The Handbook For Storytime Programs

Librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can energize storytimes and curricula with this informative and entertaining resource filled with engaging and creative ways to integrate storytelling and story-related materials into programs for children, ages birth-12.

Fresh, fun ideas for children's storytime fill this book. The author, a long-time storytime facilitator, has put together 52 weekly themes plus additional plans for holidays, all with detailed instructions for talking about the theme and choosing the books, crafts, songs, poems, games and snacks. Each storytime idea is illustrated with photographs of a suggested craft and snack for easy reference. Libraries, bookstores, preschools and parents alike can use this book to offer themed storytimes that include discussion, literature, art, music, movement and food. Options are provided for each storytime, so the ideas can be used year after year.

Offers detailed guidance in presenting literature to children, young adults, and adults through storytelling supported by the use of various media.

Provides fifty storytime programs for two-year-olds, including ideas and suggestions for storytime content and encouragement to serve this age group.

Presents twenty-four participative programs for library storytimes, featuring a mix of picture books, poetry, music, and movement activities; each with lists of alternative material that fits the theme.

A treasure trove of useful material for librarians, teachers, and others who work with toddlers. Part I of the book contains twenty-five theme programs which feature book suggestions, fingerplays, puppetry ideas, games, activities, songs, and crafts. Part II features a collection of flannel board stories, poems and songs with full-size reproducible patterns. Each selection coordinates with a program theme in Part I and has simple directions for successful storytelling.

A new, interactive approach to storytime, The Whole Book Approach was developed in conjunction with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and expert author Megan Dowd Lambert's graduate work in children's literature at Simmons College, offering a practical guide for reshaping storytime and getting kids to think with their eyes. Traditional storytime often offers a passive experience for kids, but the Whole Book approach asks the youngest of readers to ponder all aspects of a picture book and to use their critical thinking skills. Using classic examples, Megan asks kids to think about why the trim size of Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline is so generous, or why the typeset in David Wiesner's Caldecott winner,The Three Pigs, appears to twist around the page, or why books like Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express and Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar are printed landscape instead of portrait. The dynamic discussions that result from this shared reading style range from the profound to the hilarious and will inspire adults to make children's responses to text, art, and design an essential part of storytime.