Baby Program Outline and Two New

Click on "Baby Programs, under 2 years" on the right to access two of my newest programs for babies.

I've definitely found an outline I am comfortable with:

1) More We Get Together opening song while sharing the book

2) Hello Friends to learn names and have babies tap their name on tamborine (Phono awareness!)

3) Rhyme -- I like the one where I can swap out the letters or numbers and show my big foam ones, or maybe a counting one with felt pieces or toys to count as well as fingers

4) Book with props, particularly stuffed animals or puppets than can touch or tickle the babies or move in ways that get their attention as we repeat the animal's name, or toys that make sound and enforce story

5) Rhyme -- bounce or tickle or one where different body parts are named and moved in different ways

6) Music CD with shakers or scarves or bubbles which invite moving and dancing

7) Happy and You Know It as closing rhyme

6 New Baby Programs

Click on the "Baby Programs" link on the right to access the Google Docs of six new programs --
From oldest to newest:

 Letter K -- letter knowledge focus

 Bit by Bit -- focus on fun (laughing, makine sounds, playing)

 Summer Fun -- focus on fun (laughing, makine sounds, playing)

 Up and Down -- vocab/repetition focus

 Count -- conversation focus

 Fun and Shapes -- letter knowledge focus

5 Programs for Babies Ages 0-2

Yikes! Been awhile since I posted ... Here are the baby programs I've done the last few months, with the most recent program first. They are also available on the right hand side link under "Youth Services Programs and Resources."

Baby Program: Right-Left ... Up&Down ... Run, Run, Run!

Gotta Move: Noises in the Night

For summer, we grouped the babies, toddlers, and preschoolers into this multi-age, early literacy program. 

We asked the babies to sit in the front, and during the program, provided modified movements for caregivers to do for the babies.  For example, for Wee Willie Winkie, we encouraged the parents to move the babies' feet and lift and lower them on "upstairs" and "downstairs."

I introduced the program by saying, "Let's have fun, be active, and get ready to read!"

I used an iPad to project a sun, a sunset, and a moon scene on a screen (via a VGA adapter and VGA cable) as we repeated Wee Willie Winkie and changed the time on a toy clock from 8 to 9 to 10 o'clock. 

We used puppets/props along with physical/animal motions during Little Owl's Night.

I ended up using the cricket vs. grasshopper activity as my "waiting activity" -- waiting for everyone to come in and get settled before actually starting the program.

ASL and Nursery Rhymes

Are you familiar with Kathy MacMillan's incorporation of sign language into library storytimes? http://kathymacmillan.com/

What about pairing this rhyme with "Itsy Bitsy Spider" ... even in baby programs?

http://youtu.be/3I7ZvXPxvHk

What about using the following signs as you present "Jack Be Nimble" to babies and toddlers?  Even if they aren't making the signs themselves, the motion will keep their focus on you as the presenter:

http://youtu.be/cS_XURvuMQA

(Having trouble emedding the videos ... Please follow the links.)

Baby Programs : Letters, Shapes, and Print Awareness

For the sitters, I used large, soft, magnetic letters to introduce "B-A-B-Y" and felt shapes to do the feltboard house. They were captivated by how I used my voice and moved the letters and pieces. For example, during the feltboard house, I modified the rhyme a bit to repeat the names of the shapes and allow me to let each child have an up close view of the shape: "Start with a square, a square, a square, a square, a square, a square right there!"



For the older babes, I had a soft, toy fire truck with the word "fire truck" stitched into the side. I went around to each child and pointed to the word. While reading My Car, I also went around the half circle, pointing to the word "gas" written in the illustrations.

Baby Programs : Vocabulary in Music

I used photos of babies dressed in fruit costumes cut from an old calendar for the mag board pieces.

Baby Programs for Sitters and Walkers (Phonological Awareness)

I've now bought a few of the Audubon, authentic sound making stuffed birds:





When I played on the recorder, the parents actually stepped up and sang out! (Hooray for plans working!)

Technology for Babies

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Apptivity-Case/dp/B004UU9W78/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1319233157&sr=8-12

Thoughts?

Baby Programs for Lapsitters (Talk) and Walkers (Sing)

This is the first time I've used Microsoft Publisher for my baby program handouts. I did not include our standard opening, middle, and closing song. Since I know I'll be doing the baby programs this week and for the next two weeks, too, I'm planning some additional overlap.

Next week we'll do "I'm a Little Teapot" without the book. Also, the cloth pieces I'll use for "Mary Had a Little Lamb" this week have reflective moon/star/planet stickers; I'll use the sticker side of them for a "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" prop next week. The kids will get to play with them two weeks in a row. (Like other libraries, we do a 15-20 minute program followed by a half hour of free play (parent socialization!) for all.)

I've also planned ahead to have the "Walkers" try to bring a stuffed animal with them next week so we can do "Tiptoe Teddy Bear" or other such music and movement songs. Of course, I'll have extras on hand for those who need to borrow one.

Also, LOVE this new album of lullabies; it even has a male singing some! It's pricey and hard to get via Amazon, but individual songs are available to download from iTunes:

Baby Program for Walkers

This program differed from my baby time for lapsitters in the following ways.  I used a book to reinforce our opening song "The More We Get Together."  The "Thank You" rhyme and "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" circle time song were used to encourage the little ones' independent mobility.  I also used a CD for our standard middle song ("The Noble Duke of York") which changed up the song's pace: fast--slow--fast.

Babies: Lapsitters (Play and Print Awareness Tip)

After much consideration, we've divided our baby program into "Lapsitters" and "Walkers."  With baby programs, I try to include four or five types of rhymes/songs from the following catageories:

clapping
nursery rhyme
tickle
diaper ditty
bounce/slide
name game
body parts/toy vocab
lullaby

I try to use visual aids for one or two of the rhymes and always present one board book.  In this case, I am doing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" as a sticky board story and am using a crow stuffed/sound making animal for the "Jump a Little Crow."

 

Below is the lapsitters program focusing on the play and print awareness early literacy skills.  It is also available to download from "Baby Programs" in the side bar on the right.

Baby Program : Creating Rich Environments

The embedded PDF below is available for download by clicking on "Baby Programs" under the "Youth Services Programs and Resources" heading in the upper right hand corner of this blog: http://librarieslearnlead.blogspot.com/


On the back side, I printed page one from this section on ZerotoThree.org: http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/sharing-books-with-babies.html

Babies: Motions Have Meaning

The embedded PDF below is available for download by clicking on "Baby Programs" under the "Youth Services Programs and Resources" heading in the upper right hand corner of this blog: http://librarieslearnlead.blogspot.com/



On the back of this handout, I printed the first page of Zero To Three: Playing with Babies: http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/play/playing-with-babies.html

Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina

EXERCISE | Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
SURVIVAL | Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
WIRING | Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
ATTENTION | Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.
SHORT-TERM MEMORY | Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
LONG-TERM MEMORY | Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
SLEEP | Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
STRESS | Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.
SENSORY INTEGRATION | Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
VISION | Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
GENDER | Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
EXPLORATION | Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

 from http://www.brainrules.net/about-brain-rules

Here are some others (pulled from the "Brain Rules" list after the book's contents page) that are ECRR related.  They will fit nicely on a programming handout:

Face Time, Not Screen Time (print motivation -- bonding)
Praise Effort, not IQ (print motivation -- positive experiences)
Guided Play, Every Day ECRR 2 Anyone?  (narrative and vocabulary skills -- talk about what you are doing)
The Brain Craves Community (narrative, vocabulary, print motivation -- talking to and being around others)
Labeling Emotions Calms Big Feelings (narrative and vocabulary skills -- talking about issues and labeling things)

Mem Fox on Reading to Babies (Quote)

"The best time to start reading aloud to a baby is the day it is born.  The lilting rhythm of a simple bedtime book on that first thrilling, exhausting day is soothing for the tremulous parents and the new child and adds to the bonding between them.  It gives them something to "talk about" together."

From Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children 
Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox.

Babies: Share Music

As one can see, I'm including more "performance" pieces for this baby program. 

For example, I played "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on a toy keyboard to further emphasize how music helps children hear the smaller sounds that create words BECAUSE these syllables/sounds/phonemes usually occur on different musical notes.  I hope to eventually make a musical staff poster with this tune, so parents can understand the concept visually.

I also did the unfolding portion of a simple cut and tell nursery rhyme while the audience clapped the syllables.  I hope to soon post a video demonstration of this -- my version of Jean Stangl's in Paper Stories.

Click here if embedded document does not display.

Baby Program: Point to Print

If the embedded image below does not display, visit the upper right hand corner of this blog. Under "Youth Services Programs and Resources," choose "Baby Programs, 6-23 mos." Then choose "(2011 3 3 Point to Print)."

To emphasize our goal, I had a poster of our first rhyme.  (I always have posters of the opening, middle, and closing song.)




I accompanied "Kangaroo Brown" with a double-sided sign showing "Jump" on one side and a Microsoft clipart picture of a brown kangaroo on the other side:





Before "one-on-one," I emphasized that the caregivers occasionally point to the printed words in the books, stating that this will help the child become ready to read.  I mentioned that though they aren't thinking of their child reading yet, these are the same tips (providing simple signs/labels in the environment) that I provide for caregivers who come in asking for help getting their five or six year old to read.

Baby Program: Share Words

This was the first time I've done a (very simple) draw and tell for babies.  It was well received!  After the "story," I explained that in a similar way, one should explain to the baby what one is doing throughout the day -- describing the chores being done etc.


(If the embedded image does not display, visit the upper right hand corner of this blog. Under "Youth Services Programs and Resources," choose "Baby Programs, 6-23 mos." Then choose "(2011 2 23)
Share Words.")