Steve Jenkins “Move” Storytime
Books:
Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Sayre
What Would You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins
Move! by Steve Jenkins
Spot the Animals by Steve Jenkins
Parent Welcome: Thank you for joining us in Storytime today! Every child, like adults, has a bad day, so if your child is needing a break during Storytime, please feel free to step outside the room with them and rejoin us when your child is ready. Also, please pretend there is an invisible circle around my easel. This is where I have lots of our props. If your child goes inside this circle, please gently pull them back to you. Let’s get started!
Read: Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Sayre
I began this book my opening with my early literacy tip (see below). It got a lot of giggles from the kids when I held the book upside down. This is a fun story about all the antics that kids can see squirrels participating in. Very interactive, and it was a nice title because when the kids were getting restless, I could ask them what the squirrel was doing in the picture. It was a little long for my crowd, so maybe shortening it up with be helpful for next time.
Early Literacy Tip:
To help your child gain print awareness, sometimes just be silly! Hold a book upside down and see if your child corrects you! Knowing which direction letters should go, and recognizing when they are upside down is part of learning how to read.
Sing: Scarfs Songs!
- Put your scarf on your heart (Credit: Jbrary)
- Here is a green leaf (Credit: Jbrary)
- Little Bo Peep (Credit: Jbrary)
- Popcorn Kernels (Credit: Jbrary)
Read and Talk: What Would You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins
I held up this book, and asked the kids to guess what the animals were by the noses. Lots of excited suggestions! Then, when I turned the page to reveal what animals they were, I asked the kids what animals they saw, what their favorite animal on the page was, and other questions to keep them engaged. We saw lots of animals that they did not know the name for, so I told them the name, pointed to the picture of the animal, and asked them to repeat the name. Lots of talking with this book!
Sing: Fingerplays
- Pattycake
- 2 Little Blackbirds
- Eency Wincy Spider
- Two little Monkeys jumping on the bed
- Hot Cross Buns
Read: Move! by Steve Jenkins
Of all the books, this was my least favorite, so if I do this plan again, I will try to come up with another title. I think it might be fun to ask the kids to act out the movements (swing, walk, dive, etc.) but there were just to many kids, and I knew if I tried it, the room would go wild and I would have a hard time getting the kids back! But, it was fun to read, and I asked the kids to mimic the movements with their hands or arms, which was a good compromise.
Write: Letter of the Week: “M”
I wrote the letter “M” on the white board, and asked the kids to identify it, and tell me what sound it makes. I then asked the kids what words begin with that sound. Even the younger ones (ages 3 and up) were able to give some suggestions! I also created a “M” from three triangles, nd held them up for the kids to see the basic shapes (3 triangles) that make up this letter.
Sing: Shaker Songs
- If you are happy and you know it give a shake! (Credit: Jbrary)
- Can you shake along with me? (Credit: Jbrary)
- We wiggle and wiggle and stop! (Credit: Jbrary)
- Egg Shakers Up, Egg Shakers Down! (Credit: Jbrary)
Read: Spot the Animals by Steve Jenkins
A great book to end Storytime on! Very short, very interative, and very colorful! Animals are “hidden” and only part of them is showing. I read the clue, and asked the kids to guess what animal was hiding behind the page. Lots of suggestions called out! This book brought everyone together and focused them on the book before we ended Storytime!
Closing Song: Tickle the Stars
And, everyone received a stamp on their hand before leaving! Yeah!
Jbrary has an excellent Storytime planning sheet that I like to use. You can access it here: Toddler Storytime Planning Sheet.
Here is the planning sheet that I used during Storytime: 
