Early Lit Kits, Round 5

Let me start this post off by saying that I have an awesome boss.  Last summer I thought that I was done putting together our early literacy kits as we ran out of grant money and they take time and money to put together.  After our first four rounds of kits (here, here, here, and here), we had 24 kits on 15 themes and we could not keep them on the shelf.  In December my boss asked if I would like $1250 to create more kits that we received through a donation.  The glitch was that they had to get done by the beginning of March, which meant that this was my major January/February project.  I also work with an awesome PR person who takes all of my knowledge and turns it into the fancy booklets that you will see attached.  During the first week of March, we released an 15 additional kits on 4 new themes and we are still going strong in terms of circulation.  Our funder wanted to see the kits in action so we ran our story times one day around parts from each of the new kits.  Not one new kit was left in stock after story time as parents took them all home!

Kit 16-I Went Walking (Animals)
This kit contains:

• I Went Walking by Sue Williams
• What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
• Wee Sing Animals, Animals, Animals book and CD by Pamela Conn Beall
• I Went Walking puppet and props
• Booklet

Kit 17-Colors with Pete the Cat

This kit contains:

• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
• Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet
• Pete the Cat Storytelling Kit
• Storytelling Lapboard
• Color Viewers
• Booklet

Kit 18-Cookie's Week (Days of the Week)

This kit contains: 

• Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward
• Today is Monday by Eric Carle
• Folkmanis cat puppet
• Storytelling Lapboard
• Cookie's Week flannelboard
• Booklet

Kit 19-Lunch (Food)

This kit contains:

• Lunch by Denise Fleming 
• Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
• Storytelling Lapboard
• Lunch flannelboard
• Melissa and Doug Picture Bingo
• Counting Cookies by Learning Resources 
• Booklet

 

 

Flannel Friday-Lunch

This is an "inspired by" post as I have always loved Storytime Katie's version of Lunch by Denise Fleming.  When I needed to make a version for our early literacy kits, this is the one that I chose.

Since this flannelboard would circulate and get a lot of handling, I didn't glue as many small pieces as Katie did.  Instead, I used puffy paint for the details on the grapes and the watermelon.

This week's round-up is hosted by Kathryn at Fun with Friends at Storytime.  

If you want to know more about Flannel Friday:

• Check out the official Flannel Friday blog that includes schedules and other important information.
• Search for images and links on our Pinterest page.
• Discuss story time stuff (and other ys stuff) on the Flannel Friday Facebook page.
• Follow #flannelstorytime on Twitter.

Early Literacy Kits, Round 4

I am finally catching up on posting from our first set of early literacy kits from last year.  If you missed the first three posts, check here, here, or here.

Kit 11-Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
This kit contains:

• Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
• Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
• Five Little Monkeys finger puppets
• Five Little Monkeys CD
• Booklet

Kit 12-Color Zoo
This kit contains:

• Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
• Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban
• Songs About Colors and Shapes CD
• Colors & Shapes Memory Match
• Common Shapes Stencils
• Shapes Match-Ups
• Storytelling Lapboard
• Color Zoo flannelboard
• Booklet

 

Kit 13-If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
This kit contains:

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
• Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie puppet and props
• Take 10 Shape Finders Cookies game
• Booklet

Kit 14-Llama Llama Red Pajama
This kit contains:

• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jane Cabrera
• Laurie Berkner Lullabies CD
• Llama Llama puppet
• Twinkle finger puppet
• Booklet

Kit 15-Where is the Green Sheep?
This kit contains:

• Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
• Opposites! by National Geographic
• Fun & Games CD by Greg & Steve
• Where is the Green Sheep? doll
• Opposites Fun-to-Know Puzzle
• Match Me Cards Opposites
• Booklet

 

Farm Night with Early On

One of my favorite programs of the year that I do with a local group is when our Early On program sets up a special story time at the library.  I find this one especially rewarding as these kids and families really need us and are very appreciative for anything we do with them.  This makes me want to add extra to their program!  I run the program similarly to how I do my 2-year old story times, but add in a craft or 2 to take home.  If I can, I add in some sensory story time elements.

As people come into the room, I have a couple of our flyers out for them to take including our current calendar of events, early literacy calendar, and 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten booklist.

I have the crafts set up on tables in the back as we tend to get a lot of kids for this event and I am the only staff member in the room with them.  Set-up looks like this:

This year's theme was farm.  The Early On coordinator gives me a theme when we set up the program and this helps her to advertise to her families.  We read some of my favorite books.

We also sang "When the Ducks Get Up in the Morning" with puppets.  This added my sensory part as some of the kids liked to touch the puppets and they all have different textures.  We used a cow, a pig, a duck, and a sheep.

I had two magnetboard rhymes along.  If you ever don't have a magnetboard and need one in a jiffy, the tray for your AccuCut machine works just great!

Then we sang Old MacDonald using one of our craft samples.  This helped to show the kids what to do.  While it looks like a barn on the outside, there are clip art animals inside the bag that we had kids pick to choose our next animal in the song.

We also made paper bag animal puppets.  All of the pieces were precut so kids just had to color and glue their pieces onto their puppet.

The Early On coordinator brought milk and cookies for all of the kids so they each had a snack when they finished their crafts.

This program is so popular that they have asked if they can come more than once a year! My answer was "Yes, please!"

Guest Post-Palooza-The Runaway Cookies

 

As a part of the Flannel Friday is four celebration, I am guest hosting Jane's post below. 

Attributed to The San Diego County Kindergarten Club, from the book Storytelling with the Flannel Board, by Dr. Paul Anderson, this was another of my earliest flannel stories.

The pieces are pretty basic shapes, (cookie jar with lid, gingerbread man, sugary duck, frosted rabbit, cinnamon bear, and coconut lamb), but I used fabric paint to put in the details on each of the cookies. King County Library System has the words to the version I use, see:

http://tmas.kcls.org/the-runaway-cookies/

At the end of the story I sweep all of the cookies in my hand, and place hand to mouth, as if I devoured all the cookies. I turn to the children and ask, where do you think they went? Hm-m-m…

There is another version, see Flannel Friday, The Runaway Cookie Parade:

http://lisaslibraryland.blogspot.com/2012/12/flannel-friday-runaway-cookie-parade.html

 

You can find Jane McManus on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/storylady101jm/.
She is a Library Assistant who has been holding story times for 24 tears at the Winton Branch of the Rochester Public Library!  Although she doesn't have her own blog, she is one of the contributors to http://mclskids.pbworks.com/w/page/20658653/Story%20Time, part of the wiki of the Monroe County Library System in Rochester, NY. 

Guest Post-Palooza-The Owl and the Pussycat

 

As a part of the Flannel Friday is four celebration, I am guest hosting Jane's post below. 

 

The Owl and the Pussycat—According to Wikipedia, “is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published during 1871 as part of his book Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets. This poem I memorized in my youth so it became one of my first flannel graphs, (patterns are from The Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra, 2nd edition). I use an owl, cat, boat, island with tree, pig, turkey, moon, guitar, and a gold ring, as accessories. (I used a small hoop earring, with a little Velcro, for the gold ring. It makes for easy removal). There are several versions of this poem on YouTube.

 

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea     (place owl and cat in boat)

In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,             (add guitar)

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are,

You are,

You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!"  

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!

How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married! Too long we have tarried:

But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-Tree grows     (add island with tree, remove boat)

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood     (add pig, with ring)

With a ring at the end of his nose,

His nose,

His nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling

Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."         (remove ring from pig’s nose)

So they took it away, and were married next day  

By the Turkey who lives on the hill.         (add turkey, place ring on cat’s paw)

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,     (remove pig and turkey)

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;   

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

They danced by the light of the moon,     (add moon)

The moon,

The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

 

You can find Jane McManus on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/storylady101jm/.
She is a Library Assistant who has been holding story times for 24 tears at the Winton Branch of the Rochester Public Library!  Although she doesn't have her own blog, she is one of the contributors to http://mclskids.pbworks.com/w/page/20658653/Story%20Time, part of the wiki of the Monroe County Library System in Rochester, NY. 

Guest Post-Palooza-Froggy Went A-Courtin'

 

As a part of the Flannel Friday is four celebration, I am guest hosting Jane's post below.

Froggy Went A-Courtin’ – According to Wikipedia, “dates back to 1580, "A Moste Strange Weddinge of the Frogge and the Mouse." There are many texts of the ballad; however the oldest known musical version is in Thomas Ravenscroft’s Melismata in 1611.” John Langstaff won the Caldecott Medal for his book in 1956. Sharon, Lois and Bram filmed their TV version in 1986. And it was seeing this production, when my kids were growing up, which inspired me to create my flannel graph story.

Note: In the book, there are a lot more characters to the story, but these are the ones I use--frog, mouse, rat, snake, bumblebee and cat. I also add a veil for an accessory. There are several versions on YouTube if you need the tune. Little children are very forgiving. They’ll sing with enthusiasm if you do too.

Before we start, I ask the children if they can repeat,” uh-huh,”  “un-ugh,” and “ho-ho.” Once we practice repeating these phrases, then I tell the kids that they’re going to help me sing the song.

(Start with Frog in center of flannel board, leaving room for the cat to leer over at the end)

Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh        (uh-huh)
Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh        (uh-huh)
Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride
With a sword and pistol by his side, uh-huh        (uh-huh, uh-huh)

(Add Miss Mousey, place on frog’s knee)

He took Miss Mousey on his knee, uh-huh        (uh-huh)
He took Miss Mousey on his knee, uh-huh        (uh-huh)
He took Miss Mousey on his knee And said

"Miss Mousey, will you marry me?" uh-huh        (uh-huh, uh-huh)

 

 (Shake finger “No!”)
"Without my uncle Rat's consent, un-ugh (un-ugh)
“Without my uncle Rat's consent, un-ugh (un-ugh)
“Without my uncle Rat's consent
“I wouldn't marry the president!” un-ugh (un-ugh, un-ugh)
 

(Add Rat)
Uncle Rat laughed and shook his sides, ho-ho (ho-ho)
Uncle Rat laughed and shook his sides, ho-ho (ho-ho)
Uncle Rat laughed and shook his sides, he said:
“Missy Mouse, you’re going to be a bride!” Ho-ho (ho-ho, ho-ho)
(Add veil to Miss Mouse)

  

(Add snake)

The first guest to come was a slithering snake, uh-huh    (uh-huh)

The first guest to come was a slithering snake, uh-huh    (uh-huh)

The first guest to come was a slithering snake,

And he ate all of the wedding cake, uh-huh        (uh-huh, uh-huh)

(Add bumblebee where there’s room)

The next to come was the bumblebee, uh-huh        (uh-huh)

The next to come was the bumblebee, uh-huh        (uh-huh)

Next to come was the bumblebee,

And he had a banjo on his knee, uh-huh            (uh-huh, uh-huh)

(Position cat leering over all other characters)

Last to come was the old tom-cat, uh-huh        (uh-huh)

Last to come was the old tom-cat, uh-huh        (uh-huh)

Last to come was the old tom-cat,

He said, “I’ll put an end to THAT!” uh-huh        (uh-huh, uh-huh)

  

(Sweep all characters off the board except Frog and Mouse)

Frog and Miss Mousey honeymooned in France, uh-huh     (uh-huh)

Frog and Miss Mousey honeymooned in France, uh-huh   (uh-huh)

Frog and Miss Mousey honeymooned in France,

And this is the end of that romance, uh-huh         (uh-huh, uh-huh)

You can find Jane McManus on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/storylady101jm/.
She is a Library Assistant who has been holding story times for 24 tears at the Winton Branch of the Rochester Public Library!  Although she doesn't have her own blog, she is one of the contributors to http://mclskids.pbworks.com/w/page/20658653/Story%20Time, part of the wiki of the Monroe County Library System in Rochester, NY.