This Week at the Library

So many new faces this week! And back to big crowds, too. We had 34 children at the 10:15 Toddler Time today. Just children, mind you, with adults in addition to that. However, the record was 54, I think. That was a crazy day!

Toddler Time


With so many new parents and children, I thought it was important this week to remind parents that they are their children's first teachers. Toddler Time is very likely the child's first experience in a group setting, so the child is watching Mom or Dad for clues about how to behave. "Should I watch the teacher? Should I do what the teacher says? Is it okay to go play with another child instead?" Seeing the caregiver participate in the songs and fingerplays lets the child know that paying attention and engaging in the program are good and important.

Our books this week were:

Cookie's Week, by Cindy Ward. The first page is such a great hook! "On Monday, Cookie fell in the toilet."

Spots, Feathers, and Curly Tails, by Nancy Tafuri. This is a good first guessing-game book.

Preschool Storytime


I just love doing "Folktales!" They're such fun to tell because there is no one right way as long as the major elements are there. We acted out "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and the actors were superb. That's such a simple and fun folktale to do at home. A couple of chairs and a couple of kids and you're good to go. One is the troll, one is all three goats, and the chairs are the bridge. The only lines to remember are:

"Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"
"The little billy goat gruff." (or middle-size, or biggest)
"I'm coming up to eat you."
"Wait for my big brother." (or "I'd like to see you try.")
"Very well. Be off with you."

I used a three-way puppet to tell "Little Red Riding Hood."

I used a story prop to sing "This Old Man," and an ancient tape recording of "The Gingerbread Man" to use with the book. Finally, I read Who Is It? by Sally Grindley, a guessing-game book about folktales.

Baby Time


Sometimes I wish the room were surrounded with mirrors so parents could see their babies' faces when we do the lap-bouncy rhymes. The babies usually like to face out to see the action, but then the parents don't get to see their expressions. Their grins are so adorable, wide-eyed and wide-mouthed. I love it.

This Week at the Library

I'm sitting cozy in a coffee shop, watching the rain come down and come down. I heard we're under a flood watch, so I'm curious what Stella Olsen Park will look like (water over the bridge probably) and the refuge (one huge lake I assume). I'm glad I don't live in a flood plain.

This week I was happy to be on a regular schedule, but heads up for next week. The library is opening late on Wednesday so the staff can go to a Christmas party. Everyone coming to the 11:30 Toddler Time will need to enter the building from the parking lot as the doors to the library on the street side will be locked.

Preschool Storytime

Our stories were all about "Clothing" this week. It seems appropriate in the winter when we all need to wear extra layers.

We read:

Thomas' Snowsuit, by Robert Munsch. The kids are thrilled by Thomas' "NNNOOO!" They love watching other people do the naughty things they aren't brave enough to try.

Whose Shoe?, by Margaret Miller. This fun guessing book always stumps the kids when they come to the picture of the wading boots.

I told the traditional story The Mitten with giant knitted mittens and wonderful little story prop animals to stuff inside.

On the flannelboard, I told the story Bit by Bit, by Steve Sanfield. I love the repetitive language in this story, and children love watching the long coat gradually turn into a jacket, then a vest, then a cap, then a pocket, and finally a button.

Sometimes parents have asked where I get the props for the stories I tell. The Washington County Library System provides all those for me, but if you're interested in getting them for your own classroom, library or school, Lakeshore Learning has a good supply (lakeshorelearning.com) and Kaplan Company has some as well (kaplanco.com).

Toddler Time

Oh, you parents are such good Hoky-Pokiers! I appreciate that you may feel a little silly the first time or two that you do that with your little ones, but what a gift you give them when you model a sense of play and group participation! I saw a perfect demonstration of the power of participating with your child this week. Two parents, new to Toddler Time, came in. One I think may be very uncomfortable sitting on the floor, and they both sat in the front row of chairs and sent their toddlers off to the blue rug. When we started, both children would run back and forth from the rug to their parents. They obviously were torn between keeping contact with their caregiver, and participating in the fun songs and rhymes. After the first song, I invited the parents to come sit in the circle, and to drag a chair over if that's needed. They did, and those two little ones were completely at ease and able to focus on the activities.

Our books this week were:

Opposites, by Robert Crowther. It's amazing how long these toddlers will sit and watch the pop-ups in this book. I had to leave out two or three fingerplays from our session to make room for the length of this book. They LOVE it.

Freight Train, by Donald Crews. This book is a Caldecott Medal honor book for good reason. It holds children's attention whether they're infants or preschoolers. I love looking at it!

Baby Time

I don't know why, but Baby Time is really growing. I'm thrilled at how the parents are making connections and forming friendships, among dads too!

The book we discovered this week was I Love Colors!, by Margaret Miller. Everyone seemed to think this was a great book for their babies. I noticed it held their attention for quite a while, too.

What Should Mom Be Doing?

Sometimes parents look very unsure of themselves when they first come to Toddler Time or Storytime. They're not sure where they should sit, if they should make their child sit down and be quiet, and they especially don't know what to do with themselves once the program starts. Do they have to stand up and sit down for the songs? Do they have to do all the fingerplays? Can they visit with the person next to them? Can they go sit in the chairs and drink their coffee?

I'll tell you what I like to see at Toddler Time.

I like it when Mom comes in and sits in the circle with the other parents. I'll use "Mom", though I love seeing dads and grandparents. And it's great when the nanny gets to bring little Jacob or Emily (favorite names of 2008).
She lets her child greet the other kids and maybe start a spontaneous silly game, though she doesn't let it get out of hand with running and chasing. If her child wants to just watch from her lap, that's fine too. She says hi to the other parents, but when the music starts, she focuses on her child and the activity going on. She smiles encouragement to Emily and does the motions along with me, singing the song or saying the rhyme with me, though she doesn't have to stand up and sit down for every activity. Maybe Emily joins in too, maybe not, but she sees that Mom is engaged and participating, so she knows this is important to Mom, and that Mom is having fun, so she can too. Mom intervenes quickly if Emily gets a little too rambunctious with the other kids. When it's time for a story to be read, Mom makes sure Emily sits on her bottom in front of me, but if Emily would rather sit in Mom's lap, that's not a problem. Mom listens quietly to the story and doesn't use it as visiting time, since she wants to be a good role model to Emily. After all, Emily learns how to behave in groups and how much importance to place on paying attention to the teacher by watching Mom. Whenever Emily makes an attempt to sing, do motions, or participate, Mom is her best cheerleader, with smiles and clapping when it's over.

That's a great mom!

Here's what I like to see at Preschool Storytime.

Mom brings Jacob in, and he greets the other kids. She doesn't expect him to sit down and be silent for the six or seven minutes before the program begins. She lets him make friends or play a little game that doesn't involve chasing or turning cartwheels. Mom sits in the chairs or on the edge of the circle and says hi to other parents. When I start the program, she quiets down and sets a good example of listening when the teacher reads. A quiet comment here or there is okay, but if lots of parents visit during a story, it gets very distracting. Mom keeps an eye on Jacob since she knows he just recently graduated from Toddler Time and sometimes he gets antsy and starts to visit with other kids in the middle of the story. If I can't get his attention back, mom intervenes with a whisper in the ear, or by moving him to the back of the group where he can sit in her lap and keep listening. It's hard for me to read a story well if I have to interrupt it several times to try to quiet a child. If Jacob's done with Storytime, even though I'm not, that's okay and they can leave. Some younger ones just aren't ready for a thirty minute program. They'll grow into it. When Storytime is over, she praises Jacob for being such a good listener, and asks him about his favorite story.

What a great mom! See you next week.