Pre-K Dig into Reading

With the Summer Reading program right around the corner, it was a fun day to dig into reading (the SRP theme).

Reminder:  There will be NO PRE-K STORYTIME NEXT WEEK OR IN JUNE!

The Zinghoppers will be at Perry next Thursday (May 30th) at 11:30 to kick off Summer Reading!

Theme: Dig into Reading

42 kids
3 siblings
35 adults

Books (and follow-up activity):

What a Treasure! by Jane Hillenbrand.  Mole unearths some great treasures for his friends and finally finds a special treasure of his own.

 

Follow up activity: Each child got a picture of a mole, bird, squirrel, or snail and found their corresponding treasure from the back of the room.  Children were instructed to find their care-givers and not only identify the picture but to sound out the words.

 

Graphics from: http://www.willhillenbrand.com/downloads/activity-manual.pdf

 

 

 

 Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke.  All the farm animals try to help a chick get out of the mud, but it turns out chick was just having some fun.

 

Movement:  Recorded song:  "Mud Puddle Jump"

After reading Stuck in the Mud, we had some fun of our own in mud puddles!

The kids all got a piece of yarn to make mud puddles with.  They walked around their mud puddles, jumped in them, splashed, and shook off the mud.  Some kids switched puddles before doing it all over again.

 

 

 

 

 

Letters of the Day:

We identified some burrowing animals based on their beginning letter sounds:

 

 

Flannel: Five Firecrackers

 

Check it out here

 

Exit:

All but a couple of children exited storytime today like moles: through one of the 3 tunnels I set up.  As they emerged they got a true mole treasure - a yummy bug to take home!

 

It was a fun way to end storytime!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Firecrackers - Flannel Friday

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  I hope you enjoy some fireworks, bbqs, and family  =)

This flannel was inspired by Mel's Popcorn flannel.

Five little firecrackers getting ready to zoom (five fingers up)

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle (build anticipation by sizzling hands low to high)

BOOM! (clap hands high above head)

4, 3, 2, 1.....

 

SHOUT OUT to Laura and Gary T for giving me the firecracker flannel idea!

 

Pre-K Caterpillars, Butterflies, and Moths

48 kids
5 siblings
38 adults

Thank you to my co-worker Lesley who voluntarily helps me present storytimes that can be interactive and include props.  You really bring storytime to life!!

Before we read about caterpillars, butterflies, and moths, we talked about metamorphosis  a little bit.

Here are some caterpillars and the flying critters they turn into.  Who would have guessed?!

 

 

Books:

 

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek. Lucy looks everywhere for her butterfly and finally finds it in the sky.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert (didn't have time to read).

 

  Don't Worry, Bear by Greg Folley.   PROPS manipulated by Lesley 

Bear worries about Caterpillar in his cocoon when it gets dark (turn off the lights), becomes windy (kids wooosh), starts to rain (mist kids with water), and snows (flurry fake snow over the kids).

 The rain and the snow were big hits!

Here are some snowy kids after storytime:

 

Movement Activities:

 

"Harry Caterpillar":  In this recorded song by Robert Davis, Harry Caterpillar wiggles, jiggles, and rolls himself all the way across the street and becomes a butterfly.  These worm rattles made great caterpillars and at the end we tied scarves to them to make butterflies.

 

 



Bibbity Boppity Boo:

 

(I adapted "Willaby Wallaby Woo" to a phrase I would fumble less over: Bibbity Boppity Boo)

(Every kid gets a butterfly)

 

Bibbity Boppity Boo / a butterfly sat on my shoe

Bibbety Boppity band / a butterfly sat on my hand etc.

 

Yoga Poses:

We did the "butterfly" pose and what I like to call the "spider on the ceiling" pose
You can check them out here

Letter of the Day:

The butterfly laid these colorful eggs and I guessed what letters were on them based on what words the kids were calling out to me.  I honestly don't look at the "eggs" first.