Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Letter D Storytime! Ducks on bikes, Dinosaurs at the library, dancing hippos, and hot dogs!

This morning we had a great turnout of 13 or so for Letter D storytime. I was really excited about this one. It featured three of my all time favorite authors, Karma Wilson, Bob Shea, and David Shannon.

We always start our storytimes with the ABC action song/dance from the Heidisongs DVD. This is the fourth time we've played it and the kiddos are really starting to remember all the moves. It's so much fun getting their brains and bodies warmed up at the same time.

Afterwards I sing "We're all here" to the tune of Skip to my lou.
Here, Here. We're all here!
Here, Here. We're all here!
Here, here. We're all here!
We're here at storytime!


Hello ___________. How are you?
Hello ___________. How are you?
Hello ___________. How are you?
I'm glad you're here today.

Put a child's name in the blank space and repeat for all kids at storytime.

I always then pull out my "Magic Hat" The hat contains the letters for the week and clues to each story that we are going to read. I always chant:
Magic Hat, we are here to play!
Show me what letter we will learn today!


I pull the letter magnets out of the hat and stick them on my whiteboard. We go over the name of the letter and what sound it makes. I also throw in the Zoophonics motions and friends to give them a jump on Kindergarten. I can't get out of my education wheelhouse!

Then I ask the magic hat to tell me what we would read about today. I pulled out a dancing hula girl for the first item. I sounded the word G-G-girl and told the kids that that wasn't the sound that D makes. Then I made here dance and said that the magic hat must want me to read about d-d-dancing. So I read "Hilda Must Be Dancing" By Karma Wilson.

I really enjoyed this book, however it received a mild reaction from the kids. I tried to ham up the silliness of Hilda's clothes, but I don't think they were buying it.

Then we did the nest Heidisongs DVD Letter D song.

Trace the letters in the air as you sing. Jump and clap on the D!
I've got a great big tummy. I'm a capital D. D!
I've got a great big tummy . I'm a capital D. D!
I've got a great big tummy. I'm a capital D. D!
D-d-d-d-d-D.


A circle, a big stick and that's a little d. d!
A circle, a big stick and that's a little d. d!
A circle, a big stick and that's a little d. d!
D-d-d-d-d-D.


Put your hands out in a shrug. Jump and clap on the D!
Do you, oh do you, oh do remember D. D!
Do you ,oh do you, oh do remember D. D!
Do you , oh do you, oh do remember D. D!
D-d-d-d-d-D! D!


The next item out of the magic hat was an inflatable dinosaur that I had down in the basement. I pulled it out deflated from the hat and blew it up for the kids. Most of them were gripped by the suspense. One little one tried to back outta there! I felt bad. Her mom couldn't stop laughing. Poor peanut! She felt better after it was blown up and we read "Dinosaur Vs. The Library" by Bob Shea. I adore his Dinosaur series. It conveys preschool utter confidence, but at the same time the timidity when approaching something new. I think he gets the preschool alternating invincible/vulnerable perfectly. The kids just like to roar along with Dinosaur.

Our next song was We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner. What can I say? You don' t miss with Laurie.

Our last item out of the hat was a quacking Duck Plushie. We read "Duck On a Bike" by David Shannon. The kids loved the silliness and we did a great prediction at the end. We had a great time. Next we sang our goodbye song before craft time. We sing "We wave goodbye like this". To the tune of "The farmer in the dell". When we sing, I wave in 2 or 3 different silly ways.

We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends
we wave goodbye like this.

This was a fun, easy going, relaxed story time. Outside of our dinosaur incident, all the kids enjoyed the stories, making their crafts, and shaking it up with us here at the library.

Mr. Mike

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