime, but they don’t realize that my planning is in depth – I think about childhood development, literature and illustrations, movement activities, fine motor skills, and so many other things. Storytime planning really is so much more than just books. 1.) To start my planning, I first create a list of books that I want to look at to see if they would fit for my program – sometimes I focus on themes, others times I choose books because I know they’ll be a big hit but have nothing in common with each other. This is how I normally begin, sometimes though I’ll head straight to the shelves and start browsing too. 2.) After I have a good list of books, I find them all and start going through them one-by-one. Checking for length, language, diversity, level of excitement, etc. Sometimes, I’ll know right away it’s not going to work, others I try and figure out ways to make it work – cutting out a few pages, creating a flannelboard or adding a puppet or musical instrument and sometimes you find the perfect book that will work just right! (Just like Goldilocks!) 3.) After I’ve read through my books, I start organizing them for each week I’ll use them, I usually read three books in each storytime and each session has six weeks, so I need at least 18 solid choices. I try and pair longer stories with shorter ones, really interactive books with less interactive books and so on. 4.) Once I’ve figured out what books are scheduled for each week, I begin adding in the transitions, opening, closing, musical instruments, flannel board, extension activities. I think the hardest part for me is figure out music, for whatever reason, I have the hardest time finding music to go with my storytime. Songs need to be not too long, directions sometimes help, and even though I usually play music off an iPod, I still feel better if I know most of the words to sing along too. During this stage I also think about what to tell the parents to encourage early literacy education and skills at home. 5.) Finally, it’s all about practice, reading books out loud, listening to the songs, practicing flannel boards rhymes. I’ve done back-to-back storytimes and the second one (usually) runs more smoothly than the first, just because you can see how the books work with the kids and what you need to do to adjust it.
These guides are adaptable, and designed to meet you and your family right where you are.
This storytime was for a visiting preschool class here at my library, after a tour of the building. I wanted to educate them on all things library! Read Aloud Books Read It, Don't Eat It!Written and illustrated by by Ian Schoenherr Now you have the book, what should you do with it? A list of rules in a way, but with a fantastic rhythm and rhyme scheme. It was the perfect way to talk about how we treat our books at the library. We Are in a Book! Written and illustrated by Mo Willems A reader is reading us! How fun! But what will happen when the book ends?? Yes, yes, I found another reason to use my favorite book. It's cute and hilarious. The kids enjoyed it. And it makes sense with the flannel I chose today. Book! Book! Book!Written by Deborah Bruss, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke The animals on the farm are bored! When they see a bunch of happy people coming from the library, they decide to try it out. So this one is just sort of silly, but it did get some chuckles at the end. Songs & Rhymes Hello Song Song: If You're a Reader (Tune: If you're happy and you know it) If you're a reader and you know it, clap your hands If you're a reader and you know it, clap your hands If you're a reader and you know it, and you really want to show it If you're a reader and you know it, clap your hands And because we read Book, Book, Book... Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm Goodbye Song Games & Activities Felt: Where's Piggie? Craft: Bookmarks Credit due to Storytime Katie, which is where I found the link to Elizabeth Dulemba's clipart, but here's the bookmark the kids got to color at the end. They also got some old Summer Reading Program stickers and colored pencils. It was well-received. Other Book Ideas Amelia Bedelia's First Library CardWritten by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril Curious George Visits the LibraryWritten by H. A. & Margret Rey, illustrated by Martha Weston The Boy Who Was Raised by LibrariansWritten by Carla Morris, illustrated by Brad Sneed
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Using interactive picture books in a storytime is a great way to energize your program. It doesn’t just make books more fun, it’s also educational. For younger groups, it creates body…
Can we talk a little about program structure? I've read countless professional reference books about storytime and most of them recomme...
Today we had a bubble themed story time for our toddlers and we had so much fun! We read Rabbit Ears by Amber Stewart, Who’s in the Tub? by Sylvie Jones, and Bubble Trouble by Joy N. Hulme. Rabbit Ears is about a little bunny who doesn’t want to wash his ears until he realizes that in order to grow up and stay at his cousin’s house, he needs to learn how to wash his ears. Who’s in the Tub? is about a little boy who is hesitant to get in the tub for his bath, but once he’s finally in, he’s having too much fun to get out! And Bubble Trouble is a quick Easy Reader that talks about blowing bubbles and how they POP! We also sang 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (a crowd favorite among the toddlers) and we shook our Shaker Eggs to the music of the Rubber Duckie song from Sesame Street. I also taught two American Sign Langauge , signs to the kids today the sign for “bubbles” and the sign for “bath.” After we read all of our stories, I blew bubbles for the kids for a few minutes. It was absolutely adorable to see them having so much fun with the bubbles! I forget how much fun something so simple could be!
I have gotten lots of questions over the last few months from many people about how I plan my storytimes. The questions have been both on-line and in real life. Some of the people were other Children's Librarians. Some were young Parents, new and veteran Preschool Teachers, Caregivers, and some were even ~ surprise! ~ Teen Volunteers! I thought this week I would walk you through one way I might plan a storytime. I say, "one way" because there are many ways to do it! Too many to even fathom! No one way is best. What works for one person doesn't always work for someone else. That being said, please take my thoughts and suggestions and tweak them to your own style and purpose. Only use what is helpful to you! That is exactly what I do. :-) Each of my storytime plans might be laid out and ready to go but I am always tweaking it ~ many times at the very last minute ~ to make it the best it can be for each individual group. In my opinion, the MOST important thing ~ without question ~ about planning ANY storytime is to OWN IT! Make it fit you and your style of doing things. Make it fit so well that if any issues come up ~ as they always do ~ you can just roll with the flow and make it to the end with a smile on your face. This week I decided to do something about Springtime. March 20th is officially the first day of Spring so this is the perfect week to talk about all the signs of Spring. Once I decided on the Springtime theme, I started searching for books about Spring. Since I have been doing this for such a looooong time, I already have an extensive list of wonderful books on this topic. But... I always like to search for new books. I often visit several sites during my search for an appropriate book but I usually start and end with my county's library catalog. Then I expand out to the websites for Amazon, B&N, Scholastic, and many different publishers. Once I find a few titles that seem to fit, I return to the library catalog to see if I can find the books at my library or at other libraries within my area. I do a lot of requesting! Having the books sent to me can take from a few days to a week or so ~ that is one reason why I start my planning early! (Btw, that is a good tip! Start planning early!) For this week, I have chosen a book from a series that is one of my storytime families' favorites. The series is written by Lauren Thompson and the book is: Mouse's First Spring After I choose the book that I will be featuring, I read through it again. Sometimes I read through it several times. As I read, I make mental notes of songs, fingerplays, creative movement activities, and flannel or magnetic board stories that I already have access to. (I choose these items a little later in my planning process.) Let me try to quickly take you through my thoughts about ideas to go with Mouse's First Spring. (If I was doing this for the first time, I would jot down my thoughts, in a notebook or a word document on the computer, as they came to me.) The book is about a little Mouse who is experiencing his first Spring with his Mother at his side. The first thing I notice in the book is that it is a "windy spring day". So I might jot down "windy". Do I have any songs or fingerplays about the wind? What can I do to help the children remember that it is a windy day in our story? As I read on, I realize that the wind is a recurring "character" in our book. Hmmm... the wind always goes "whoosh!" when it blows. Perfect! Maybe we could make the "whoosh!" sound together each time it appears. And what about a sweeping motion to involve our large motor skills? Sounds good! We'll do that! We'll sweep our arms across our bodies and up into the air as we say "whoosh!" each time. Is there anything else that is repetitive in the story? Yes, there is. Mouse sees many signs of Spring. He wonders, "What can it be?", each time he sees something new. Can I get the little ones at storytime to repeat that with me? Maybe we could hold our hands up and shrug as we say it. Each time Mouse wonders. "What can it be?" then Momma always says "Look!" and names the thing they see that is a sign of Spring. Since we work on sign language at my storytimes maybe I'll throw in the ASL sign for "look" and the ASL sign for each thing that Mouse and Momma see. That is a good beginning! I might even think about adding in color signs when it is appropriate. As I continue to read through the book, I would jot down each new thing that Mouse wonders about. There is a butterfly, a snail, a bird, a frog, a worm, and a flower. Oh! And a hug and kiss from Momma at the end! Each of these things could be added to my list so that I could think about any learning activities that might fit in with the story and help connect the child with the book. Before we move on to other storytime items, I have a couple more thoughts about the presentation of the book. As each new creature is introduced, the wind comes along and whooshes it away. For instance, the snail "hid away" and the frog "hopped away". So maybe I could encourage the children to wave "good-bye" to each creature as they leave ~ just one more way to engage the children with the words and the illustrations in the book. Now all of this could seem overwhelming if you haven't been doing storytimes very long or if you haven't shared this book before. I would suggest writing down your ideas and then picking and choosing which ones you are most comfortable with. Try one or two and then add more as you become more comfortable with sharing the book. Also, I have found that some ideas are appropriate for some groups and not for others. If I have my ideas all written down or tucked away in my mind, then they are there for me when the time is right to use them. PLEASE do not think that you need to use every idea that you come across or that you come up with on your own when reading your book and planning your storytimes. Each storytime should be unique to you and your group. All the ideas that others offer or you think up yourself might be wonderful but if you tried to use them all or tried to use any outside your comfort level then you might have a less-than-successful storytime! Don't stress yourself with too much! I only do what I am comfortable with at that particular moment ~ even if I did more at yesterday's storytime. I don't let the success of one storytime dictate what I will do at a repeat storytime. Sometimes a group is just not ready for a particular song or activity. My next step, for this particular book, is to take the list of signs for Spring and start fleshing out the rest of my storytime ~ starting with another book or two. Is there another book that goes well with this one? Maybe another book about Spring such as Splish, Splash, Spring by Jan Carr or an even simpler one like It's Spring! by Samantha Berger Or you can take your next book choice into a totally different direction by choosing a book based on one of the signs of Spring in the featured book, Mouse's First Spring. For instance, you could choose a butterfly book, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or a book about lots of different butterflies like Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert or a frog book such as Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan or a bird book like BIRDS by Kevin Henke Whew! Trying to share my planning process is more difficult and wordy than I imagined. :-/ It is even more difficult than just doing the planning itself! LOL! Looks like I'll need to stop here and share my next steps for planning this storytime in a second and maybe even third post. One thing I haven't even mentioned is all the DIFFERENT ways you can present a book besides holding it up and reading it ~ although often times that is the best way to share a book. This particular book could be done as a puppet show or as a flannel or magnetic board story. I am hoping to share my version of it for Flannel Friday Round-up this week. (I'll link it here when it is posted on Friday.) I hope this has been somewhat helpful for you! I also hope that you will come back to read the rest of my planning process. Please feel free to share any of your own thoughts on what I have written so far. Do you have a different way of starting your planning? If so, please share. Do you have other book titles to share that you might choose for this theme? I'd love to hear about them. Honestly, the possibilities for ANY storytime are endless! And you really can't go wrong as long as you ~ OWN IT! As always, HAPPY READING TOGETHER!
An early literacy librarian discusses what a stretchy band is, and how to use a stretchy band in storytime. Ideas include music, stories, and motions.
Learn simple ways to make your storytime more inclusive to a diversity of learners.
PDF files from Guybrarian to you > feel free to print + share + spread the silliness! PDF > FELT BOARD STORY: Ten Little Candles PDF > FELT BOARD STORY: Little Mouse PDF > FINGER PLAY: …
Are you creating fall and winter programs at the library? Are you ready to make snow flakes, dance at a pumpkin party or swim like a fish in the ocean? I spoke with Sheila, Community Librarian at Deschutes Public Library. She shared her favorite theme songs for library programs and storytimes. Paige: What are your favorite children’s albums for programming? Sheila: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem and More Salutes to Nonsense by Jim Gill, Only One Ocean by Banana Slug String Band, The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band by Laurie Berkner Band and Season Sings! by Carole Stephens Paige: Do you have a favorite musical instrument for storytime? Sheila: Rhythm Sticks! I like to use the rhythm sticks because you can do so much with them. Tapping out sounds and syllables. You can tap on the ground or above your head to make different sounds. Try marching and tapping – you can create all kinds of good sounds....
Now, I recognize that many caregivers who come to storytime are just as uninformed about how to get the most out of storytime as I was when I first started.
Storytime is the premium service for children in public libraries across the country. For many youth librarians, it's the most treasured part of their job. A storytime veteran shares her best practices.
Want to offer programming for the youngest patrons? Here's a simple lesson plan for hosting a baby storytime @ your library!
May library lessons can still be fun and engaging as we review library concepts and get ready for summer reading!
Here’s another Book Babies plan! This was the plan for September, 2023. Instead of doing a prop this month, we got up and did some dancing with our little ones! At first, it felt a little awk…
Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put…
There’s just something about spring that makes me want to do stories about colors! And the retelling of White Rabbit’s Color Book is kind of magical. A “color” storytime is …
Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put…
Here’s another Book Babies plan! This was the plan for September, 2023. Instead of doing a prop this month, we got up and did some dancing with our little ones! At first, it felt a little awk…
This one is kinda like my opposite storytime, which I’ll write about later, but talking about size is another easy theme. And talking about perception is a great way for kiddos to learn abou…
What do you do when you’ve got a storytime crowd full of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and maybe even a few school-age kids too? This, my friends, is the beauty of a mixed-age storytime. At my library we call them Family Storytimes. Family storytimes are great because they allow caregivers with multiple children to bring them... Continue reading Mixed-Aged Storytimes
May library lessons can still be fun and engaging as we review library concepts and get ready for summer reading!
Hello everyone! We hope you are all excited for Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen! Leanna and I have put together a bunch of fun activities and crafts for the little ones. Starting on Monday, September 21, the kits will be available to pick up for our online storytime. "Library Lion" by Michelle Knudsen Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what t
I visit 4 classrooms a few times of year at our Intermediate Unit (which for those of you outside of PA – is a state-wide program for young children with disabilities. In the morning I see a three classrooms and in the afternoon I see four classrooms – each with a different disability focus, so it can be difficult to choose books as I only do two storytimes in the morning and afternoon, the classrooms just come together for the program. This morning, the kids absolutely loved telling the pigeon “yes,” it took me most of the book to convince the kids we should be saying “no!” The kids also LOVED Bananas Unite, which I learned from Jbrary, even non-verbal kids were interested in the beat and rhythm of the song. I’m hoping the kids have just as much fun this afternoon (this is an older group, so I change my books a little)! Storytime Plan Opening: “Open Shut Them” Puppet Meet & Greet: Meet Tortuga (turtle puppet) Book 1: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems / Windblown by Edouard Manceau iPad Transition: Felt Board (https://anneslibrarylife.wordpress.com/tag/jungle/)“I went to the jungle one day, jungle one day, jungle one day.Who did I see along the way? FROG! (frog, monkey, alligator, parrot)I went to the jungle one day, jungle one day, jungle one day.I met a frog along the way and this is what he did say – RIBIT!” Book 2: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis / Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems Transition: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” Wiggles: “Bananas Unite” (http://jbrary.com/toddler-storytime-songs-get-wiggles/)“Bananas UnitePeel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas,Chop bananas, chop, chop bananas,Chop bananas, chop, chop bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas,Eat bananas, eat, eat bananasEat bananas, eat, eat bananasGo, BANANAS!!!!!” Book 3: The Splendid Spotted Snake by Betty Schwartz Closing: “The Wheels on the Bus” with hand motions
Here’s another Book Babies plan! This was the plan for September, 2023. Instead of doing a prop this month, we got up and did some dancing with our little ones! At first, it felt a little awk…
Here’s another Book Babies plan! This was the plan for September, 2023. Instead of doing a prop this month, we got up and did some dancing with our little ones! At first, it felt a little awk…
Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put…
Before we get started with this theme, I have a question for readers! Would it be helpful for me to post my rhyme/song sheets? These are 11×17″ (tabloid size) sheets that I print and put…
The Library Adventure uses affiliate links, see our policies for more information.National Library Week is April 10-16, 2016. To celebrate, share some of these wonderful songs about books, libraries, and reading with the preschoolers in your life! Not only will they reinforce the importance of libraries, but they will also help strengthen your little ones’ […]
Best Storytime Ideas for Preschoolers Do you have daily storytime with a classroom of kids? Do you run story time at your library? Do you just enjoy reading stories and doing book inspired activities and songs with your child? If you answered YES to any of these questions then these ideas are for you! Our […]
Want to offer programming for the youngest patrons? Here's a simple lesson plan for hosting a baby storytime @ your library!
I have generally not repeated storytime themes, (at a single library – I have repeated themes I did at my old job!) EXCEPT for my Feeling Thankful theme, which I’ve done every November …
