I try to pick one new folk tale each month and present that story in my Storytime by choosing different books from different authors and illustrators who interpret the basic story each a little differently. In January, we are learning the folk tale, The Mitten. I have noticed that the kids enjoy knowing at least one of the stories as the month goes on, and I am able to layer in more interaction (ask the kids to join me in telling the story, acting it out, repeating after me, and making predictions) because the kids know what is going to happen. This lesson plan shows our second week on the folk tale, The Mitten.
Second week of January Storytime
The Mitten: Week Two
Books:
The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt
Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Red Sled by Lita Judge
Spot’s Snowy Day by Eric Hill
Opening Activity: Stretch and wave
Sing: Welcome Song: If you are happy and you know it clap your hands!
Talk: Today we are going to talk clothes that we put on when we go outside in the snow! What do you put on before you go outside? Coat? Boots? Hats? What about on your hands? Mittens!
Read: The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt (Frequently ask the children what they think will happen next as you read the story and ask them to help you act the story out by using their hands to mimic the animals. For example, the mouse can be just a hand scurrying across the floor in front of them. The owl can be their hand swooping in from above their head and landing on the ground, the bunny can be two fingers held up in a “V” while they bounce their hand on the floor.)
(Possible aside for parents: Asking your kids to make predictions while reading a story helps children develop their comprehension of what is going on in the story, and how characters relate to one another.)
Write: Write letter M on the white board. Does anyone know this letter?
Show them the three triangles that I cut out of paper. Do they know what shape this is? Can they draw a triangle in the air with their arm? Show them how they can put the three triangles together to make the letter M like a puzzle.
(Aside for parents: Children learn letters by recognizing the shapes the letters are made of. Having some shapes cut out from paper, or playing with toy shapes, or drawing shapes on the paper when your child colors can all be ways of helping them learn their shape names, which is the first step to learning their letter names.)
Photo Credit: Supercharged Storytimes
Sing: Snowflakes, Snowflakes
Snowflakes, snowflakes dance all around, (Have hands wiggle fingers and move up and down, and side to side)
Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground, (touch the ground with fingers)
Snowflakes, snowflakes in the air, (Fingers wiggling)
Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere! (Stretch arms out with fingers wiggling)
Read: Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Sing: Sing 5 Little Snowmen while holding up the puppets. Ask the kids to hold up 5 fingers as you sing the rhyme, and with each verse, one of their fingers becomes folded down.
5 Little Snowmen:
5 Little snowmen all in a row,
5 little snowmen all made of snow,
Out popped the sun and it shown all day (bring the sun out)
One little snowmen melted away (take one snowman away).
(Possible aside to parents: Easy rhymes like this are a simple and fun way to introduce the math concept of subtraction into your child’s playtime.)
Credit: LittleStoryBug
Talk: Do you go sledding? Do you like it? What color is your sled? Do you think that animals go sledding?
Read: Red Sled by Lita Judge (Have the kids repeat the fun sounds on each page with you. Point at yourself, and then at them, so they know their cue.)
Play: Find the lost snowball while asking, “Snowball, snowball cold and round! Behind which mitten can you be found?” Have kids close their eyes while I hid the snowball. They lift each mitten looking for it until they find it.
Read: Spot’s Snowy Day by Eric Hill
Sing: End of Storytime Closing Song:
Tickle the Stars,
Tickle your toes,
Reach down over and tickle your nose,
Reach down low,
Reach way up high,
Storytime is over can you wave goodbye?