Farm Friends Storytime
Books:
Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson
My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor
Counting Cows by Woody Jackson
Color Farm by Lois Ehlert
What better way to celebrate June Dairy Month than to plan some Storytime fun, and honor our local farmers at the same time? Where our library is located, I think within a 10-minute drive any direction, you can find an operating dairy farm. Weaving stories about farming into Storytime gives our children local vocabulary they need to describe the world they see.
Welcome Song: If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands!
Early Literacy Tip: We do our welcome song in Storytime because it is part of our routine and it helps the kids get ready to read. Singing helps focus kids and it also slows down the vocabulary and helps them pronounce each syllable. Try singing as a family in your daily routine by choosing songs to help your child wake up, eat breakfast, clean up their toys, and go to sleep.
Parent Welcome: Thank you for joining us in Storytime today! Every child, like adults, has a bad day, so if you child is needing a break, please step outside the room with them so they can calm down and not disrupt the other children. However, when your child is ready, please rejoin us again! Also, 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 so they do not block the view for the other children. Let’s get started!
Read: Before We Eat by Pat Brisson
This book is really meant for an older audience, but I included it anyway. We picture read through it, and I asked the kids to describe to me what was going on in each picture, who they were seeing, what the people were doing, and if they would like to do work like that too. I like that the pictures show real people, and it is important for kids to think about farming being done by people just like them, and not in cartoons. When the kids became restless, I stopped reading, and moved on to our next activity.
Sing: Fingerplays:
- Pattycake
- 2 Little Blackbirds
- Eency Wincy Spider
- Two little Monkeys jumping on the bed
- Hot Cross Buns
Read: My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor
Colorful pictures that spread across both pages and simple text make this a great book to either read or ask the kids to help you mimic the animal’s sounds on each page. Both of my groups were restless, so I did not both to read. Instead, I asked them to identify the animal, and tell me what sound it makes. We tried to make the sound quietly and then loud. It was great for getting my group back together around a book.
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)
Write: Letter of the Week: “F”
We ran out of time before I could do this, but here is the idea:
- Write the letter “F” on the white board, and ask the kids to identify it.
- Show them the puzzle pieces for “F” and how two rectangles and one square make the letter.
- Ask the kids what sound “F” makes.
- Ask the kids what words begin with the “F” sound. (Farm, friend, food, fun, etc.)
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: Counting Cows by Woody Jackson
Can we count to 10? Can we could from 10-1, going backwards? This book helps bring in some basic counting practice and very lovely paintings of cows going about their business. At the end, a barn dance explains where all the cows are going. I love the pictures in this book, and it helps connect the concept of words and numbers.
Read: Color Farm by Lois Ehlert
Super fast and a playful twist on using shapes to create the faces of animals. I asked the kids to identify the animal, and when I turned the page, they identified the dominant shape. We counted lines for hexagon, and triangle, and make the shape of the oval in the air. At the end, I asked the kids what their favorite animal was.
Closing Song: Tickle the Stars
And, everyone received a stamp on their hand before saying goodby!