Glorious Gifts

Today’s early literacy skill is narrative skills, or the ability to understand and tell stories.

Opening Song: Welcome, Welcome Everyone

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Welcome welcome everyone,

Now you're here we'll have some fun.

First we'll clap our hands just so.

Then we'll bend and touch our toes.

Welcome, welcome everyone,

Now you're here we'll have some fun.

Book: Perfect Gift by Mary Newell Depalma

Lori the lorikeet wants to give her grandmother a present, but after dropping her beautiful red berry into the river, she and her friends must try to retrieve the berry or find another gift.

Aside: In this story, Little Lorikeet retold her adventures by creating a book for her grandma.  Help your child do the same thing.  Telling an event in sequences helps build a child’s narrative skills.  Good narrative skills lead to good reading comprehension.

Action Rhyme: I Have Ten Fingers

I have ten fingers.

They all belong to me.

I can make them do things.

Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight.

I can open them wide.

I can put them on my head.

I can put them at my side.

I can raise them up high.

I can put them down low.

I can set them in my lap,

And fold them just so.

Book: Pip & Squeak by Ian Schoenherr

After rushing through the snow to get to their friend's birthday party, two mice realize that they forgot to bring the present.

Rhyme: Clap Your Hands

Clap your hands, touch your toes.

Turn around and touch your nose.

Flap your arms,

Jump up high,

Wiggle your fingers

And let your hands fly.

Rhyme: Hands

My hands upon my head I’ll place

On my shoulders, on my face.

At my waist and by my side.

Then behind me they will hide.

Then I'll raise them way up high,

And let my fingers fly, fly, fly.

Then clap, clap, clap,

And one-two-three.

Now see how quiet they can be.

Aside: With this next book we are going to focus on what we call “dialogic” or “interactive reading.” This just means that I will be discussing the book with the children and asking them questions as I go along. I will be asking questions that cannot be answered with just a yes or no. This technique of sharing a book helps develop their narrative skills, their ability to describe things and experiences.

Book: Ivy Loves to Give by Freya Blackwood

Ivy loves to give presents, and although they are not always appropriate, they are always given with enthusiasm and generosity.

Action Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It

v.1 Clap your hands

v.2 Stomp your feet

v.3 Turn around

v.4 Jump up and down

v.5 Shout hooray

Book: Giving by Shirley Hughes

A little girl and her baby brother experience the various aspects of giving, finding that it is nice whether you are giving a present, a smile, or a kiss.

Book: Fran’s Friend by Lisa Bruce

Fran's dog Fred wants her to play with him and does not understand why she is so busy working on something special--for him!

Closing Song: Hands Go Up

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Hands go up and hands go down.

I can turn round and round.

I can jump upon two shoes.

I can clap and so can you!

I can wave,

I’ll show you how.

Storytime is done for now.

Attendance: 12 and 19 (ages 1-6 plus parents)
Evaluation: Good mix of stories.  Including lots of shorter stories and rhymes worked well with all the younger ones that attended.  Ivy Loves to Give worked well with dialogic reading, but I should have just chosen one page to showcase it instead of the five or so I chose.  Pip & Squeak would also be a great book to showcase dialogic reading.