I was hitting a wall when trying to plan my last virtual storytimes, but then my brilliant teammate Lauren suggested I plan around the things I don’t normally get to do in regular storytimes. Right away I thought of reading board books! And thus this storytime plan was born:
Sing: Hi, Hello and How Are You?*
Welcome/Introduction/Announcements
Sing: If You’re Happy and You Know It…*
Sing: If You’re Ready for a Story…*
Read: B is for Baby by Atinuke
In a basket… full of bananas… on a bicycle…
Lit Tip: Building Phonemic Awareness with ABC Books
Grown-ups, alphabet books are a great way to introduce young children to the concept that each letter has its own special sound! When you read alphabet books with your child NOW, you help them on the road to reading LATER.
Turn/Talk/Type: Recall
I asked the kiddos if they could remember some of the letter B things in our book and encouraged the caregivers to type their responses in the chat box. They remembered a lot of things! And speaking of bananas…
Screenshot: Jessica holds three fingers up to the webcam. Yellow sticky notes representing bananas are attached to each finger.
Rhyme: 3 Ripe Bananas
3 ripe bananas swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Baboon, “You can’t catch me! You can’t catch me!”
Along came that baboon as quiet as can be…
And he snatched a banana right out of that tree!
2… 1… no more bananas in the tree!
Rhyme: Monkey See, Monkey Do
Monkey see, monkey do.
Little monkey at the zoo.
Little monkey in the tree,
Can you clap your hands like me?
Repeat: swing arms, stomp feet, jump up and down, spin around, sit down
Credit: Storytime Katie
Read: Butts by Katrine Crow
“You know what else B is for… BUTTS!”
Sing: Bunny Hop by Katherine Dines
“Who had the fluffy butt with the cotton tail? THE BUNNY!”
Screenshot: Jessica holds a bunny puppet up to the webcam. She is also using a Zoom filter and has bunny ears/a bunny nose.
Sing: Sleeping Bunnies by Kathy-Reid Naiman (x2)
All that hopping around can be exhausting, so I suggested we take a quick nap.
Read: Bunny Breaths by Kira Willey
“There were so many Letter B words in our storytime today! Bunnies, butts, bananas, baboons, babies. What do you notice when I say all those words? They all start with the /b/ sound!”
Sing: The B Says…
The b says /b/
The b says /b/
Every letter makes a sound!
The b says /b/
Credit: Leapfrog Letter Factory
Play: Letter B Sound Scavenger Hunt
I invited the families to turn on their cameras for a final scavenger hunt. I encouraged them to find something that started with the /b/ sound and then bring it to their camera to share with us. My brilliant storytimers found so many great things: balls, books, a balloon, a backpack, a bucket and a bulldozer toy! I added each item to the list as they showed the camera.
Lit Tip: Learning to Listen for Sounds through PLAY
Grown-ups, playing games like sound scavenger hunts is a great way to help your little one build phonological awareness. Being able to pay close attention to sounds NOW will help your little one as they sound out and spell words LATER. Try taking another sound scavenger hunt later today: listen for noises that are quiet or loud!”
Sing: Our Storytime is Over, Wave Goodbye*
*Please visit this page to learn more about my regular storytime songs and routines.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m sad that virtual storytimes are ending! I’ve really enjoyed learning a new way to storytime and connecting with kiddos we don’t usually reach. As my library prepares to pivot back to in-person programming, I hope there will still be room for ways to reach beyond our walls. 😦
Storytime in the Stacks 