Movement in the Library

Not only are some children kinesthetic learners (and all that good movement stuff I presented in the "Yoga Storytimes" presentation in August) ...

I just saw that Ohio will institute Physical Education standards in the state evaluations:
http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=1793&Content=131668

So, once again, adding more movement into library programs can support the learning that is being stressed in schools ...

Yoga in the Library

Yoga Storytime: Integrating Technology, Literacy, and Movement from Fordeeto

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.)

Toddlers and Preschoolers : Playing with Books

For toddlers, we talked through the first and last book and acted out the emotions. We used magnetic letters as we counted during "One, Two I Love You." Is Everyone Ready for Fun? was a total, get-up-and-move-and-shout-it-out! kind of story ... my favorite ...



During the preschool program, we talked and acted a bit more. For example, we discovered that maybe we could have more than one feeling at a time like Elephant and Piggie. For Grumpy Bird, I had a stuffed animal for each child. They came to the front of the room when thier animal appeared on the page. I pointed to a sign that said "What are you doing?," and they child repeated this to my bird stuffed animal. Then we marched around the room until we came to the next animal. Lots of fun playing with books!

I Spy: Near and Far

I'm a little frustrated that Google Docs has made its older version unavailable.  (The older version allowed me to grab the embed code from my uploaded PDFs' "Properties".)  As far as I can work out, there's no simple way to embed an uploaded document.  (It's a different story if one uses Google to create the document in the first place.)  So I grabbed an embed code from somewhere on the net.  I'd like to display the code here, but I don't know how to display the code without the computer thinking I want it to follow through with the command.  Contact me if you'd like the embed code.

Gotta Move! Program: Birthdays (Letters Bb & Cc)

I had a LARGE group for this program today -- 20 kids and 13 adults.  With some newbies and kids ranging from infants to six year olds ... It was all I could do to keep the attention (and control!!) of the crowd and make sure everyone was as engaged as possible and having fun ...  Forget about any "talking points" on ECRR to the adults! 

That's one reason I am a stickler about making and giving the program handout below.  Before I begin, I make sure I put it in the hands of every grown up and say, "This is what we are doing and why we are doing it."  True, a few handouts get left behind, but it's an effort at communicating the importance of the early literacy skills.   

(If the embedded image does not display, visit the upper right hand corner of this blog. Under "Youth Services Programs and Resources," choose "Music and Movement (and Early Literacy!) Programs)." Then choose "(2011 2 24) Birthdays (Letters Bb and Cc)."



For the "Four Candles" rhyme, I had four plastic, battery operated candles that turned off and on.  Below are the images I used to tell "Rub a Dub Dub."  (They are available in the "Graphics" folder.)  They were also in the Sound Suitcases.  (I had a Bb and a Cc sound suitcase today.)

Calef Brown the Poet (Videos)

During the Mazza Summer Institute, Brown referred to the musicality of words as his muse.  He makes a case for reading poetry out loud.  Sylvia Vardell anyone?

 

I first performed "Combo Tango" in graduate school as an audience participation, movement rhyme.  I've been incorporating it into my programs ever since.