Storytimes for Newborns to 2-Year Olds

1. Just For Babies Storytimes for Newborns to 2-Year Olds Presented by Kiomaris N. Fuller, MLIS, MPH

2. At birth the brain is fully developed, just like one’s heart or stomach. Brain Development:True or False?!? True and False: Kind of a Trick Question . . .

3. The Whole Truth Most of the brain cells are formed before birth, but most of the connections among cells are made during infancy and early childhood.

4. The brain’s development depends entirely on the genes with which you are born. Brain Development: True or False?!? FALSE

5. The Whole Truth Early experience and interaction with the environment are most critical in a child’s brain development.

6. A toddler’s brain is less active than the brain of a college student. Brain Development: True or False?!? FALSE

7. The Whole Truth A three-year-old toddler brain is twice as active as an adult’s brain.

9. Talking to a baby is not important because he or she can’t understand what you are saying. Brain Development: True or False?!? FALSE

10. The Whole Truth Talking to young children establishes foundations for learning language during early critical periods when learning is easiest for a child.

11. Children need special help and specific educational toys to develop their brainpower. Brain Development: True or False?!? FALSE

12. The Whole Truth What children need most is loving care and new experiences, not costly toys. Talking, singing, playing, and reading are some of the key activities that build a child’s brain.

13. Baby Brain Development “ “The first years last forever”

14. Developmental Highlights: 1 Month • Prefer black and white • Focus 8-12 inches away • Hear very well • Prefer human faces • Recognize parents’ voices

15. Developmental Highlights: 3 Months • Watch faces closely • Open and shut hands • Grab and shake toys • Follow many objects with eyes • Smile at parents’ voices • Babble and imitate sounds • Stretch legs out and kick when on tummy or back • Raise head and chest when lying on tummy • Enjoy playing with other people

16. Developmental Highlights: 7 Months • Roll over • Sit up • Reach for objects with hands • Support whole weight on legs when held upright • Develop full color vision and mature distance vision • Use voice to express joy and displeasure • Babble chains • (ba-ba-ba-ba) • Distinguish emotions by tone of voice • Struggle to get objects out of reach • Enjoy peek-a-boo • Respond to name • Explore objects with hands and mouth • Show an interest in mirror images

17. Developmental Highlights: 12-24 Months • Sit without assistance • Get into hands and knees position • Pull self to stand up • Walk • Pincer grasp • (thumb and forefinger) • Say “Dada” and “Mama” • Use exclamations such as “Uh Oh!” • Respond to “no” and simple verbal requests • Imitate words • Use simple gestures like waving and shaking head “no” • Explore objects by (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping) • Find hidden objects easily • Look at a correct picture when an image is named

18. Suggested Breakdown of Age Groups For Storytime • Baby – Birth to 18 Months • Toddler – 19 Months – 3 years • Preschool - 3-5 Years

19. What is early literacy? Early literacy is what children learn about reading and writing before they actually learn to read and write.

20. 6 Pre-Reading Skills • Print Motivation • Phonological Awareness • Vocabulary • Narrative Skills • Print Awareness • Letter Knowledge

21. How to Help: • Begin reading books early • Make book sharing a special time • Let your baby see you reading • Visit your public library often Print Motivation What is it? Having interest and enjoyment in books.

22. How to Help: • Singing songs is a good way to help your child hear syllables in words. • Add actions to songs to help break down language into separate words. • Make up your own silly nonsense rhymes. Phonological Awareness What is it? The ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.

23. How to Help: • Read together every day. • When reading, name pictures as you point to them. • Talk with your child about what is going on around you. • When your baby babbles or your child talks, listen carefully and answer. Vocabulary What is it? Knowing the names of things.

24. How to Help: • Talk to your child about what you are doing. • Tell your child stories. • Encourage your child to tell you about things. • Read favorite books again and again. NarrativeSkills What is it? Ability to describe things and events and to tell stories.

25. How to Help: • Read aloud everyday. • Point to each word on a page as you read it. • Use board or cloth books and have your child hold the book. Print Awareness What is it? Noticing print in the environment, knowing how to handle a book and understanding how to follow words on a page.

26. How to Help: • Help your child see and feel different shapes as you play. • Point out letters on toys, food boxes and on objects around the house. • Talk with your child about what is the same and what is different between two things. Letter Knowledge What is it? Knowing that letters are different from each other.

27. 5 Practices of Early Literacy • READ • TALK • SING • WRITE • PLAY • Remember: Rainbows Take Sun Water Perfection

28. Basic Plan for Storytime 1. Recurring 3. Changeable Songs Fingerplays & Rhymes Action Rhymes Bounce & Stretches Parent Tip Optional: Free Play Activity • Your Opening • Your Closer • Your Transitions 2.BOOKS

29. Your Opening Sets the tone and clearly signifies the beginning of storytime.

30. The more we get together, Together, together, The more we get together, The happier we’ll be, For your friend are my friends, And my friends are your friends, The more we get together, The happier we’ll be. OPENING IDEA: The More We Get Together Great opportunity to add a little sign language into your story time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYJS_xckWY0

31. OPENING IDEA: Using Names . . . for smaller groups We’re So Glad to See You (tune: Frere Jacques) We Say Hello (tune: Hi Ho the Derry-o) We Say Hello Like This (wave) We Say Hello Like This (wave) We’re all here for storytime! We say hello like this (wave) We say hello to (child’s name) We say hello to (child’s name) We’re all here for storytime! So say hello to (child’s name) Where is (Childs Name)? Where is (Childs Name)? There s/he is. There s/he is. We’re so glad to see you, We’re so glad to see you. Peek-a-boo, Peek-a-boo.

32. Opening Idea: Open Shut Them Open shut them, Open shut them, Give a little clap, clap, clap! Open Shut them, Open shut them, Put them in your lap, lap, lap, Creep them, Crawl them, Creep them, Crawl them, Right up to your chin, chin, chin! Open wide your little mouth, But do not let them in!

33. Your Closer A song or activity that clearly marks THE END!

34. Closer Idea: Hi Ho Hi, Ho! Hi, Ho! It’s time for us to go. Let’s clap our hands! And Stomp Our Feet! And Wave GoodBye! Bye!Bye!Bye! We’ll See You Here Next Week.

35. Closer Idea: Good-Bye Song (Tune: Goodnight Ladies) Good-bye (child’s name), Good-bye (child’s name),Good-bye (child’s name). I’m glad that you were here.

36. Closer Idea: We Had A Happy Day (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”) It’s time to go home, It’s time to go home. Wave good-bye to everyone, It’s time to go home. We had a happy day, We had a happy day. Wave good-bye to everyone, We had a happy day. We’ll see you again, We’ll see you again. Wave good-bye to everyone, We’ll see you again.

37. Your Books Not just about finding any book, but about finding the right book and reading it just correctly.

38. Not too long, Not too short, but just right! • Not too crazy, Not too boring, but just right! • Not what they like or what they like, but what you like! How to Choose Your Book? Use Goldilocks as a your guide!

39. Your Books: Start With Your Theme! • Animals • Animal Sounds • Bedtime • Body • Bugs • Colors • Food • Mother Goose • Numbers • Opposites • Pets • Shapes • Songs • Things that Go • Toys and Games

40. Are you the energetic performer? • Are you the funny performer? • Are you the educational performer? • Are you the nurturer performer? • Are you the soothing performer? Your Books: What to Consider? What kind of performer are you?

41. Your Books: Some Book Ideas • Baby Happy, Baby Sad by Leslie Patricelli (check out her series) • Soup For One by Ethan Long • 1-2-3 Peas by Keith Baker • What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas • One Two That’s my shoe! by Alison Murray

42. “Children learn more from books when they are actively involved.” Your Books: It’s about how we read them.

43. What is Dialogic Reading? • Ask “what” questions. • Follow answers with questions. • Repeat what your child says. • Help your child as needed. • Praise and encourage your child. • Follow your child’s interests. Fundamental reading technique where the audience is actively involved. Readingrockets.org

44. The Changeable Elements Songs Fingerplays & Rhymes Action Rhymes Bounces & Stretches Free Play Parent Tip

45. Classics for Baby & Toddler Storytime • Pat-a-cake • Where is Thumbkin? • If You’re Happy and You Know It • The Itsy Bitsy Spider • The Wheels on the Bus (Short) • Row Your Boat • Head, Shoulder, Knees & Toes • Apple Tree • One, Two Buckle My Shoe • This Little Piggy Went to Market • Mary Had a Little Lamb • Old MacDonald (Short) • I’m A Little Teapot • Hickory Dickory Dock • Twinkle, twinkle, little star

46. Popcorn Fun Stretches/Movements Popcorn, popcorn, Pour it in a pan. Shake it up, Shake it up, Bam, Bam, Bam!

47. Bubbles – Song and Activity There Are Bubbles There are bubbles in the air, in the air, There are bubbles in the air, in the air, There are bubbles in the air, There are bubbles everywhere, There are bubbles in the air, in the air, There are bubbles way down low, way down low, There are bubbles way down low, way down low, There are bubbles way down low, There are bubbles by your toes, There are bubbles way down low, way down LOW!

48. Fun Laprides Grand Old Duke of York Oh, the grand old Duke of York he had ten thousand menHe marched them up to the top of the hilland he marched them down again.When they were up, they were upand when they were down, they were downand when they were only halfway upthey were neither up nor down. He marched them to the left, He marched them to the right, He marched them upside down, Oh, what a silly sight. Three Little Monkeys Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed, One fell off and bumped her head, Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,” No more Monkeys Jumping on the Bed! Two - - - One - - -

49. Go Bananas! Bananas Unite! Bananas Split! Go Bananas! Go, go Bananas! Go Bananas! Go, go Bananas! Bananas to the right! Bananas to the left! Peel your banana and mmmm, take a bite!

50. Changeable: Equipment • Puppets • Flannel Boards • Music CDs • Coloring Sheets • Costumes • Board Books • Scarves • Rattles • Balls • Bubbles • Puzzles • Blocks