Toddler Storytime (18 months to 3 years old)
Wednesdays at 10:10 a.m.
Storyteller: Arin Hailey Reese
Toddler Storytime is for children 18 months to 3 years old, and includes songs, active rhymes, and stories, with playtime after the program.
Toddler Storytime is held first thing in the morning, just after the library opens for the day, when young children are energetic and ready for an activity, but are not yet hungry for lunch or sleepy for a nap. The dynamic program includes silly songs and fun, engaging stories to hold the interest of busy little people. The program runs approximately 45 minutes; during the last 10 minutes, children can explore a selection of developmentally appropriate books, toys, and activities, and parents can get to know one another and ask questions of library staff.
All of the activities in the program reinforce early literacy skills, with special focus on print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, and vocabulary for this age group. Throughout the program, we will offer tips for parents on ways to bolster literacy. After the storytime, handouts will be available with lyrics to the songs and rhymes as well as information on everyday ways to support literacy development in toddlers.
Toddler Storytime is held first thing in the morning, just after the library opens for the day, when young children are energetic and ready for an activity, but are not yet hungry for lunch or sleepy for a nap. The dynamic program includes silly songs and fun, engaging stories to hold the interest of busy little people. The program runs approximately 45 minutes; during the last 10 minutes, children can explore a selection of developmentally appropriate books, toys, and activities, and parents can get to know one another and ask questions of library staff.
All of the activities in the program reinforce early literacy skills, with special focus on print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, and vocabulary for this age group. Throughout the program, we will offer tips for parents on ways to bolster literacy. After the storytime, handouts will be available with lyrics to the songs and rhymes as well as information on everyday ways to support literacy development in toddlers.
Storytime Theme: Growing and Changing
Many toddlers are proud of their budding independence, and that they are quickly becoming “big boys and girls.” The books, rhymes, and songs in the following storytime revolve around the theme of growing and changing.
Opening Song: “Look Who Came to Story Time" (adapted from “Look Who Came to School Today”)
(Retrieved from http://www.resourcesforearlylearning.org/educators/activity/1496/)
Parents are encouraged to sing along, as the song is simple and repetitious. If there are regular attendees at storytime, I will sing their names as we go around the circle. For children I do not yet know, their parents can sing out their child’s name when we come to their place, and then the group can repeat the name in the following verses. Alternatively, name tags can be distributed and filled out before the program begins, or I can sing about groups in general, e.g. “Look who came to storytime...Children came to storytime (Mamas, Nannies, Grandpas, etc.)….”
Early Literacy Elements: Singing; phonological awareness
Welcome/Talking Point
Welcome, children, parents, grandparents, friends, and caregivers to Toddler Storytime! Grown-ups, the next half hour or so is all about having fun with your children, so I encourage you to sing along and be silly. Kids don’t take themselves too seriously, and neither should we! At this age your children are growing and changing so fast, and they are constantly taking in information that is helping to build their literacy skills. There are five simple behaviors we can engage in every day to help them make the brain connections necessary for literacy: talking, singing, playing, reading, and writing. We'll be doing lots of those things today, and I'll be distributing handouts at the end of the session with even more ideas for fun things you can do at home.
Now, boys and girls, I can’t believe how much you have grown since last time I saw you here at storytime! Stand up and show me how tall you are! Stretch tall! Now bend way down and touch your toes on those big feet! Wow! Now, stand up tall again, and let’s start storytime with a fun game called “Show Me Something Big.”
Rhyme: “Show Me Something Big”
(Retrieved from http://www.mrcpl.org/parentzone/?p=2955)
This active rhyme is easy for children to follow with simple body movements. The last lines, “Clap your hands, stomp your feet/Shake your arms, then take a seat” provide a natural transition to storytime.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Book: Everything Grows, by Raffi
(See References; tune retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4fNxocD_v4)
This sweet poetic book about all the things that grow is written in rhyming verse and can also be sung.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, singing; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, vocabulary
Felt Board Story: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
(See References)
(Felt board cutouts retrieved from http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/felt_fun.htm)
This favorite story is about a caterpillar who eats lots of food (some healthy, some not so healthy) as he grows and eventually transforms into a butterfly. I will first show the book to the children, and then I will tell the story from memory using a felt board and cutouts. If the group is small and the children seem capable of doing so without losing focus, I will let the kids each take a turn coming up to “feed” the caterpillar the different foods. I will pause to let kids identify and name each food before adding it to the board, and we will count the number of each food item together before moving on to the next.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, talking, playing; phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Song/Finger Play: "Caterpillar, Caterpillar"
(Retrieved from http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/caterpillar-and-butterfly-themed-finger-play-songs/)
This simple, repetitive song has just two easy-to-follow hand motions that correspond to the lines of the song. It is brief, so we will sing it a few times to allow the kids to learn the words and hand motions.
Early Literacy Elements: Singing, playing, talking; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Talking Point: Singing
It’s often not easy to transition from an adult who rarely if ever sings aloud (other than in the shower!) to being a parent who is asked to sing all the time. But when we sing with our children, even nonsensical songs you make up on the fly, we are helping them develop literacy skills including phonological awareness (understanding how sounds fit together to make words), vocabulary, and narrative skills. I want to encourage you to let go of your inhibitions, and don’t worry about perfection. Have fun and sing along! I will distribute a handout after storytime with lyrics to all the songs and rhymes we have done today, plus more easy examples to sing at home.
Rhyme/Puppet Play: “Five Little Monkeys”
(Retrieved from http://bussongs.com/songs/5-little-monkeys-jumping-on-the-bed.php)
(Props: Five Little Monkeys Finger Puppets; retrieved from https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/234664525/diy-printable-finger-puppets-five-little)
While not strictly about growing, this favorite rhyme illustrates what can sometimes happen when toddlers start to explore and experiment, and it reinforces that the rules set by grownups like parents and doctors are often there to protect us.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, playing; phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Book: Curious George’s Dream, by H.A. Rey
(See References)
In this book about everyone’s favorite monkey, George is disappointed after a day at the fair, where he can’t do everything he wants to because he’s not big enough. He has a dream that he is big, but this presents new problems, and in the end he realizes there are benefits to being small.
Early literacy elements: Reading; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Rhyme: “Sometimes”
(Retrieved from http://www.mrcpl.org/parentzone/?p=2955)
This short chant ties in with our previous story, reinforcing through rhyme and simple movements that kids are perfect just the size they are.
Early literacy elements: Talking, singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Book: Little Gorilla, by Ruth Bornstein
(See References)
(Prop: Gorilla plush animal; similar retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Republic-Cuddle-Babies-Gorilla/dp/B00J3ECW0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462078385&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+gorilla+plush)
This sweet book tells the story of Little Gorilla, who is loved by his family and all the other animals in the forest. He begins to grow, and grow, and grow, until he is no longer a little gorilla—and everyone continues to love him. At the end of the story, it’s Little Gorilla’s birthday. I’ll reveal my friend, Little Gorilla. The reason I brought him to storytime is that it’s actually his birthday, too! Then I will pass out simple instruments like maracas and egg shakers, and we will all sing Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, singing, talking, play; Print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Song: “Happy Birthday”
(Retrieved from http://bussongs.com/songs/happy-birthday-to-you.php)
(Props: Egg skakers; retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UKZ009Q/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002F5CQK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0E7PY5XEQ34ECNV7FJ4F)
We will sing "Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla" and try to guess how old he might be.
Early Literacy Elements: Singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Closing Song: "Goodbye, Friends" (sung to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies")
(Tune retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMruF_CLrqM)
This brief song concludes the formal part of the program. If time permits, we can sing goodbye to each child by name, as we did in the Opening Song.
Lyrics adapted:
Goodbye, children
goodbye, grownups
goodbye, friends.
It’s time to say goodbye.
(Clap in time): Hope you have a happy day,
happy day,
happy day.
Hope you have a happy day,
we’re glad that you were here!
Early Literacy Elements: Singing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Activity/Talking Point: Make a birthday cake for Little Gorilla!
(Coloring sheet retrieved from http://coloringpanda.com/page/347570)
Play dough, plates, and pans, and various “decorations”—including plastic letters, Tinker Toy sticks or straws for candles, etc.—will be available on the tables, which have been set up beforehand with plastic table coverings and carpet protection as needed. Birthday cake coloring sheets, crayons, and stickers (including letters) will also be provided to color at the library or take home. Parents are encouraged to do simple art activities with their children like scribbling, coloring, or decorating with stickers to help develop fine motor and writing skills. For example, they could draw and count candles or use stickers to spell “Happy Birthday Little Gorilla” on the cake, pointing out the letters and words to their child.
Early Literacy Element: Talking, reading, playing, writing; print awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary
Stay and Play
Developmentally appropriate toys and books are set out for the toddlers to explore. Parents are encouraged to play with their children, get to know other parents, and check out books to bring home. Handouts are distributed.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, reading, playing; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, narrative skills, vocabulary
Handouts
Opening Song: “Look Who Came to Story Time" (adapted from “Look Who Came to School Today”)
(Retrieved from http://www.resourcesforearlylearning.org/educators/activity/1496/)
Parents are encouraged to sing along, as the song is simple and repetitious. If there are regular attendees at storytime, I will sing their names as we go around the circle. For children I do not yet know, their parents can sing out their child’s name when we come to their place, and then the group can repeat the name in the following verses. Alternatively, name tags can be distributed and filled out before the program begins, or I can sing about groups in general, e.g. “Look who came to storytime...Children came to storytime (Mamas, Nannies, Grandpas, etc.)….”
Early Literacy Elements: Singing; phonological awareness
Welcome/Talking Point
Welcome, children, parents, grandparents, friends, and caregivers to Toddler Storytime! Grown-ups, the next half hour or so is all about having fun with your children, so I encourage you to sing along and be silly. Kids don’t take themselves too seriously, and neither should we! At this age your children are growing and changing so fast, and they are constantly taking in information that is helping to build their literacy skills. There are five simple behaviors we can engage in every day to help them make the brain connections necessary for literacy: talking, singing, playing, reading, and writing. We'll be doing lots of those things today, and I'll be distributing handouts at the end of the session with even more ideas for fun things you can do at home.
Now, boys and girls, I can’t believe how much you have grown since last time I saw you here at storytime! Stand up and show me how tall you are! Stretch tall! Now bend way down and touch your toes on those big feet! Wow! Now, stand up tall again, and let’s start storytime with a fun game called “Show Me Something Big.”
Rhyme: “Show Me Something Big”
(Retrieved from http://www.mrcpl.org/parentzone/?p=2955)
This active rhyme is easy for children to follow with simple body movements. The last lines, “Clap your hands, stomp your feet/Shake your arms, then take a seat” provide a natural transition to storytime.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Book: Everything Grows, by Raffi
(See References; tune retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4fNxocD_v4)
This sweet poetic book about all the things that grow is written in rhyming verse and can also be sung.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, singing; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, vocabulary
Felt Board Story: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
(See References)
(Felt board cutouts retrieved from http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/hungrycaterpillar/felt_fun.htm)
This favorite story is about a caterpillar who eats lots of food (some healthy, some not so healthy) as he grows and eventually transforms into a butterfly. I will first show the book to the children, and then I will tell the story from memory using a felt board and cutouts. If the group is small and the children seem capable of doing so without losing focus, I will let the kids each take a turn coming up to “feed” the caterpillar the different foods. I will pause to let kids identify and name each food before adding it to the board, and we will count the number of each food item together before moving on to the next.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, talking, playing; phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Song/Finger Play: "Caterpillar, Caterpillar"
(Retrieved from http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/caterpillar-and-butterfly-themed-finger-play-songs/)
This simple, repetitive song has just two easy-to-follow hand motions that correspond to the lines of the song. It is brief, so we will sing it a few times to allow the kids to learn the words and hand motions.
Early Literacy Elements: Singing, playing, talking; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Talking Point: Singing
It’s often not easy to transition from an adult who rarely if ever sings aloud (other than in the shower!) to being a parent who is asked to sing all the time. But when we sing with our children, even nonsensical songs you make up on the fly, we are helping them develop literacy skills including phonological awareness (understanding how sounds fit together to make words), vocabulary, and narrative skills. I want to encourage you to let go of your inhibitions, and don’t worry about perfection. Have fun and sing along! I will distribute a handout after storytime with lyrics to all the songs and rhymes we have done today, plus more easy examples to sing at home.
Rhyme/Puppet Play: “Five Little Monkeys”
(Retrieved from http://bussongs.com/songs/5-little-monkeys-jumping-on-the-bed.php)
(Props: Five Little Monkeys Finger Puppets; retrieved from https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/234664525/diy-printable-finger-puppets-five-little)
While not strictly about growing, this favorite rhyme illustrates what can sometimes happen when toddlers start to explore and experiment, and it reinforces that the rules set by grownups like parents and doctors are often there to protect us.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, playing; phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Book: Curious George’s Dream, by H.A. Rey
(See References)
In this book about everyone’s favorite monkey, George is disappointed after a day at the fair, where he can’t do everything he wants to because he’s not big enough. He has a dream that he is big, but this presents new problems, and in the end he realizes there are benefits to being small.
Early literacy elements: Reading; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Rhyme: “Sometimes”
(Retrieved from http://www.mrcpl.org/parentzone/?p=2955)
This short chant ties in with our previous story, reinforcing through rhyme and simple movements that kids are perfect just the size they are.
Early literacy elements: Talking, singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Book: Little Gorilla, by Ruth Bornstein
(See References)
(Prop: Gorilla plush animal; similar retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Republic-Cuddle-Babies-Gorilla/dp/B00J3ECW0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462078385&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+gorilla+plush)
This sweet book tells the story of Little Gorilla, who is loved by his family and all the other animals in the forest. He begins to grow, and grow, and grow, until he is no longer a little gorilla—and everyone continues to love him. At the end of the story, it’s Little Gorilla’s birthday. I’ll reveal my friend, Little Gorilla. The reason I brought him to storytime is that it’s actually his birthday, too! Then I will pass out simple instruments like maracas and egg shakers, and we will all sing Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla.
Early Literacy Elements: Reading, singing, talking, play; Print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
Song: “Happy Birthday”
(Retrieved from http://bussongs.com/songs/happy-birthday-to-you.php)
(Props: Egg skakers; retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UKZ009Q/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002F5CQK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0E7PY5XEQ34ECNV7FJ4F)
We will sing "Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla" and try to guess how old he might be.
Early Literacy Elements: Singing, playing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Closing Song: "Goodbye, Friends" (sung to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies")
(Tune retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMruF_CLrqM)
This brief song concludes the formal part of the program. If time permits, we can sing goodbye to each child by name, as we did in the Opening Song.
Lyrics adapted:
Goodbye, children
goodbye, grownups
goodbye, friends.
It’s time to say goodbye.
(Clap in time): Hope you have a happy day,
happy day,
happy day.
Hope you have a happy day,
we’re glad that you were here!
Early Literacy Elements: Singing; phonological awareness, vocabulary
Activity/Talking Point: Make a birthday cake for Little Gorilla!
(Coloring sheet retrieved from http://coloringpanda.com/page/347570)
Play dough, plates, and pans, and various “decorations”—including plastic letters, Tinker Toy sticks or straws for candles, etc.—will be available on the tables, which have been set up beforehand with plastic table coverings and carpet protection as needed. Birthday cake coloring sheets, crayons, and stickers (including letters) will also be provided to color at the library or take home. Parents are encouraged to do simple art activities with their children like scribbling, coloring, or decorating with stickers to help develop fine motor and writing skills. For example, they could draw and count candles or use stickers to spell “Happy Birthday Little Gorilla” on the cake, pointing out the letters and words to their child.
Early Literacy Element: Talking, reading, playing, writing; print awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary
Stay and Play
Developmentally appropriate toys and books are set out for the toddlers to explore. Parents are encouraged to play with their children, get to know other parents, and check out books to bring home. Handouts are distributed.
Early Literacy Elements: Talking, reading, playing; print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, narrative skills, vocabulary
Handouts
- Song and rhyme lyrics, including “Show Me Something Big,” “Caterpillar, Caterpillar,” “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” “Sometimes,” and other easy rhymes to do at home
- Book list from today's storytime with recommendations for other developmentally appropriate books that fit with the theme
- Storytime and children's program schedules for this branch and others in the local library system
- Birthday cake coloring sheets
(Retrieved from http://coloringpanda.com/page/347570) - Ready to Read: Simple Activities That Promote Early Literacy handout with with tips on specific activities for building literacy skills in toddlers (Retrieved from http://static1.squarespace.com/static/531bd3f2e4b0a09d95833bfc/t/54963fb3e4b0849a6ec87a66/1419132851341/readtalkplay.pdf)