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Notes

Circle Time Basics & Beyond

August 4, 2016

Presented by Children’s Librarians

Kathryn Lee & Tina Lee

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Preparing & Running Your Circle Time

Preparing Your Circle Time Space:

• Be organized

• Felt board should be set up ahead of time

• All book and materials ready in a bag or box nearby

• If using, have CD player/ipod/speakers ready, can have music playing

before/after storytime

Structure

• For a 30 minute program, usually 2-3 books with a handful of songs/ rhymes in between, including some standing/stretching activities

• Theme or no theme

• Ask children questions before, during, after the story

• Take charge! Be confident, be firm. Ok to remind children AND parents about appropriate behaviour

• Repeat, repeat ,repeat! Repetition of rhymes is more than okay - it's how kids learn!

• Adapt stories and resources according to the level of your group

• Encourage participation from children and adults

• Make eye contact, smile, and have fun!

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Notes

Other Resources

Choose books that are:

Colourful Big Fun, interesting Suitable length Engaging and interactive

Choose books that invite participation, repetition, interaction: * Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort * The House That Zack Built by Alison Murray • A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems • Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter Guessing stories and lift-the-flap books are appealing and engaging: * I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs * Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley * Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan Shea Other notes: • Tell longer stories first while the attention span of audience is still

strong • Don’t be afraid to use non-fiction books, or longer stories that you can

simplify

Choosing Material - Books

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Embracing Diversity: Songs and Rhymes in 15 Languages, Burnaby Public Library http://bpl.bc.ca/kids/embracing-diversity Tell Me a Story, King County Public Library System http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/Category:Rhymes_&_Songs Jbrary http://www.jbrary.com Young Adults and Children’s Services Section, BCLA https://www.youtube.com/user/YAACSweb 3H Craftworks http://www.3hcraftworks.com/ Kidsbooks http://www.kidsbooks.ca Kites & Puppets (Granville Island Kids Market) http://www.kitesandpuppets.ca IKEA (for toys and puppets) http://www.ikea.com/ca Folkmanis puppets http://www.folkmanis.com Heartfelt Stories (felt stories) http://www.heartfeltstories.ca/ Westcoast Child Care Resources www.wstcoast.org (click on Libraries tab, choose Library) Mel’s Desk http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/ Storytime Katie http://storytimekatie.wordpress.com/ Storytime Underground Facebook group

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Choosing Material – Rhymes,

Fingerplays, Songs BPL Storytime Kits BPL has 80 Storytime kits that are available to check out with a group loan card. Each kit contains a collection of books, rhymes/songs, a CD, a felt story and a prop or puppet. Search on the Library’s online catalogue at www.bpl.bc.ca, using the keywords "storytime kit". Group Loan Cards Burnaby teachers and licensed daycare and preschool leaders are eligible for a group loan card, which will allow you to borrow storytime kits and unlimited titles from the library. Picture Book Index Visit any of BPL’s 4 branches and check out the children’s area, including the Parent/Teacher Resources. If you are looking for books on a particular topic, a librarian can print you a list of available library books using our picture book index. Online You can browse our catalogue from home and place books on hold and pick them up at any of our branches. BPL’s website has a resource page for parents, teachers, and group leaders. The first link, Early Childhood Education, provides links to sites with hundreds of ideas for new rhymes, songs, and fingerplays. http://www.bpl.bc.ca/kids/parents-and-teachers Materials in Different Languages BPL has also created the award winning Embracing Diversity Project, which features videos of popular rhymes and greetings in 15 different languages, as well as resources to learn about some of the cultures those languages represent. http://www.bpl.bc.ca/kids/embracing-diversity We also have My First Language Kits and many books/CDs in various languages.

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BPL Resources

Why use rhymes, fingerplays, and songs?

* A good way to transition between books

* Fun and playful way to incorporate language and physical movement

* Brings the attention back and gets the wiggles out

* Short release from quiet listening

* Opportunity for dramatic interpretation Choosing rhymes, fingerplays, and songs:

* Developmentally appropriate, nothing too hard

* Relate to your theme/books (optional)

* Active ones to get the wiggles out, slower ones to calm down

* Fun and easy opening/closing songs to repeat each time

Other notes:

* Ok to repeat several times and over several weeks

* Use them between books and when you need a break from a story

* Lots of resources for learning songs, fingerplays and rhymes (See P.9/10)

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Beyond Books – Props, Puppets,

Visual Stories, Oral Stories

How to use props and puppets in circle time: • Choose ones that are versatile – can be used for many different

stories/rhymes – and age appropriate (not too scary) • Practice manipulating and holding the puppet, get comfortable using it • Look at the puppet when it’s talking • Can have a “Storytime Mascot” to say hello and sing a welcome song • Easy to find inexpensive puppets, or make your own! • See Page 10 for places to buy Felt Stories: • Felt stories are easy and inexpensive to make, or you can buy • Can make them to go along with a song/rhyme, or use a book as inspiration (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pete the Cat) • Can also use felt to make finger puppets

Retelling Stories: • Children are natural storytellers. They play with stories like they’d play

with a toy - turning it inside out and upside down to explore all of its possibilities.

• As well as reading to children, have fun telling stories orally, with puppets or felt pieces, by acting them out, or even by drawing and crafts.

• Retelling stories help kids develop narrative skills - and provides hours of entertainment

• When telling with young kids, use lots of singing and clapping • When telling with older kids, have them guess the turn of events and

add new elements to the story.

Greeting Song: Hello everyone

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

Fingerplay/Song: Two Little Blackbirds (or variation)

Book: (Choose 1)

The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal The House That Zack Built by Alison Murray Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter

Song: Roly Poly (with variations)

Fingerplay/Song Itsy Bitsy Spider (with puppet) 5 Green and Speckled Frogs

Book: (Choose 1)

A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems Looking Closely Inside the Garden by Frank Serafini Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Action/Stretch Song: Zoom Zoom, Elevator Sleeping Bunnies (or variation)

Settle (transition back to sitting):

Two Little Hands

Felt/Puppet/oral story Pete the Cat & His 4 Groovy Buttons (felt story) 5 Little Monkeys & Crocodile (Puppets) Alligator Pie (clapping rhyme)

Closing: See You Later, Alligator (see page 7)

Stamps/Stickers Optional, but kids love them!

Sample Storytime for preschoolers

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Sample Songs/Rhymes

Roly Poly Roly poly, roly poly Up, up, up … up, up, up Roly roly poly, roly roly poly Down, down, down Down, down, down (Variations: fast/slow ,out/in, left/right, calm/crazy) Rain is Falling Down Rain is falling down (SPLASH!) Rain is falling down (SPLASH!) Pitter patter pitter patter Rain is falling down (SPLASH!) Elevator Oh the city is great And the city is grand There are lots of tall buildings On a little piece of land We live way up on the 57th floor And this is what we do When we go out the door Take the elevator up Take the elevator down Take the elevator up Take the elevator down Take the elevator up Take the elevator down And we turn around.

I’m a Little Cuckoo Clock (sway back and forth) Tick tock, tick tock I’m a little cuckoo clock. Tick tock, tick tock Now I’m striking 1 o’clock Cuckoo! Cuckoo! (jump up) (Repeat with two and three o’clock) Tic toc, tic toc, now it’s time for us to stop! Banana (start with both hands together above your head) Peel banana, peel peel banana Peel banana, peel peel banana -chop banana… -mash banana … -slice banana… -eat banana … -go Bananas!...

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Wind the Bobbin Wind the bobbin up, Wind the bobbin up, Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap. Wind it back again, Wind it back again, Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap. Point to the ceiling Point to the floor Point to the window Point to the door Clap your hands together, 1, 2, 3 Put your hands upon your knee. Alligator Pie Alligator pie, alligator pie, If I don't get some I think I'm gonna die. Give away the green grass, give away the sky, But don't give away my alligator pie. (Additional verses follow) Two Little Blackbirds Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill One named Jack, the other named Jill Fly away Jack, fly away Jill Come back Jack, come back Jill. (Additional verses follow)

Slippery Fish (Octopus) Slippery fish, slippery fish, swimming in the water, Slippery fish, slippery fish, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp! Oh, no! It’s been eaten by an… Octopus…squiggling Tuna fish…flashing Great white shark…lurking Humongous whale…spouting BURP! Excuse me! See You Later, Alligator (Tune: My Darling Clementine) See you later, alligator In a while, crocodile See you soon, big baboon Out the door, dinosaur Take care, polar bear Blow a kiss, jelly fish Give a hug, ladybug Wave good bye, butterfly

Sample Songs/Rhymes