ECRR Storytime 7/26/16 and 7/27/16: Playing

Books read:
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Let's Play! by Herve Tullet

Other book suggestions:
Tap to Play by Salina Yoon
Princess! Fairy! Ballerina! by Bethanie Murguia

ASL Sign of the week: Play

Playing we will go (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")
Playing we will go,
Playing we will go,
Hi ho the dairy-o,
Playing we will go.

We will run so fast.
We will run so fast.
Hi ho the dairy-o,
We will run so fast.

We will jump so high.
We will jump so high.
Hi ho the dairy-o,
We will jump so high.

Touch game (from Stillwater Library) 
Touch your nose.

Touch your chin.
That's the way this game begins.
Touch your eyes.
Touch your knees.
Now pretend you are going to sneeze.
Touch your hair.
Touch one ear.
Touch your two red lips right here.
Touch your elbows where they bend.
That's the way the touch game ends.

Play Red Light, Green Light

Play "I Spy" with flannel board pieces 

Craft: We used pieces of paper to decorate a letter P (for play!)

Literacy tip of the week: Free play has been tied to better goal setting and imagination. Kids learn a lot when they have the freedom to play and explore ideas!

ECRR Storytime 7/19/16 and 7/20/16: Writing

Books read:
Itsy Bitsy Spider by Keith Chapman
More Bears by Kenn Nesbitt

ASL Sign of the Week: Write

Dancing Animals (from Librarian Lisa's Storytimes)
This is the way the bunnies hop,
The bunnies hop,
This is the way the bunnies hop,
So early in the morning!
(Other actions can include any other animal and accompanying movement. This song shows the importance of using our imagination when we write or listen to stories!) 

Bears are Sleeping (to the tune of "Frere Jacques") (from King County Library System)
Bears are sleeping,
Bears are sleeping (pretend to sleep)
In their lairs,
In their lairs.
Soon it will be springtime,
Soon it will be springtime.
Wake up bears! Wake up bears! (pretend to wake up)

We will Stomp by Mr. Eric and Mr Michael

Way up high in the apple tree (modified from Literary Commentary)
Way up high in the apple tree, (lift arms)
10 little apples smiled at me!
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (shake back and forth)
Down came the apple, (wave hands towards ground)
Boy was it good!

Roly Poly (from Reading with Red)
Roly Poly, Roly Poly, (roll hands)
Up Up Up! (lift hands high)
Roly Poly, Roly Poly (roll hands)
Down Down Down! (stomp feet)
Roly Poly, Roly Poly,  (roll hands)
Clap Clap Clap! (clap hands)
Roly Poly, Roly Poly, (roll hands)
Lap Lap Lap! (touch lap)

Dance your fingers (from Storytime Katie)
Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down,
Dance your fingers side to side,
Dance them round and round,
Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head,
Dance them on your tummy,
And put them right to bed!

10 Little Bubbles (while popping bubbles, to the tune of "Ten Little Indians")
One little,
Two little,
Three little bubbles (count on fingers)
Four little,
Five little,
Six little bubbles.
Seven little,
Eight little,
Nine little bubbles.
Ten little bubbles in the air.

Craft: We colored a library themed coloring page.

Literacy tip of the week: When kids do fingerplays, color or pop bubbles, they are building the finger strength they will need as they learn to write.

ECRR Storytime 7/12/16 and 7/13/16: Talking

Books read: 
Say Hello! by Linda Davick
Bunnies! by Kevan Atteberry

ASL Sign of the Week: Talk

My hands say hello (to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", from Abby the Librarian)
My hands say hello
My hands say hello
Every time I see my friends
My hands say hello
Repeat using other body parts. 

Come along and march with me (from Storytime Underground)
Come and march along with me,
Along with me.
Come and march along with me,
So early in the morning.
(Other actions can include spinning, hopping, bouncing, flying, etc)

Walking, Walking (to the tune of "Frere Jacques", from NIEHS)
Walking, walking, walking, walking,
Hop, hop, hop! Hop, hop, hop!
Running, running, running, running,
running, running,
Now we stop! Now we stop!
(You can substitute other actions for walking and running, such as swaying, swimming or tapping.)

Wheels on the Bus

Down at the Library (with parachute, from What Happens in Storytime)
Down at the library in the story room,
Sat babies and Ms. Kelly and a parachute.
Lift said Ms. Kelly, lift the chute!
And they lifted and lifted that parachute,
Other actions: shake, drop, let go

Here we go up, up, up (from Reading With Red)
Here we go up, up, up! (lift chute)
Here we go down, down, down! (drop chute)
Here we go back and forth! (sway chute from side to side)
And here we go round and round! (walk in a circle) 

Craft: We made paper bag elephant puppets.

Literacy tip of the week: Talking is one of the ways children learn about the world. Young children benefit when adults label what they see and ask them questions every day.

ECRR Storytime 7/6/2016 and 7/7/2016: Reading

Books read: 
Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea
Where are my books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Other book suggestions: 
Mom, Dad our books and Me by Danielle Marcotte
Read it, don't eat it! by Ian Schoenherr

ASL Sign of the Week: Book

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

If you're a reader and you know it (modified version of "If you're happy and you know it", done with the same actions)

Read, read, read a book (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, modified from Perry Public Library)
Read, read, read a book! Read it now with me! (pretend hands are books)
Read a book, let me see,
Read a book with me!
(other verses: clap your hands, tap your knees, shake your feet, touch your shoulders)  

We're going to read a book (done with shakers, modified version of We're Going to the Zoo from ALA's 2014 Guerilla Storytime)
We're going to get to together,
A story we will read!
We'll enjoy the words and the pictures, yes indeed!
Shake it baby, shake it!
Shake it while you can!
Shake it like a milkshake, and pour it in the can!
Shake it to the bottom! Shake it to the top!
Shake it round and round and round!
Until I tell you stop!

Counting song (with shakers, from Libraryland)
One, two, shake it on your shoe.
Three, four, shake it on the floor.
Five, six, shake it realy quick.
Seven, eight, hold it up straight.
Nine, ten, shake it with your friends!

Story stew (modified from MCLS Kids, done with puppets on parachute)
Story stew, story stew!
Some for me, and some for you!
Who should we add to our story stew?

Craft: We decorated a print out of a bookworm with torn paper.

Literacy tip of the week: Reading is a great way to expose your child to new words. It has been shown that picture books contain about 30 rare words per 1000, whereas conversation between an adult and child typically contains about 9 rare words per 1000.