For a break in between segments at the meeting, a few of our members demonstrated some of their favorite fingerplays and storytime activities, and discussed how each helps build early literacy skills.
Here are the fingerplays we modeled, along with the early literacy tips:
Colleen Spahr, Westminster Public Library
Clothing rhyme
This activity builds vocabulary by naming colors, clothing, and body parts. I use a Paddington Bear with red hat, blue coat, and yellow boots.
I adapted this from a song in Wee Sing for Baby by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp c1996
Brown bear’s wearing a red hat, red hat, red hat.
Brown bear’s wearing a red hat on his head.
Brown bear’s wearing a blue coat, blue coat, blue coat.
Brown bear’s wearing a blue coat on his back (pat back).
Brown bear’s wearing yellow boots, yellow boots, yellow boots.
Brown bear’s wearing yellow boots on his feet.
Then, I pick two or three children in storytime and sing about what they are wearing. (If there is not a particular body part involved with an item of clothing, you can end with “all day long.”)
Encourage parents and caregivers to sing this song when dressing the child. You may cite the study, "Effects of Mother's Speech on Infant Vocabulary," found in the Every Child Ready to Read workshop script.
Hey Diddle, Diddle
This version uses my own actions set to the version of the song found on Mother Goose Rocks, Volume One CD.
Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle, (pretend to play a fiddle)
The cow jumped over the moon. (jump up)
The little dog laughed to see such fun, (laugh out loud)
And the dish ran away with the spoon. (run in place)
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo! (bounce child on lap)
The child actually experiences the concepts "stop" and counting, reinforcing these words in their vocabulary.
Tick tock, tick tock. (rock child gently from side to side)
I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock, Stop! (stop rocking)
What time is it? It’s one o’clock!
Cuckoo! (bounce child up once or lift in air)
Tick tock, tick tock. (rock child gently from side to side)
I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock, Stop! (stop rocking)
What time is it? It’s two o’clock!
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! (bounce child up twice)
Repeat for 3 o’clock.
Slowly Creeps the Little Snail/Quickly Runs the Little Mouse
This rhyme introduces the concepts and the words for "slowly" and "quickly," "up" and "around." Like all rhymes, it builds Phonological Awareness in the listener.
I found this in What’ll I Do With the Baby-o? by Jane Cobb.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Creeps the little snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the wooden rail.
(Slowly creep fingers up baby's arm or leg.)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
All around the house.
(Quicky run fingers around baby's tummy and up to his underarm or some other ticklish spot.)
Carol Edwards, Denver Public Library
Playing with the Pattern
This helps parents and children see there is a pattern beyond the rhyme that can be varied and changed in many settings.
For example, there are several books that use the “brown bear, brown bear what do you see?" pattern. You can do this with some toy cars. Choose cars, pickups, buses, etc in varied colors. Hold them up as you chant, "Green truck, green truck, what do you see?" I end with a purple spaceship that sees children looking at me!
Other adaptations: dishes in the kitchen, craft items like pencils, markers, crayons, etc.
Slippery Fish : Vocabulary
Oceans are as wonderful as our mountains, but there are many new words connected to the ocean that we might not use without making it a point. Sing this song to introduce new vocabulary words! It is a Charlotte Diamond song; listen to it here!
Slippery fish, slippery fish
Swimming in the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
Tuna fish, tuna fish,
Swimming in the water,
Tuna fish, tuna fish,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
Octopus, octopus,
Swimming in the water,
Octopus, octopus,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
Great white shark, great white shark
Swimming in the water,
Great white shark, great white shark,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
Humongous whale, humongous whale
Spouting in the water,
Humongous whale, humongous whale,
Gulp! Gulp Gulp!
Buuuurp!
Excuse me, too much fish!
Calming activity: Coming back to center.
We like to have fun, but helping children lower their activity levels is as important as allowing them time to move around.
Song: Fold arms loosely and make one fist a kitty’s head, while the other strokes it.
Soft kitty, warm kitty
Let me pet your fur.
Soft kitty, warm kitty
Purr, purr, purrrrrr
Repeat slower and softer until everyone’s kitty is purring happily and quietly!
Melissa Depper, Arapahoe Library District
Letter Knowledge has as its basis shape recognition skills. Anytime we talk about shapes, differences, or opposites with our children, we are helping them practice the differentiating skills they will need later when they work to tell the P from the R and the Q from the O!
This is a rhyme I made up for my baby storytime. We say it every week!
This is big, big, big
Hold arms out to side
This is small, small, small
Cup hands together
This is short, short, short
Hold hands palms in lap, facing up and down towards each other
This is tall, tall, tall
Reach one hand above head, other in lap, palms facing up and down toward each other
This is fast, fast, fast
Circle fists quickly
This is slow, slow, slow
Circle fists slowly
This is yes, yes, yes
Nod
This is no, no, no!
Shake head
Priscila Queen, Douglas County Libraries