Literacy is not a luxury and that’s just what children’s librarians at the Guerrilla Storytime events are trying to profess when we gather to share ideas and learn from each other. The first Guerrilla Storytime of the 2015 Annual Conference happened this afternoon and I wanted to share a little taste of what it’s like:

(Video taken by Abby Johnson at the Guerrilla Storytime event)

Children’s librarians from all over the country gathered at the ALA Networking Uncommons to demonstrate storytime skill and activities, to share tips on managing storytimes, and to learn from each other at this grassroots event.

While Guerrilla Storytimes happen at the ALA Annual and Midwinter Conferences, lots of librarians are making them happen at their state library conferences, too. The folks at Storytime Underground have created a Guerrilla Storytime toolkit that can help you bring this awesome training opportunity to wherever YOU happen to be!

There will be additional Guerrilla Storytimes held on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and you can follow the hashtag #guerrillastorytime to follow along at home (and add your expertise!).

— Abby Johnson, Youth Services Manager
New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
New Albany, IN

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Back in April, I wrote about how we are shaking up our Summer Storytime schedule and adding in a new program called Fandom Jr. The idea is to offer a drop in program on Friday mornings based on popular preschool topics and themes. I promised an update!

I hosted my first Fandom Jr. last week and it was a huge success! For our first program, I wanted to focus on community heroes, so we chose the popular Nick Jr. show, Paw Patrol. The program combined a little bit of a playtime, a little bit of a storytime, and lots of fun.

I had lots of various activities and stations set up around the room including:

• Pin the badge on the pup (made by one of my amazing staff using materials from the Nick Jr website)
• Community Helper dolls (from our circulating toy collection-we have three sets of  community helper action figures and this was a good way to highlight this collection as well)
• Reading station filled with books about community helpers
• Match the worker to their tools game-I had pictures of four workers-dentist, farmer, mail carrier, and fire fighter-as well as the tools they use.
• Paw Patrol Coloring Sheets-(from the Nick Jr. website)
• Paw Patrol Character Matching Game (again using resources from Nick Jr)
• Write a letter to a community helper. I made a simple letter template and put out crayons and pencils for the kids to write.

I also set up a display of books and DVDs about community helpers. I started the program with a reading of Officer Buckle and Gloria and read I’m Brave about halfway through the accomodate the new crowd that had come in later in the morning. Over the course of our 2-hour drop in program, we had around 70 kids show up and play.

Even though it was a drop in program, most of the crowd showed up at 11:00, when we started, so it will be interesting to see how this week’s program works and if the crowd is more split up throughout the morning. The kids and parents both had a great time and it was fun to see them engaging in our Library resources and connecting a popular show with another topic. Most of the book display checked out which I thought was great! I’m eager to see how the rest of the series goes throughout the Summer!

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The last time I talked about my storytime set-up, I was in my last library. Since then things have changed and I thought I would share my new set-up.

My library has a dedicated storytime space. The room can hold up to 45 people comfortably but it definitely gets hot in there with that many bodies!

I now have a long countertop that I can utilize throughout storytime, so most of my belongings are stored here, on the back wall — out of reach of toddlers!

I keep everything in the same order every week so I know where everything is without looking: CD player and CDs, bag where I store my puppets, clipboard that has my outline on it, books, song cube & parent hand-outs, bubbles, and flannelboards.

I try my very best to keep the bubbles hidden behind my flannelboard and easel, otherwise the kids would be demanding bubbles from the start of the program. But you can still see them if the kids are looking really hard!

I really like this set-up compared to my last library’s where most of my belongings were stored on my flannelboard easel’s shelf. I think that not rummaging through the shelf to find what I’m looking for makes for easier seamless transitions. The only thing I don’t like about this set-up is that I often turn my back to the group to get something. I try to keep talking while I do that so I’m still engaged with the group.

How is your storytime space set up? What do you think about it? Do you have anything you wish was different? Let me know in the comments!

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Library
http://storytimekatie.com

The post Setting Up Storytime! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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I’ve spent the week with a case of the sniffles. And not because of a cold, thank goodness! It’s our last week of our spring storytime session and it’s a mixture of emotions.

Thank Yous
This week has been full of thanks. From one of my toddlers who has finally mastered signing “thank you” in American Sign Language to the parent who thanked me for teaching her child how to say his name with our name fingerplay. And of course, there’s a lot of gratitude in our evalution sheets. The one pictures is actually from our winter session since I forgot to snap a picture earlier today.

Goodbyes
With all of that thanks comes the goodbyes. The graduates — some of which I’ve had in my toddler storytime since I started at my library a year ago. A year ago we were strangers and now we’ve both got separation anxiety as they move up to our preschoool class. And the families that are moving away, both far and near, who made sure to snap pictures with me and give me hugs at the end of their last class.

Personal Connections
The babies who have become so comfortable with me after seven weeks that they reach out to be picked up and cuddled. The toddlers who run into class full-strength at my chair to get the seat next to Miss Katie. Seeing an entire room of patrons enthusiastically participating in our goodbye rhyme because they know it by heart now.

Basically, I’m a wreck and though I know I need that break before summer reading starts, I’m already missing my weekly kiddos. I’ll just have to keep looking at pictures and counting the days until kick-off.

Do you get sentimental at the end of storytime? I can’t be the only one with watery eyes! Let all those feelings out in the comments!

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

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My library is storytime central. We’re the largest branch in our system and we’re the headquarters branch, which means lots of traffic. We also end up being “the toddler branch” which means huge numbers for storytime. My staff always joke we could do storytime every hour of every day and have a huge crowd at each session. We even hosted a day one summer where we ended up with storytime at 10, 11, 1 and 4 by accident of overlapping programming days and they were all full!

This summer I’ve decided to shake up our storytimes just a bit. I’m trying something new and we’ll see how it goes. We discovered last year that the best use of our storytime and staff resources would be to repeat toddler storytimes on our busiest days. Our numbers for storytime climb even higher in the summer, we have an influx of people on vacation, teachers, and families who only can come to storytime in the summer. In order to accommodate everyone without having to require registration, we opted to add additional toddler storytimes and it worked out great.

Our preschool storytimes, while well attended, just don’t seem to have as much of an increase. We have a lot of preschoolers, but they also get busy with lessons, classes, and more. I thought about what our preschool families want in addition to storytime-more programming for the preschool crowd-and added that into the mix.

Our summer schedule will be:

Monday-Baby Storytime for infant-18 months

Tuesday & Wednesday-2 back to back storytimes 0-36 months, 1 storytime for 3-6

Every Other Saturday-all ages storytime

Friday-Introducing……

Fandom Jr! Fandom Jr. came out of a brainstorm with a staff member who wanted to do a Doc McStuffins program. We do a Fandoms program for the teens and we often to programs for the tweens based on Fandoms, so why not create a weekly drop in program with some storytime elements and make that another preschool option for summer? The idea will be to bring kids in with the subject (pirates & princesses, Elephant and Piggie, Paw Patrol) and then use that as a starting point to show them what the library has to offer. We chose our themes with the idea of creating a broader program in mind and we’re hoping we can get the kids and parents to not just walk away with some character themed books and activities, but with some connections too.

We’ll see how it goes. I think it will be lots of fun and it’s something new to add to our programming. And with it lasting two hours and being a drop in program, we can accommodate large attendance and have more in depth activities that we aren’t always able to do in the shorter time frame of storytime.

Fingers crossed our idea works and we have a blast this summer with our Fandoms Jr!

 

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Friends and colleagues, it is time to get organized! Spring is here — even though the nearly half a foot of snow Chicago just received might indicate otherwise — and summer is on the horizon. Now is the time to prepare for the chaos awaiting us come June.

So here are my tips and tricks for getting some simple office supplies and storage solutions working to keep us in tip-top shape.

Closet Storage Bins + Library Hanging Bags = Felt Flannelboard Solutions
and
Hanging File Folders + Sandwich Bags = Clip Art Flannelboard Solutions

I store my flannelboards in two different ways. For the felt sets, I use six closet storage bins and library hanging bags to organize. Each bag contains all of my flannel pieces and a sheet of paper explaining the rhyme, story, song, or game to be used with the pieces. These are in alphabetical order and I allow all of my co-workers to borrow any set as long as they let me know. It takes up two shelves in my cube, but I feel it is well-used space since I have an estimated 150 flannelboards.

The second way I store flannelboards are for my clip art laminated flannelboards. I use a simpler system. I put all the pieces in a sandwich bag and write the name of the flannelboard on the outside of the bag. Afterwards, I toss them in these alphabetical hanging files. I don’t include the rhymes in these since most of these sets are my Letter Puzzles and different versions of the “If You Have…” song I use often.

Desktop Organizers + More Bins + Clipboards = Storytime Solutions

I use a simple trick to get my books organized for storytime. Desktop organizers are absolutely perfect; the ones in this picture are typical called vertical file organizers. [A very similar one to mine looks like this example from Staples.] Each slot holds a week of storytime books, flannels, and CDs. I can grab a whole slot with ease on my way to step up!

The cloth bins are where all of my personal finger puppets (in the little ones) and hand puppets (in the bottom ones) go. I got both of these sets on clearance once college organizers hit the sales rack. The little ones I’ve had for quite a few years, but the tubs at the bottom are new for this year. All of these were fairly inexpensive since I waited for sales. I like using cloth bins because it doesn’t smash the puppets down like other storage solutions might.

Clipboards! At this point, you might have figured out that I never grew out of shopping for back-to-school supplies. But clipboards make my life so much easier! I keep a clipboard for each of my three weekly storytime programs. Before the sessions starts, I print out each week’s activities and attendance sheets. I put them all on the clipboard. I’m able to have this nearby in storytime in case I blank on an activity and can immediately circle the activities that we used that week. Keeping the papers on the clipboard allows me to write anywhere and also makes sure the papers don’t get crinkled in my storytime bag.

Plastic Bins + Old Kit Bags + Small Bins = Drawer Solutions
and
Managing the In-box Solutions

Manage the little minutia by hiding it in a drawer! In here you can see I try to compartmentalize my mess. All of my little office supplies (tape, post-its, expo markers, tacky glue) lives in a small cloth bin, with easy access. The plastic bin underneath the batteries, HDMI cord and cleaning cloths contains my felt supply at work in case I need to make a back-up felt piece. The green kit bag has all the extra charging cords and cables associated with our circulating LeapFrog kits. (That’s what the batteries and cleaning cloths are for as well — part of my job maintaining that collection means cleaning and battery checking once a kit comes back.)

Now for the paper in-box. Get three bins. The top is for weekly to-do items, the middle is for items to be filed, and the bottom is for on-going projects. Right now the top bin has a muffin tin to remind me to make felt cinnamon rolls. The middle bin has some strategic planning documents and ILS training sheets. The bottom bin it contains a replacement order I have to wait to order until after our ILS change in April, an audio order catalog to go through, and my clipboards that have programs that need to be written up from this week. The hardest thing to remember about the in-box is when your week ends, it should be empty except for on-going projects. I’ve used this system for years, including when I was a manager. It is GOLD for me.

I hope you feel confident and full of new ideas about tackling organization now! If you want specific product information, please email me [simplykatie(at)gmail(dot)com] and I will send you more information. If you want to trade tips and tricks, please feel free to do so in the comments! Do you have a favorite organization technique? Or a great idea to share? Let us know!

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

The post Spring Cleaning: Storytime Style appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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As a member of the 2015 Caldecott committee, making “the call” to Dan Santat on the morning of February 2 was such a thrill. The good folks at ALA make it possible for you to experience it HERE. Once the announcements of the Caldecott awards were made public, the Internet buzzed. One of the first things I saw online after the announcements was this short video from Dan Santat. It melted my heart. I was running on adrenaline, very little sleep, and home-made ginger cookies at this point, and that little clip just really got me. Dan Santat’s first Tweet of that day was “I’m so bummed the Patriots won the #SuperBowl last night. My whole day is ruined.” I immediately thought, “The guy is funny!” You can follow him on Twitter @dsantat. When I got back to my hotel room, I saw this amazing craft from This Picture Book Life blog. It inspired me to create my own Snow Beekle once I got back home.

When I was home I really dug in to read the Caldecott news. There are several interviews that will give you more about Dan Santat, like this one from Publisher’s Weekly, this one from NPR, this one from Dan’s local station in Pasadena, and this one on the 7 Impossible Things blog. And there’s this fun podcast from Picturebooking.

So, there’s a lot of Beekle love out there, and it is well-deserved. This year’s Caldecott medal book is one that you can share at preschool storytime. There’s already a craft you can make (with preschoolers I’d use frosting scribblers instead of Sharpie marker to make the face because you know they are going to want to eat it). You can use The Adventures of Beekle, the Unimaginary Friend with older groups, too. It is a seemingly simple book, but so much is going on. Embedded in this story is the archetypal Hero’s Journey: Beekle leaves home on a quest, heeding his call to adventure. He leaves his normal world and ventures out into the unknown. He then experiences trials in that world: he is looking for something, and searches valiantly. Once Beekle finds what he is looking for, and has bonded with his new friend, he can return, and do the unimaginable. For more on the Hero’s Journey, and how Beekle relates, try this link.

Look closely at that art! Each section of the journey is denoted by color and slight style changes, and fits the pacing just right. Look for the color yellow to tell you that change or something significant has occurred. Look at the emotion on our hero’s face when he meets his friend. Explore those end pages. Take that dust jacket off and revel in the lovely board cover underneath. Find the joy in this book that so many young children do. And don’t forget to look for the Beekle Bum – that image gets noticed every time I share this book in storytime.
Have fun with this book, and if you have more ideas on how to use it in storytime or in the classroom, share in the comments!

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Online Courses

Explore new ideas and great library thinking with ALSC online courses! ALSC is offering four great options including three CEU-certified courses. All courses are offered asynchronously (self-directed) meaning you won’t need to logon at a specific time. Learn new youth library-specific skills at a pace that’s comfortable and convenient. Courses start Monday, April 6, 2015.

• Children with Disabilities in the Library
  6 weeks, April 6 – May 15, 2015, CEU Certified Course, 3 CEUs
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
  4 weeks, April 6 – May 1, 2015, CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs
• Storytelling with Puppets
  4 weeks, April 6 – May 1, 2015, CEU Certified Course, 2.2 CEUs

Webinars

Because life in a library moves fast, ALSC webinars are the perfect solution for someone who wants and needs educational information but doesn’t have a lot of time or resources.  These short (one to two hour) interactive sessions taking place in Adobe Connect give librarians and library support staff the opportunity to learn right at their desks.

March

Building STEAM with Día: The Whys and Hows to Getting Started
Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 12 pm Eastern/11 am Central

May

Celebrating with Poetry Snapshots
Thursday, May 7, 2015, 3 pm Eastern/2 pm Central

Archived Webinars

Missed a webinar you wanted to attend? Don’t worry! ALSC presents archived versions of webinars, which are offered at a discounted price. Archived webinars cost only $25. Please note that recorded versions are not available until all of the live sessions of that webinar have taken place.

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A new highly interactive early literacy storytime featuring instrument exploration, songs, fingerplays, dance and books for ages 3 and up.

Created by Community Librarians Sheila Grier and Chandra vanEijinsbergen, Music, Movement, and Stories (MnMS for short) is one of my favorite new children’s programs for ages 3-5 at Deschutes Public Library.  The music cd’s, books, and musical instruments circulate between all six branches.  The program includes two stories and lots of dancing, singing and playing musical instruments.

I joined Sheila and Chandra in our Early Learning Space at the Downtown Bend Library and we made some noise!   We talked about the most asked about questions and shared favorite books and ideas.

How did MnMS start?

“Music Movement and Stories started when I began to read about doing a music program at our library and wondered why most music programs at libraries do not include the great books we have about music, dancing or sing-along books.  We can feature these books along with our cd collection,” says Sheila.

Do you use a different theme each week?  (scarves flying around…)

Chandra VanEijinsbergen says, “Some of the librarians do.  Like with regular story time, I like the idea of using themes in MnMS.   Some themes came together naturally, for example farms.  Easy to find both books and songs about farms and farm animals.   Food was more difficult- books were easy and songs to use with shakers or musical instruments, were sort of easy.”

When do you offer MnMS?

“We do MnMS on a different day than our regular story times, Baby Steps, Toddlin Tales and Preschool Parade,” says Sheila

 What is your story time structure?

• Welcoming/Hello song
• Listening song
• Two movement songs
• Story (book or felt board)
• Two musical prop songs – ribbons, scarves, bean bags, hoops, etc.
• Story (book or felt board)
• Two musical instrument songs
• Goodbye song

Ideas for handing out and getting materials back?

“Sing a song”, says Sheila.  For example, Kathy Reid-Naiman’s “I’m Passing Out the Sticks” & “Time to Put Away”.  “Talk about the instrument or prop as you are handing them out.  Put a container in the middle of the room, they will happily return items.”

Any great tips to share?

Sheila’s tip:  Telling the parents that it’s ok to look silly and dance it’s a must, their child, grandchild will think they are wonderful and mimic what the adult is doing.  I love seeing the dads and grandpas dancing.

Chandra’s tip:  Remove chairs from the story time space.  This encourages caregivers to sit and participate with their child.  If you have a smaller group, sitting in a circle is nice.

Paige’s tip:  Take over the whole story time room.  Wiggle, shake, shimmy, jump and march across the room backwards.

Thank you Sheila and Chandra!  Check out their recommended books and music below!

 Traditional Song Picture Books

• Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand
• Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long
• Old MacDonald by Jessica Souihami
• On Top of Spaghetti by Paul Johnson
• Over in the Meadow by Jill McDonald
• Pete the Cat Wheels on the Bus by James Dean
• Ten in the Den by John Butler
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Sylvia Long

By Jane Cabrera

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
• Row Row Row Your Boat
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• Ten in the Bed
• Wheels on the Bus

by Iza Trapani

• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• The Bear Went over the Mountain
• Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush
• How Much is that Doggy in the Window
• Itsy Bitsy Spider  *
• I’m a Little Tea Pot
• Row Row Row Your Boat
• Shoo Fly
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Scarves or Ribbons

• Wiggle Song by Dragon Tales from Dragon Tales-
• Freeze by Michael Plunkett from Shakin the Chute
• Fast Slow by Laura Berkner from the Best of
• Parachute (or ribbons)
• Got the Wiggles by Michael Plunkett from Ribbons and Rhythms
• Long Ribbons by Michael Plunkett from Ribbons and Rhythms
• Shake Your Reader Ribbons by Pam Schiller  from Leaping Literacy
• Ribbon Dance by Michael Plunkett from Rhyme and Rhyme movement

Bean Bags

• Beanie Bag Dance by Greg and Steve  from Kids in Action
• Bean Bag Boogie by Learning Station from Me and My Bean Bag
• Bean Bag Rock by Georgiana Stewart from Action Songs for Preschoolers
• The Bean Bag by Hap Palmer from Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet

Dancing/Movement Stories

• Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont
• Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
• Dance with me by Charles Smith Jr.
• Dancing Feet or Farmyard Beat by Linda Craig
• Dancing in my Bones by Sylvia Andrews
• Down by the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton
• Hilda Must be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Listening and Free Dance Songs 

• Wiggle Walk by Georgiana Stewart from Toddlerific
• Jump Jump by Lolly Hollywood from Go! Go! Go!
• March Around by Lolly Hollywood from Go! Go! Go!
• Put Your Little Foot by Carole Peterson from Dancing Feet
• My Energy by Laura Berkner from Under a Shady Tree
• Jump Up by from Imagination Movers
• The Wiggle Song by Carole Peterson from Sticky Bubblegum
• Rock and Roll Freeze Dance by Hap Palmer from So Big
• Clap Your Hands by Singalong Kidz from Singalong Kidz
• Parachute (or ribbons)
• Clap Your Hands by Kathy Reid Naiman from Preschool Songs 1
• Walking Walking by Ann Marie Akin from Songs for Wiggleworms
• Put Your Finger On by Parachute Express from Feel the Music
• Stretch!  by Dragon Tales  from Dragon Tales
• Clap Clap Clap Your Hands by Carole Peterson from Sticky Bubble Gum
• Statues by Georgiana Stewart from Action Songs for Preschoolers
• Hands are for Clapping by Jim Gill from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and other contagious tunes
• Twist Stop Hop by Ronno from Jump Start Action Songs
• I Can Do It by Patty Shukla from I Can Do It
• Say & Rhyme by Pam Schiller from Leaping Literacy
• I Can Dance by Ronno from Jump Start Action Songs
• Spaghetti Legs by Jim Gill  from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and other contagious tunes
• Warm Up Time by Georgiana Stewart from Action Songs for Preschools
• The Freeze by Steve and Greg from We All Live Together
• The Airplane Song by Laura Berkner from Whaddya Think of That
• I have a little scarf by Eine Kleine NachtMusick from Moving with Mozart
• Dancing Scarf Blues by Carole Peterson from Dancing Feet      

   Bells

• Bell Horses by Kathy Reid Naiman from I Love to Hear the Sounds
• Tideo By Kathy Reid Naiman from More Tickle Tunes
• Oh children ring your bells by Kathy Reid Naiman from I love to hear the Sounds
• Ring them on the Floor by Kathy Reid Naiman from I love to hear the Sounds     

Rhythm Sticks

•  Nursery Rhyme Tap  by Pam Schiller from Leaping Literacy
• Tap your Sticks By Hap Palmer from Rhymes on Parade
• When the Saints Come Marching in by Georgiana Stewart from Rhythm Sticks Rock
• Sticks on the Move by Georgiana Stewart from Rhythm Sticks Rock
• Rhythm Stick March  by Michael Plunkett from Rhythm Stick Rap and Tap
• Chim, Chimmy Chimpanze By Pam Schiller from  Leaping Literacy

 Shakers

• Milkshake by Anne– Marie Akin from Songs for Wiggleworms
• We’re going to the Market by Kathy Reid-Naiman from I Love to Hear the Sounds
• Shaker Hop by Carole Peterson from Dancing feet        

For more great MnMS recommendations, please email Sheila Grier at [email protected]

Paige Bentley-Flannery is a Community Librarian at Deschutes Public Library. For over fifteen years–from Seattle Art Museum to the New York Public Library to the Deschutes Public Library-Paige’s passion and creative style for art, poetry and literature have been combined with instructing, planning, and providing information. Paige is currently serving on the ALSC Notable Children’s Book Committee, 2015 – 2017. She is a former Chair of the ALSC Digital Content Task Force and member of the ALSC Great Websites Committee.  

    

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March 4 is World Read-Aloud Day

I’ll be celebrating with several special events in the San Diego area this month.

March 7, 2pm
Storytime at The New Children’s Museum to celebrate Reading Week. Join me for a read-aloud of Fox and Crow Are Not Friends!

March 13, all day
Greater San Diego Reading Association Author’s Fair, Kimball Elementary School, National City

March 14, 4pm
Learn2Earn Readathon Event at Carmel Valley Library

March 19, 5:30pm
Toler Literacy Night • featured speaker

***

Join me in Mankato, Minnesota this June for the
Deep Valley Homecoming

June 26-30, 2015
I will be a featured speaker at this very special Betsy-Tacy event. Hope to see you there!

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Here is a story, told in pictures, of five things I wasn’t prepared for before I became a storytime librarian:

1. That I would chose to spend so much of my free time doing things I love that happen to relate to work.

First of all, this is 100% my choice to spend my time researching beginning readers and making flannelboards. And I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t make me happy.

Working with felt and sewing finger puppets have become my favorite way to relax. Seriously, I sewed a set of five little ballerinas during last year’s Stanley Cup play-offs and it was the only way I could avoid a panic attack while cheering on my team.

2. That I would suddenly develop the talent to make anything that I needed out of craft supplies.

Do you need a musical instrument? Give me two pieces of paper, two rubber bands, and two popsicle sticks and I will give you a harmonica. Do you need a traffic light prop for storytime? Easy — one piece of foam board, three small paper plates, three recycled paperclip boxes, three sheets of felt and hot glue.

How about a Frozen costume? I made my Princess Anna costume in about an hour and a half using discounted black fabric, a few felt sheets, a spool of ribbon, a $5 tshirt, and a recycled formal dress.

3. That I would become very conscientious about germ exposure!

My weekly routine involves taking our scarves home to wash after every use. (My library is lucky enough to have about 120 scarves — more than enough for multiple classes and a single weekly wash.)

My daily routine involves washing shaker eggs and wiping down board book pages. Lately, I’ve upped the game to include spraying the room with disinfectant and wiping down all surfaces (doors, cabinets, handles, counters, etc.). It may seem like a lot of work, but I want my little ones to stay healthy!

4. That I would never stop learning or wanting to learn new skills.

The great thing about storytime is that there are always new books and songs and rhymes to explore. I love finding a new favorite read-aloud and sharing it with my storytime families.

As you might guess with the picture, my big goal this year is to learn how to play the ukulele and to feel confident enough to perform in storytime! I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m slowly improving. I feel like I’ve finally got strumming down after a weekly practice session.

5. That I would feel such fulfillment and joy each day of work.

I have the best job in the world. I spend my days connecting preschoolers with books, dancing with toddlers, and watching babies grow up.

There is absolutely nothing better than seeing a child’s face light up when they see you and have them demand a hug. Or hearing about how a child insists on playing “Miss Katie” when they get home.

Obviously these are all pretty sweet things that I wasn’t prepared for (well, except for the germs!), but how about you? What were you unprepared for with storytime?

Let me know in the comments!

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library

http://storytimekatie.com

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It occurred to me the other day that this spring officially marks five years since I took over storytime.

While I’m feeling very reinvigorated since starting at my library almost a year ago, I know that keeping your storytimes fresh is an integral part of avoiding librarian burnout. Here’s some tips I brainstormed to freshen up your storytimes!

• Take a break. Try to take some time off or have a co-worker cover you for a few weeks. Breaks are a great way to re-energize yourself and your storytimes.

 

• Change your routine. If you’re been using the same six songs and you’re feeling bored, chances are your storytime patrons are feeling it too.

 

• Read all of the picture books on the new shelf. Think of the ideas that might spark from new books!

 

• Learn a new skill. If you’ve never tried live music or flannelboards, now is the time to give them a whirl. (My personal goal is to learn three ukulele songs this year!)

 

• Visit another library’s storytimes. See if you can arrange a swap between a neighboring librarian and yourself to offer constructive criticism.

 

• Attend a conference or training session. Being around other librarians can often spark new ideas and thoughts.

 

• Introduce a new manipulative. Maybe it’s time to make some shaker eggs or invest in a parachute.

 

• Randomize some of your choices. Make a song or rhyme cube. Throw all of the themes you’d like to do one day into a jar and pick them out a few weeks before.

 

• Fall down a storytime rabbit hole online. Check out some new blogs. Watch a great Youtube playlist. Scour a Pinterest board.

 

• Reach out to other librarians. Host a Guerrilla Storytime for local librarians. Organize a Prop/Flannelboard Petting Zoo.

What are your favorite ways to keep storytime fresh? Let me know in the comments.

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

The post Keeping Storytime Fresh for You! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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I've been goofing off for a few weeks, enjoying some family time while my oldest were home from college for the holidays.  Now it's time to get back to business.

I tried something new today.  I put my favorite, rhyming Valentine's Day books for story time in a Riffle list that should allow for scrolling.  I'll put my favorite Valentine's Day rhymes and songs below.  Enjoy!



"A Kiss"  (a fingerplay, prop story, felt board, or song)

There's something in my pocket,
Could it be a moose?
Could it be a train with a bell and a caboose?
Could it be a snake or some sticky glue?
Right here in my pocket is a KISS from me to you! (blow kiss)

I have a photo of a moose glued to a popsicle stick, a train whistle, a bell, a plastic, jointed snake, and glue.  I pull them all out at the appropriate times.

Credit: King County Library System

A Valentine fingerplay:

Show children how to put the "heels" of their palms together and then curve fingers around , meeting on top to form a heart. The rhyme goes like this:

"I put my hands together,
this is how I start;
I curve my fingers right around
and I can make a Heart!"

Credit: Everything Preschool

"Skidamarink" or "Skinnamarink"
You can find this favorite online if you don't already know it.

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What would you do with storytime on New Year’s Eve day?

On the morning of December 31, my library had our regularly scheduled storytimes for groups and families.   Even though we have an extensive collection, I just wasn’t inspired by any of the New Year’s books that I found.

Party?

  Nah.

           Surprise?

                                  Yawn.

                                                 A book with lots of celebrating and excitement?

                                                                  That’s EVERY storytime book!!!

Standing in the stacks, blinking at the books, I reflected on what I hoped my 2015 might look like and what resolutions I was setting.  And, what is a New Year without friendship?  Developmentally, preschoolers are beginning to gain the ability to see things from someone else’s point of view.  They are just developing their “friending skills” and the behaviors that make them a good friend.  Preschoolers also tend to enjoy reading books about friends and developing friendships.

Have you ever searched for picture books about friendship?  There are so many great titles from which to choose.  “Leonardo the Terrible Monster” by Mo Willems!  “Mr. Pusskins” by Sam Lloyd!!  “Fluffy and Baron” by Laura Rankin!!!

How can you tell a true friend from a not-so-stellar one?  There are also plenty of books about the kind of friends I might try to avoid.  “This is Not My Hat” by Jon Klassen :/  “Bossy Bear” by David G. Horvath :/ ” Meet the Wild Boars” by Meg Rosoff :/

At storytime, I told the children that I wanted more friends this year and that I needed their help to learn how to be a good friend.  Their suggestions were pretty good:

• Share
• Hug and Kiss
• Say nice things
• Hold their hand
• Let them use your toys
• Ask them to play
• Eat with them, especially chicken nuggets

After that storytime, I’m feeling pretty set for 2015 to be the best year yet!!

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Our guest blogger today is Marra Honeywell. Marra is the Assistant Manager of the Children’s Services department of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

The post Thinking about a New Year’s Storytime appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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Happy holidays from ALSC!

Know what makes for happy holidays? The encouragement and enthusiasm of learning alongside your peers in an ALSC online course.

Registration is now open for the winter 2015 ALSC online course season. Topics include children with disabilities, STEM programming, using puppets, and storytime. Classes start Monday, January 5, 2015.

Three of the courses being offered this semester are eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). The American Library Association (ALA) has been certified to provide CEUs by the IACET. ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. For more information on ALSC online learning, please visit: http://www.ala.org/alsced

Children with Disabilities in the Library
6 weeks, January 5 — February 13, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 3 CEUs

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytelling with Puppets
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015

Storytime Tools
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Online Learning site. Fees are $115 for personal ALSC members; $165 for personal ALA members; and $185 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer for Continuing Education, Kristen Sutherland or 1 (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

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My library has seven storytimes a week and we typically see around 30 kids at each storytime. We’re also the headquarters branch with the most traffic and additional programs, so I think it’s vital for my staff to take breaks during the year to regroup and refresh and plan for our next round of storytimes. We take off the months of May (to help us promote, prepare for, and kick off the Summer Reading Program) and the month of December (typically we have lower traffic in the branch and we noticed that between iffy weather and so much being packed into patron’s schedules, our attendance is much lower).

I’ve learned to present these storytime breaks to our storytime families by telling them that we are taking a break  to get ready for our next round of storytimes and we want to plan and prepare the best programs for them. I also let them know that while we won’t be hosting weekly activities, we still will have things happening in the library and that they are always welcome to visit the library! I found that in presenting it this way is a great approach and our patrons feel like we care about them and want to provide the best we can. I even have several patrons comment on how we work so hard that we deserve a break, which is nice!

We want to make sure we do still have various activities going on, so we use the months we’re off from storytime to focus on a lot of passive programming as well as a few special programs throughout the month. Here’s what we have going on during our storytime break this month:

-Cookie Club-We kick off our Cookie Club Winter Reader’s Club in December. I got this idea from Marge Louch-Waters from Tiny Tips for Library Fun and adapted it for my library. In our club, the kids get a card to get stamped each time they visit the library. They are also invited to decorate a cookie (a brown circle) and place it in our workroom window. If the kids get six stamps by the end of February, they get a special invite to our invite only Cookie Club party in March. At the party we read books about cookies, play cookie games, make cookie crafts and of course eat cookies! The parents and the kids get excited about this. This is our third year doing the Cookie Club and I had a family say “Oh yes! The Cookie Club is back!”

-Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award Voting-The Missouri Library Association sponsors The Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award that is voted on the kids of Missouri birth-Kindergarten. I spend all of my Fall storytimes reading the nominees and the kids can vote during the month of December. We have a voting box and a poster of all the nominees as well as ballots out on display. When the kids vote for their favorite, they get an “I voted” sticker to celebrate. Each week during December we’ve been rotating passive activities based on the nominees from mustache making for Mustache Baby to an elephant finger puppet for Little Nelly’s Big Book. The kids have loved it!

-Special Movie Marathon Days-Once the kids are out of school, our phones start ringing non-stop with the question “what does the library have going on today?” To help offer something for families that doesn’t take up a lot of staff time and planning, we host several movie marathons in our auditorium. We show double features of popular movies like Cars and Cars 2 or a princess theme with Tangled and Sofia the First. We also will occasionally set up simple crafts or trivia to go along with the movies. Our patrons love the chance to take a break and watch a favorite movie on a large screen.

-Crafterspace & Builderspace-This year we’re hosting an afternoon of crafting and an afternoon of building. These programs were also designed to be lighter in planning and staff time and are very easy to set up. For the craft afternoon, we clean out of craft supply closet and let the kids create whatever they can come up with. For the building program, we put out Legos, giant foam blocks, wooden blocks-any block we can find and let the kids build. These are programs that are easy to gather supplies for, easy to set up, and great for families to spend an afternoon together.

We found that providing a lot of passive family activities during our storytime breaks offered the perfect balance between still offering programs and giving staff a break.

Do you take storytime breaks? And if so, any tips for providing activities for your patrons while on break?

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“Where’s Rockie? Is Rockie going to be here today? He’s so funny!” Preschoolers call out their excitement as soon as they see the puppet stage set up and ready for action. Rockie is the main character for our series of puppet shows about a raccoon and how he learns about his world. Each show is an original script, written by two librarians. It is usually based around a topic that is of some concern to young children—new baby, sharing, fears, exercising, learning to read, manners, moving, etc. Although the themes are somewhat serious, the antics of the puppets are always silly and broad, causing plenty of laughter as well as discussion.

The basic format is as follows:

• Act One brings on Rockie and his friend(s).  One librarian is working the puppets, the other is outside the stage, interacting with the puppets and encouraging the children to participate in the conversation.  The “problem” is identified, there is some conversation, and the puppets exit.
• The librarian reads a story related to the theme, followed by a movement rhyme.
• Act Two brings back Rockie and pals.  There’s more conversation and lots of silliness, such as a chase scene, a puppet that appears and disappears, bubbles or a water pistol, and a movement song that everyone joins in on.  Then the puppets exit.
• The librarian reads another story related to the theme, followed by a movement rhyme.
• Act Three always offers either a resolution to the concern, or at least a conversation with Rockie (or whoever is experiencing the issue) and a promise to find a solution, based on the possibilities identified during the puppet show. For instance, in our show about getting a pet Rockie imagines having a porcupine, a monkey and a snake, each of which causes laugh-out-loud mayhem and chaos.  He finally decides to get a book at the library to help him choose.

Each of the puppets has a distinct personality. Rockie is melodramatic, Zelda the Zebra is logical, Tembo the Elephant can be a bit grumpy. One of my favorites lately has been Dig the Squirrel, who is always digging, never paying attention, and just when he finally gets around to talking with the librarian he suddenly stops, looks out, yells, “Dog!,” and disappears. Kids think it’s hilarious, especially when a dog really does appear at the end and calls out, “Squirrel!”

The best part about Rockie Tales is that whatever we’re doing, the kids really listen and take the lessons to heart, while laughing and participating with the puppets. One mother said, “I could never get my son to follow best manners at the table, but after Rockie Tales, he was telling us how to behave!” Plus we’re demonstrating to care givers that the library has book resources to help with many of life’s challenges.

One script is here for you to review, but feel free to contact me if you need more examples or information. I hope you’ll try your own version of Rockie Tales; it is guaranteed to be a great way to teach as well as have fun.

(Pictures courtesy guest blogger)

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Our guest blogger today is Heather McNeil. Heather is the Youth Services Manager at Deschutes Public Library in Bend, OR.  She is the author of Read, Rhyme and Romp: Early Literacy Skills and Activities for Librarians, Teachers and Parents, as well as a professional storyteller and author of two collections of folklore.  You can contact her at [email protected].

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

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New year, new ideas, new ways to shape your career track.

When January comes around, it will bring new opportunities, including ALSC online courses! Registration is now open for the winter 2015 ALSC online course season. Topics include children with disabilities, STEM programming, using puppets, and storytime. Classes start Monday, January 5, 2015.

Three of the courses being offered this semester are eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). The American Library Association (ALA) has been certified to provide CEUs by the IACET. ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. For more information on ALSC online learning, please visit: http://www.ala.org/alsced

Children with Disabilities in the Library
6 weeks, January 5 — February 13, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 3 CEUs

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytelling with Puppets
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015

Storytime Tools
4 weeks, January 5 — January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Online Learning site. Fees are $115 for personal ALSC members; $165 for personal ALA members; and $185 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer for Continuing Education, Kristen Sutherland or 1 (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

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This is not an uncommon situation.  I’ve had many conversations with librarians who share similar stories.  “I did all this research and developed this awesome new Sensory Storytime program…but no one came.  I want to draw new families to the library, but I don’t know how to reach them.  What should I do?”  My response if often much longer than the inquiring librarians ever intended, but that’s because it’s a multifaceted issue.  There are many different things to consider when hosting a program for children with special needs.  So, if no one is coming to your Sensory Storytime at your library, here are a few things you can do:

• Cultivate Partnerships: Partner with local organizations to help spread the word.  There are many places in your community that serve families with children with special needs, including hospitals, health centers, therapy centers, doctor’s offices, park districts, and museums.  Contact your local chapter of state-wide and national disability related organizational groups.  Consider hosting a special needs resource fair at your library, like Evanston Public Library did just this month, and invite these organizations to present at your library.  Otherwise, ask if you can attend one at a local school or community event.  Many organizations are looking for free recreational opportunities to share with families, and Sensory Storytime would be just the kind of program they might be willing to help promote.
• Rebrand: To keep a program fresh and appealing to our communities, sometimes we need to repackage and rebrand it. Maybe the name “Sensory Storytime” is not a draw to families.   Consider changing the name to “Special Needs Storytime,” or use more inclusive language like “Storytime for Children of All Abilities.”  Maybe your program is being offered on a day of the week or a time of day that doesn’t work for families in your community.  Switch it up and change the day and time, but don’t forgot to ask families first what works best for them.  Here are also 10 Quick Tips for Marketing to this audience.
• Focus on Inclusion: The reason your library is receiving low attendance–or none at all–could be because a storytime program specifically for children with special needs doesn’t work for your families.  It can be hard to attend a program for one child, when there are two or three other younger or older children that don’t fit in the correct age bracket for that program.  Consider a more inclusive approach and develop programming that is open to the entire family, including siblings.  There are many benefits to having the family attend as a unit, including the fact that it is a lot easier for families to attend together.
• Try a Different Program: You could switch gears and focus on developing a completely different program all together.  Perhaps you might want to target a different age group, offering Sensory School-age Programming for older children or Sensory-Friendly Films for the whole family.  You might even want to host a Board Game and Pizza Night for Tweens of All Abilities, like Deerfield Public Library did.  For whatever reason, a storytime program may not be a draw in your community, but there are many other things you at your library can do to offer programming for this audience.

If you have already tried these tips and still aren’t reaching families, perhaps library programming is not what your community wants.  And that’s okay.  Many families with children with special needs are over-scheduled with doctor visits, therapies, parent/teacher conferences about IEPs, and play dates.  Instead, here are some other things your library might want to consider to expand services to families with children with special needs:

• Focus on Outreach: Instead of trying to invite kids to the library, make trips to the local schools and make visit their classrooms.  Bring Sensory Storytime on the road, or even consider asking if their class would be able to do a community outing to visit the library.  There is a lot you can do to make these visits meaningful.  Here are just a few ideas, including curriculum on life skills teaching manners, as well as some general tips about visiting classrooms.
• Develop Your Collections: Don’t forget about your library materials!  You can serve the needs of families with children with special needs by developing your existing collections, or creating new ones.  You may want to consider Early Literacy or Sensory Kits, connecting with your local Braille and Talking Book Libraries or ordering more books in braille, offering more hi-lo reading material, or developing your parent/teacher collection to include more books on special needs related topics.  Don’t forget about the Schneider Family Book Award, which recognizes books that highlight the disability experience.  Just as we work to make our programs and services more inclusive and diverse, we shouldn’t forget that our collections should represent and reflect the diversity in our communities as well. 
  
• Train Staff:  Even if your library has the best new program or service, it won’t matter if other library staff members in other departments are not committed to serving families inclusively.  This could be a huge deterrent for some families.  Disability Awareness Training is necessary for us in libraries to make our libraries more accessible and friendly for everyone. No matter what your library does to welcome children with special needs–whether it is programming, outreach, services, or collections–it’s important that your entire organization is on board with inclusive customer service.

 

What are your ideas for welcoming families to your Sensory Storytime programs?  Feel free to share below!

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I love nature and the outdoors, and like to build on children’s natural curiosity and sense of wonder in library programming. Technology is part of our world today, and even more so, part of our children’s world. I’m excited about some of  the ways that technology can encourage and enhance exploration of the natural world. Here are six apps that you can share with children and families. All require users to do something in the world, beyond the device itself. Most can be used by preschool children, with parent/caregiver assistance, and by elementary age and older children more independently.

Merlin Bird ID

(free, iPad, iPhone, Android)
I’m a big fan of citizen science projects and have participated in Project Feederwatch with my own children for close to ten years. A few years ago I starting sharing information about The Great Backyard Bird Count in a storytime on birds and birdwatching. I was delighted when the Cornell Lab of Ornithology developed the Merlin Bird ID app. The question and answer format is easy enough for preschoolers to use (with an adults help, at least initially, as it involves reading).  It asks where the bird was seen (on the ground, in a tree, flying, etc.), what three main colors it was, and what size using a comparison chart that preschoolers can relate to. Then it comes up with possibilities for that bird. We identified one bird as a group from a picture of a Northern Cardinal, the state bird of Ohio, that I had seen at my feeder that day. Then children explored on their own using the three ipads we have for use in programming. The Merlin app also has a bird guide for browsing and playing different bird calls, an aspect that the children were particularly drawn to. Just listen to the Wild Turkey and you’ll see what I mean!

Other apps that build on children’s interest in the natural world include:

Out-A-Bout

(free, iPhone, iPad)

Developed by the Fred Rogers Center, this app for preschoolers encourages movement, physical activity, and early literacy. It requires interactivity, as you take a photo of your child doing different activities like pretending to climb a tree, to jump, to squat like a frog.  Then the app creates a storybook from the images, that can be read multiple times, saved, and shared.

Nature’s Notebook

(free, iPhone, iPad, Android)

From the USA National Phenology Network, Nature’s Notebook is a citizen science project focused on recording seasonal changes in plants and animals. You register with the website, and then use the app to record observations. Lesson plans are provided for students from elementary to high school.  I already do programs on hibernation (getting ready for winter), the frog and butterfly life cycle, and trees, so I’m looking forward to suggesting this app to parents and teachers.

Trees Pro HD

(free, iPhone, iPad; two additional tree packs for $2.99; Android: $12.99)

This app can help identify trees by leaf type, bark, and fruit, flower or nut. Take a quiz to test your tree knowledge.

Project Noah

(free, iPhone, iPad, Android)

Another citizen science opportunity that is very kid-friendly and encourages closer observation of the natural world. A child, or family together, can choose missions, local or global, to participate in. Earn patches as you record nature spottings along the way, from the initial Tadpole patch to Bug Lover (50 arthropods) or Reptile Specialist (20 reptile spotting). The field guide includes photos from other Project Noah participants with a map of where the plant or animal was spotted.

Night Sky Lite

(free, iPhone, iPad, Android)

Just hold your device up to the sky and this app identifies stars, constellations, and planets overhead. Great for budding stargazers. For those who want to learn more, upgrades provide additional information about the wonders overhead (and eliminate the ads at the bottom.)

What are some of your favorite apps for nature or outdoor exploration?

-Robin L. Gibson is a Youth Services Librarian at the Westerville Public Library in Westerville Ohio and member of the Children and Technology Committee.

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My library is preparing to end our seven-week Fall Session and it’s time to evaluate all the components of our storytimes. I currently do two kinds of storytimes weekly. One is a drop-in family storytime where we get around 40-50 people in the room. The second is a registration toddler storytime (and I do three sessions of it) where we limit classes to 20 pairs of adults/toddlers.

Lately I’ve been thinking about handouts in storytime and what purpose they serve. Why are we making handouts? What are our patrons gaining with these small sheets of paper?

Here are some of my thoughts about the benefits of making handouts:

• Prepares the child for school. So many of our families have older siblings in school, handouts are a good way of making the youngest family members feel included and prepared for homework. I have one family who calls storytime “school” for their child and she loves getting her “assignment”.
• Gets more information home in a reviewable way. Storytime providers can include a literacy tip in the storytime, but if that’s the moment that a child decides to start banging on the floor, some adults might miss it. Literacy tips on the handout allow everyone to read it when they have a chance.
• Puts a suggested booklist in their hands and gives them the power to review the storytime provider’s choices. I can only work with/help one family at a time. But as I leave my class, they are twenty families who might want my assistance in finding materials. Including a booklist helps adults select materials on their own. It also is a great way to remember what books they wanted that might already be checked out.
• Extends the storytime activities into the home for family members who can’t be present. I have a fairly large nanny/caregiver population bringing children to storytime. By including some of the rhymes and songs we sing in the handout, family members at home can learn what their child did in storytime that day.
• Lets me have a one-on-one conversation with the children at the door. As the kids leave, I kneel down to their level and give them my handouts. This is where I can tell them something they did in storytime that I found helpful or have them tell me about their new shoes. The kids look forward to this moment and I feel like it helps cut down on the chatter in storytime. Also, this is the part where I occasionally get storytime hugs!

Of course, handouts are a great resource if you have the time to make them and if you know how. I am twice lucky because my job allows me off-desk to make handouts and that I’m pretty handy in Publisher.

But remember: handouts don’t have to be fancy! You can easily type up a booklist and print an activity sheet on the back.

Do you use handouts in storytime? Did you find them all over the library after you gave them out? (Confession: I find at least two or three of the nearly 100 I give out weekly.) Let me know in the comments!

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

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   10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston & illustrated by Rich Deas “Looky!” says a silly turkey swinging from a vine. Gobble gobble wibble wobble. Whoops! Now there are nine.” Girls and boys will gobble up this hilarious counting story about ten goofy turkeys roller-skating on a fence, doing a noodle dance, and more! Give …

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Is it really 2015!?

It will be once January rolls around and what a perfect time to refresh your library programs! ALSC online courses are a great way to introduce new ideas and energy into your programs and services. Registration is now open for the winter 2015 ALSC online course season. Classes start Monday, January 5, 2015.

Three of the courses being offered this semester are eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). The American Library Association (ALA) has been certified to provide CEUs by the IACET. ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. For more information on ALSC online learning, please visit: http://www.ala.org/alsced

Children with Disabilities in the Library
6 weeks, January 5 – February 13, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 3 CEUs

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
4 weeks, January 5 – January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytelling with Puppets
4 weeks, January 5 – January 30, 2015

Storytime Tools
4 weeks, January 5 – January 30, 2015
CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Online Learning site. Fees are $115 for personal ALSC members; $165 for personal ALA members; and $185 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer for Continuing Education, Kristen Sutherland or 1 (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

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Last year I wrote about the Fandom Starts Early Geeky Storytime I did at my library. I had too much fun that I had to repeat it and hopefully get a crowd of geeky kids and parents to attend. Here's how The Return of Geeky Storytime went.


Opening Song: A Tootie Ta-this is a great song to get the kids up and moving

Opening Song: The Robot Dance by The Pop Ups (because we have to dance like robots at geeky storytime!)

Rhyme: I explained the kids that we would be talking about all sorts of fandoms and being geeky. I told them that geek meant you really loved something and asked what the things they really loved were. They said they loved playing, Batman, and video games. Then I had them recite a rhyme that made up just for our storytime.

Little ball of fur.
Happy kitty,
Sleepy kitty, Purr, purr, purr

Flannel Board: Mustache Lou-I got this flannel story from Sunflower Storytime and used it in my mustache storytime. I thought it was funny and fit my silly geeky theme.

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A few weeks ago, a special education teacher approached our Youth Department, asking if a librarian might be able to plan a visit for her life skills class of high school students. Her class made regular visits to our library once a month to read and check out books. They were already comfortable visiting the Youth Department, since the materials that they were most interested in were housed in our part of the library. As much as she and her class enjoyed these visits, she wanted to explore the possibility of making the visit richer with learning and interaction, involving a librarian to lead 30 minutes of stories activities. Her goals for the visit were relatively simple: read books which demonstrate using manners in social situations, incorporate sensory and movement activities into the visit, and provide opportunities for her students to practice using manners in real life situations. Her students had been practicing using their manners in the classroom, in the lunchroom, and had plans to make a few field trips outside the school to extend the learning. We, of course, just had to say yes!

A great tip for collaborating on a school visit is to ask questions and plan ahead. Ask if there is a particular reading level that works best for readalouds. As the teacher and I discussed the visit, I learned that picture books and easy non-fiction materials would work best for her class as readalouds. So, I selected several books to read—both fiction and non-fiction—that would be both informative and entertaining for the audience.

Another helpful tip is to ask what type of accommodations would work best for her students. For example, would creating a visual schedule of the visit’s activities help alleviate anxiety for her students? I also learned that her students would benefit greatly from the use of visual supports, as a way for them to see what was coming next. So, I put together a large group schedule, using Boardmaker images to coincide with the various activities. Each 8 1/2″  x 11” piece of paper included a large graphic as well as simple, easy to decode text. For example, I put together one sign that included the text “Play a Game” and displayed an image of a large, multicolored parachute.

You may also want to ask the teacher if her students have any specific triggers that might be helpful for you to know about in advance. For example, does music cause discomfort or distress in some of her students? If so, you may want to reconsider using a music CD and decide just to sign a song aloud using your own voice. The teacher did happen to mention that one of her students has the tendency to run when that student gets frustrated or upset. This was useful information for me to know, as I wouldn’t be caught off-guard in case this happened during the visit.

Here is an outline of the program that we implemented with her students:

• Review Visual Schedule: As a way to let the students know what we would be doing, I reviewed the visual schedule by going over each activity individually using clear and specific “First… Then…” language.
• Hello Activity: I began the storytime by introducing myself as “Miss Renee.” I then invited each students and teachers to introduce themselves to the classroom by saying “Hi, my name is…” Then, the group replied “Hello, [student’s name]” as a way to practice good manners by greeting others.
• Read a Book: How do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
• Read a Book: Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners by Judy Sierra
• Play a Game with a Ball: I pulled out four different sized sensory balls and invited the group to move into a circle. The object of this activity was to have each student to ask another student or teacher if they could pass them the ball using their most polite manners. For example, “Daniel, would you please roll me that purple, spiky ball?” We passed, rolled, bounced, and threw the balls twice around the circle, allowing each student the chance to participate a few times.
• Read a Book: Manners in the Lunch Room (Way to Be: Manners! Series) by Amanda Tourville
• Play a Game with a Parachute: I brought out the parachute, and asked if everyone would stand up. This time, we went around the circle and each student was encouraged to dictate to the group (using their manners) what they wanted to do with the parachute. For instance, Jean would say “Could we please wave the wave the parachute up and down really fast?” Each student was allowed a chance to have the group play with the parachute in their own way.
• Read a Book: Manners in the Library (Way to Be: Manners! Series) by Carrie Finn
• Sing a Song “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (with ASL): We sung the first verse of this traditional song, but then incorporated ASL signs that aligned with our theme in the additional verses. For example “If you’re polite and you know it, just say “please.” (ASL sign for please) and “If you’re grateful and you know it, just say “thank you.” (ASL sign for thank you). Check out Jbrary’s great post about Using American Sign Language in Storytime for more ideas about how to utilize ASL in programs.
• Library Activity: The teacher instructed the students to write note cards in advance with questions they wanted to ask librarians. The students took turns going to the desk and asking their questions, and the librarians took them to the shelves to help them find books that they liked based on their interests. After they practiced asking their questions and using their manners, librarians gave each student a small incentive (a sticker) for visiting to the library.

Overall, it was a fantastic success–so much so that the teacher asked if we could make this a regular part of their monthly visits.  And again, how could we say no?

Partnering with your local special education district is a great way to provide students with disabilities opportunities for learning outside the classroom. By giving students the chance to practice life skills in a library environment, librarians can help prepare them to be successful in their daily lives. It’s important that all library staff at all levels are aware and prepared to provide excellent, inclusive library service. Children’s, Tween, and Teen Librarians can work together to lead this type of programming. So, the next time that you are approached by a local special education teacher, think about getting your tween or teen librarians on board, too.

For more great ideas about lesson planning for tweens and young adults with special needs, check out this fantastic post written by Sarah Okner from the Vernon Area Public Library about her experience Visiting High School Special Education Classrooms.

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