WCCLS Kids

Youth Book Awards Announced!

2015-02-02T08:08:00.002-08:00

The American Library Association announced their Youth Media Awards this morning at 6 am PST. Awards included the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal for best picture book, the Newbery Medal for best book for children, the Geisel Award for best beginning reader and the Michael L. Printz Award for best young adult book.

Put a hold on one of these award winners today!

For more ALA Youth Media Award information visit the Association for Library Services to Children's website here. Please note that the full list of winners may not be on the website right away. Check this press release for the full list of winners and honor books.

Award: Newbery Medal
Title: Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Find this book at your library

Award: Caldecott Medal
Title: The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
Author & Illustrator: Dan Santat
Find this book at your library

Award: Geisel Award
Title: You Are (Not) Small
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Find this book at your library

Award: Paula Belpré Award - Illustrations
Title: Viva Frida
Author & Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Find this book at your library

Award: Paula Belpré Award - Text
Title: I Lived On Butterfly Hill
Author: Marjorie Agosín
Illustrator: Lee White
Find this book at your library

Award: Coretta Scott King - Illustrations
Title: Firebird
Author: Misty Copeland
Illustrator: Christopher Myers
Find this book at your library

Award: Coretta Scott King - Text
Title: Brown Girl Dreaming
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Find this book at your library

Award: Sibert Medal
Title: The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Find this book at your library

Award: Odyssey Award
Title: H.O.R.S.E. A Game of Basketball and Imagination
Author: Christopher Myers
Produced by: Live Oak Media
Find this book at your library

Award: Printz Medal
Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Find this book at your library

StORytime Oregon

2014-12-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

The State of Oregon recently launched a new early literacy initiative:

stORytime: every day. everywhere.

It's built on the understanding that parents are a child's first teacher and they can grow the skills needed to become successful in school through these simple, every day activities:

TALKING
SINGING
READING
PLAYING
(and we would throw in WRITING)

When parents interact with their children in fun and meaningful ways, learning happens!

I like to compare the act of raising a reader with growing a flower. 4 basic needs must be met if the flower is going to grow:
1) SUN
2) WATER
3) AIR
4) SOIL

Think of the SUN as TALKING. If you surround your child with the warm glow of words, stories and conversations, their vocabularies will bloom, reaching always higher and higher.

Think of the WATER as SINGING. If you feed a melodious stream of song to your child, they will grow to respond to the rhythms and sounds that make up our language.

Think of the AIR as WRITING. If you draw and engage in fingerplays with your child, they will build the motor skills needed to put their own thoughts into the shape of the written word.

Think of the SOIL as READING. If you plant your child firmly in a ground of reading, they will grow rooted to a world of books and learning.

There is one last ingredient that keeps flowers blooming year in, year out: BEES!

Think of the BEES as PLAYING. Through a steady pollination of play, children go from being potential readers to actual readers. Children must enjoy reading and see its benefits firsthand. It is critical that we keep all early learning activities buzzing with fun!

If you follow these 5 basic practices in your daily interactions with your children, you will help them blossom into beautiful readers and eager learners!

We encourage you to learn more about Oregon's stORytime initiative by visiting them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Also, check out this activity sheet for some fun ideas and download this bookmark.

Print Motivation for Diverse Learners

2014-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared in Resource News (Vol. 30. Ed. 6), a publication of Child Care Resource & Referral in Washington & Columbia Counties.

The key to turning children into enthusiastic and curious readers starts with matching the right book with the right child. We call a child’s interest in and enjoyment of books their print motivation.

When a child connects with a book, he or she is motivated to seek out more books and put in the hard work it takes to learn to read.

Some psychologists and educators have argued that children learn best in one of three different ways:
Visual Learners find images and other visual representations help them learn
Auditory Learners respond best through listening and sounds
Kinesthetic Learners prefer to engage in physical experiences when learning.

It can be helpful to think along these lines when connecting children with books. Some children respond best to books that are packed with rich pictures. Others are drawn by books with rhythmic and musical qualities. Still others need books that get them moving and interacting in a physical way.

Here are a handful of books for toddlers and preschoolers sorted out by the learning style they support best.

Visual Learner Books

Title: Where's Walrus?
Author: Stephen Savage
Find this book at your library

Walrus has escaped from the zoo! Help the zookeeper find track him down in this wordless book.

Title: The World Is Waiting for You
Author: Barbara Kerley
Find this book at your library

Gorgeous photographs invite the reader to dive in and explore the world.

Title: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Author: Steve Jenkins
Illustrator: Robin Page
Find this book at your library

A visual guessing game about animal body parts and their many uses.

Auditory Learner Books

Title: My Very First Mother Goose
Editor: Iona Opie
Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Find this book at your library

A lovely collection of nursery rhymes, filled with rhyme and beautiful language.

Title: Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!
Author: Wynton Marsalis
Illustrator: Paul Rogers
Find this book at your library

A little boy describes the sounds that surround him in a rhythmic and entertaining way.

Title: Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?
Author: Rita Gray
Illustrator: Kenard Pak
Find this book at your library

Children discover the calls of common backyard birds while puzzling over the silence of a nesting robin.

Kinesthetic Learner Books

Title: Can You Make a Scary Face?
Author: Jan Thomas
Find this book at your library

A silly bug invites kids to make a variety of fun faces.

Title: Bounce
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Scott Menchin
Find this book at your library

Rhyming text encourages kids to bounce their way through this engaging picture book.

Title: Don't Push the Button!
Author: Bill Cotter
Find this book at your library

A monster entices kids to push a mysterious button, leading to some wild results.

It is important to expose children to as many types of books as possible. This will help you identify their book preferences and possible learning style(s). Not all children will fall squarely within one learning style category. One child may show an early connection with sound books and then will grow to love exploring picture-heavy and interaction books.

Your Washington County libraries love helping you get your children ready to read! For more book recommendations, please visit our website or stop by your local library: www.wccls.org/readytoread

Fingerplay Fun Friday: When I Was One!

2014-05-16T13:44:00.002-07:00

Here's a counting song for all the four-year-olds out there: When I Was One

When I Was One

When I was one I was so small
I could not speak a word at all

When I was two, I learned to talk
I learned to sing, I learned to walk

When I was three, I grew and grew
Now I'm four and so are you!

I like this one because it is a nice little counting game that helps build a solid foundation for beginning counters.

We count to the manageable number 4 and each number is described in a way that makes it distinct from from the others. Best of all, it is so natural to count by referring to our fingers. When kids count on their fingers, they are making a 1-to-1 correspondence between their physical finger(s) and the abstract idea of a number.

As with all skills, counting takes practice and it is best to begin with small steps. After kids arrive at the "aha moment" when they understand the connection between the amount of fingers and the abstract idea of a number, they will be better prepared for bigger counting exercises, counting backwards and other higher level math operations.

The ability to make the connection between the physical amount of fingers and the abstract idea of a number is not very different from the skill it takes a child to associate a sound with a letter or combination of letters (a word) with the idea that it represents. When we share rhymes and fingerplays that help kids make meaning out of the world, we're better equipping them for future school success!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Hickory Dickory Dock!

2014-04-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a break, we're back!!! This week we feature an interactive take on a familiar old mother goose rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck two,
Away the mouse flew,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck three,
The mouse went "whee!!!"
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck four,
The mouse fell to the floor,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck five,
The mouse took a dive,
Hickory dickory dock.

It is very easy to turn this action rhyme into a two-person game. One person gets to be the clock and the other gets to be the mouse.

With babies and young toddlers, I would recommend that you be the mouse and they be the clock. With older toddlers and preschoolers, you can be the clock while they take on the more challenging role of the mouse.

As you recite the rhyme, encourage a playful interaction by making the mouse squeak and scamper about. The clock can chime out the time, as well.

When children engage in imaginative play, they learn a great deal about how the world works. Play helps children think symbolically. In this case, an upraised arm becomes a clock and a hand becomes a mouse. The ability to think symbolically is critical to learning how to read. When we read, we must understand that written words stand for real objects and experiences.

In addition, two-person play helps children work on important social skills, like the ability to cooperate with others. As with most things, this takes practice. By playing little games like this, you can ensure your child is be ready to start school and "play well with others."

Best Books for Babies

2014-04-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

It’s never too early to begin sharing books with the baby in your life. Research has shown that reading to a child on a regular basis is one of the most important activities toward building a successful reader.

Finding a book that is just right for your baby is easy.

Here are a few features that make books great for babies:

Bright, high-contrast images – geometric shapes and black & white illustrations for newborns, photographs and bold-line drawings for older infants
Familiar subject matter – things and activities that are familiar to the baby
Fun sounds – animal noises, car & train sounds and other silly sounds
Nursery rhymes – playful language for you to read aloud
Easy to handle – cardboard books and fabric books that little hands can grab

Every year a group of educators and librarians from Western Pennsylvania selects a list of the Best Books for Babies that were published in the previous year.

Here is the 2014 list of the Best Books for Babies (descriptions provided by Best Books for Babies):

Title: Baby Parade
Author: Rebecca O'Connell
Illustrator: Susie Poole
Find this book at your library

Smiling babies and their caretakers promenade through a cheerful landscape that combines realistic elements with unusual patterns and textures.

Title: Diggers Go
Author: Steve Light
Find this book at your library

Energetic painting of various kinds of heavy equipment stretch across the pages of this sturdy board book accompanied by amusing interpretations of the noises they make.

Title: Farm
Author: James Brown
Find this book at your library

High contrast illustrations present stylized images of familiar animals and objects; slight changes in texture add tactile appeal.

Title: Global Baby Girls
Author: Global Fund for Children
Find this book at your library

Crisp photos showcase baby girls from around the world who are “beautiful, strong, bold and bright” and sure to capture the interest of the very youngest listeners.

Title: Good Night, Trucks: A Bedtime Book
Author: Brian Biggs
Find this book at your library

Colorful cartoon-style pictures feature eleven different kinds of trucks, focusing on what they do and where they go at the end of the day.

Title: Healthy Baby: Cuddle, Eat, Move, Reach
Author: Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis
Find these books at your library

Soft black-and-white photos of babies face pages that combine playful pastel illustrations with short sentences describing the babies’ actions.

Title: It's Time to Sleep
Author: Priddy Books
Find this book at your library

Brief and basic, this colorful point-and-say board book shows photos of babies, blankets, books and bears among other familiar items associated with daily activities and bedtime routines.

Title: Maisy's First Colors
Author: Lucy Cousins
Find this book at your library

Maisy and her friends enjoy their favorite yummy foods, featured in simple drawings with bright colors and described with brief rhymes.

Title: My Mother Goose
Author: David McPhail (ed. and illus.)
Find this book at your library

A treasure trove of traditional rhymes and original content, this collection is decorated with old-fashioned watercolor illustrations.

Title: Thumpy Feet
Author: Betsy Lewin
Find this book at your library

A goofy-looking orange cat with big green eyes, Thumpy Feet is interested in the same kinds of things that absorb babies’ attention: eating, playing, stretching and sleeping.

Best Books for Babies is a project of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Fred Rogers Company and the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children.

WiserKids: a New Early Literacy Blog from Cedar Mill Community Library

2014-03-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

We're super-excited to announce a brand new early learning blog from our very own Cedar Mill Community Library: WiserKids: grow, learn, read, play, explore at your library

WiserKids will feature "information and activities about early literacy, reading recommendations, programs, special events and more!" It is brought to you by the hard-working youth services team at the Cedar Mill Community Library and the Cedar Mill Library at Bethany.

We hope you will take the time to follow what promises to be a great library resource for families with young children!!

Also, in case you didn't already know, the Tigard Public Library has their own library blog for families (Family Book Bag) and the Garden Home Community Library has developed a fantastic set of Pinterest boards to help you connect with great books (Garden Home Library Youth Reads). We highly suggest you check out these vast treasure troves.

We hope you can tell that the public libraries of Washington County love sharing tips with families to help kids get ready to learn and read!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Fe Fi Fo Fum!

2014-03-07T15:09:00.001-08:00

Here is a silly little fingerplay: Fe Fi Fo Fum

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum

Fe, fi, fo, fum
See my fingers,
See my thumb.

Fe, fi, fo fum,
Goodbye fingers,
Goodbye thumb!

I like how simple this one is. It is a perfect gateway to more complicated fingerplays like last week's I Saw a Little Rabbit or The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

When little kids work on moving their fingers individually, they are preparing themselves for future writing success!

Please note that our Fingerplay Fun Fridays will be on a minor hiatus beginning next week. The program will start back up on April 18th. We apologize for this inconvenience but promise to return with more fun rhymes soon!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: I Saw a Little Rabbit!

2014-02-28T12:58:00.001-08:00

Here's a cute little rhyme about a bunny: I Saw a Little Rabbit

I Saw a Little Rabbit

I saw a little rabbit
Go hop, hop, hop

I saw his long ears
Go flop, flop, flop

I saw his little nose
Go twink, twink, twink

I saw his little eyes
Go blink, blink, blink

I said, “Little rabbit,
Won’t you stay?”

He just looked at me,
And hopped away

I like this one because it encourages imaginative play. When you make your hand into a little bunny by extending your index and middle fingers, you're engaging in symbolic play. Your hand isn't really a rabbit, you're just pretend that it is. This makes perfect sense to adults, but to little kids it takes time.

There is a growing body of research about the importance of play in the early years. From a literacy standpoint, when children recognize that something is a representation of an actual object, they begin to understand how books work. The pictures and words on the page of a book stand for ideas and objects. We use these symbols to communicate. We call this understanding print awareness. Children who understand how books work have an easier time learning how to read.

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Form the Orange!

2014-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is one of our older videos: Form the Orange

Form The Orange

Form the orange,
Form, form the orange.
(hold hands apart in half circles, slowly bring together)

Peel the orange,
Peel, peel the orange.
(keep thumbs together, slowly separate finger-tips)

Squeeze the orange,
Squeeze, squeeze the orange.
(give yourself a great big hug)

Form the banana,
Form, form the banana.
(slowly bring palms together over your head)

Peel the banana,
Peel, peel the banana.
(slowly separate palms)

Go bananas,
Go, go bananas!
(dance any way you please)

I like this one because it's super-catchy and loads of fun for kids. Best of all, it is a great opportunity for kids to practice coordinating their big body movements. You start by making your hands into two half-circles, which you slowly bring together into one full-circle. Making your fingers and thumbs meet takes some degree of focus.

Kids who are able to control their body movements will have an easier time learning how to write. Writing requires a considerable amount of focus and precision. When kids play with and practice their big body movements, they are working on important pre-writing skills!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink!

2014-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Here is one of my favorite love-themed songs: Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink

Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky dinky doo
Skinnamarinky dinky dink
I love you!

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky dinky doo
Skinnamarinky dinky dink
I love you!

I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon

Skinnamarinky dinky dink
Skinnamarinky dinky doo
Skinnamarinky dinky dink
I love you!

I like this one because, in addition to being a great bonding opportunity for a child and the adult in their life, you can suit your actions to call attention to the homonyms "I" and "eye". A homonym is a word that sounds exactly the same as another word but has a different meaning.

This rhyme can serve as a great conversation starter about homonyms. After you have done the action rhyme with your preschooler, write out the words "I" and "eye" on paper and show them the difference. This will help your child begin to understand how words in the written form work and how we can make the same sounds with different letter combinations. We call a child's ability to understand how written words work Print Awareness and their ability to connect letters with sounds Letter Knowledge.

When you help your child understand how homonyms work, you also help them realize that much of our language depends on context. Here is a silly little chant you can share to drive home the point:

I, I, I (point to self)
Me, me, me!!!

Eye, eye, eye (point to eye)
See, see, see!!!

Or, for all the sailors out there:

Aye, aye, aye (nod three times)
Yes, yes, yes!!!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Pease Porridge Hot!

2014-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is an old Mother Goose rhyme that introduces kids to the concepts of hot and cold: Pease Porridge Hot

Pease Porridge Hot

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.

Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.

I like this one because it does a nice job of describing the opposites hot and cold. When children understand how opposites work, they begin to see how one thing can have different qualities. The porridge (or oatmeal) can be hot or it can be cold. We use the adjectives "hot" and "cold" to describe or attribute specific qualities of heat to the object "porridge".

Kids who have a broad understanding of adjectives and opposites have an easier time making sense out of what they read once they begin learning. Knowing the names of opposites helps them to make guesses, as well.

When you share books with your child, try taking a little extra time to describe the pictures on the page. Use as many different words as you can to describe the objects and ask your kids to help describe. You don't even need a book to help your child learn more adjectives and opposite words. Simply describe the things you see throughout your day.

There are many excellent picture books that help kids master the concepts of opposite. Here are a few of my favorites:

Title: Big Dog... Little Dog
Author: P.D. Eastman
Find this book at your library

Fred and Ted are best friends who are very different. This delightful book uses a humorous story to introduce kids to opposite concepts.

Title: Biggest, Strongest, Fastest
Author: Steve Jenkins
Find this book at your library

The animal kingdom is explored with an eye to extremes. While not an "opposite" book, the author does a nice job of including the opposing superlatives.

Title: Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
Author: Sandra Boynton
Find this book at your library

Dinosaur lovers will enjoy this prehistoric book of opposites!

Title: Tall
Author: Jez Alborough
Find this book at your library

The concepts of tall and small are on display as a lovable and small chimp becomes tall with the help of friends!

Title: You and Me: We're Opposites
Author: Harriet Ziefert
Illustrator: Ethan Long
Find this book at your library

Zoo animals tell each other how their opposites.

CLEL Bell Awards Announced!!

2014-02-05T10:38:00.001-08:00

The Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) announced the winners of their Bell Picture Book Awards this morning!!

These awards have been given to recognize five picture books from 2013 that provide excellent support for early literacy development in children around five key practices: Read, Talk, Sing, Write and Play.

Without any further ado, here are the 2014 CLEL Bell Awards!!!
(click on each title to see Early Literacy Activity Ideas from CLEL)

Title: Open This Little Book
Author: Jesse Klausmeier
Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Find this book at your library

"Readers open the cover to discover ﬁve characters, each with their own little book, all within the pages of the ﬁrst. Open This Little Book celebrates the pleasures of reading, sharing stories, and having a book of your own."

- Synopsis by CLEL

Title: Moo!

Author: David LaRochelle

Illustrator: Mike Wohnoutka

Find this book at your library

"A very vocal cow commandeers the farmer’s car and sets off on an adventure. The entire story is told with just two words: Moo! and Baa! The speech bubbles and the very limited vocabulary help children make the critical connection between the words we say and the print on the page."

- Synopsis by CLEL

Title: Nighty-Night, Cooper

Author: Laura Numeroff

Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger

Find this book at your library

"A small kangaroo requests song after song to help him fall asleep, and his mother obliges by making up her own words to familiar tunes. Singing songs together is a powerful way to build phonological awareness skills and vocabulary, and Nighty-Night, Cooper models how a parent can use songs to create a comforting bedtime routine with a child."

-Synopsis by CLEL

Title: Things I Can Do

Author: Jeff Mack

Find this book at your library

"Hand-written text and exuberant collages illustrate this story of a boy who takes great pride in his accomplishments. Reading skills and writing skills develop together, and the format of The Things I Can Do invites children to see themselves as authors as well as readers."

- Synopsis by CLEL

Title: Niño Wrestles the World

Author: Yuyi Morales

Find this book at your library

"Niño takes on all the toys in his room with an amazing series of lucha libre wrestling moves. When his sisters wake up from their nap, they challenge him to a match, too! Who will be victorious? Niño Wrestles the World joyfully demonstrates the language-rich, open-ended play that contributes to a child’s narrative skills."

- Synopsis by CLEL

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Jack Be Nimble!

2014-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

This week's rhyme is presented as a three-for-one: Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack jump over
the candle stick

Jack jump high
Jack jump low
Jack jump over
And burn his toe!

I like this one because it shows a perfect example how a rhyme can be shared in many different ways.

In the video, I share it as:

A baby lap-bounce
A fingerplay using American Sign Language
A full-body action rhyme

Just because your child grows into a new stage of development, you don't need to throw out all of your old rhymes. In fact, you can modify rhymes to suit the age and development of your child. Just as many words have different meanings, rhymes can take on different forms. Children who have playful experiences with different meanings and ways of doing things will have an easier time adapting and comprehending what they read once they begin learning.

Languages are extremely complex. Idioms are a great example of how meaning can be quite elastic. When a new reader encounters the sentence "it is raining cats and dogs," they will be extremely confused unless they have previously heard the idiom.

When we show kids how to play with language & generate different outcomes, we help them build the flexibility they will need to succeed academically!

Youth Book Award Time!!

2014-01-27T08:24:00.001-08:00

This morning at 5 am, the American Library Association announced its annual Youth Media Awards! Numerous awards were handed out, including best picture book (Randolph Caldecott Medal), best beginning reader (Geisel Award), best young adult book (Michael L. Printz Award) and best book for children (John Newbery Medal).

Stop by your local library and check out one of these award-winners!!

For more ALA Youth Media Awards and more information, visit the Association for Library Services to Children's website here.

Award: Newbery Medal
Title: Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: K.G. Campbell
Find this book at your library

Award: Caldecott Medal
Title: Locomotive
Author: Brian Floca
Find this book at your library

Award: Geisel Award
Title: The Watermelon Seed
Author: Greg Pizzoli
Find this book at your library

Award: Paula Belpré Award - Illustrations
Title: Niño Wrestles the World
Author: Yuri Morales
Find this book at your library

Award: Paula Belpré Award - Text
Title: Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Author: Meg Medina
Find this book at your library

Award: Coretta Scott King - Illustrations
Title: Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me
Author: Daniel Beaty
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Find this book at your library

Award: Coretta Scott King - Text
Title: P.S. Be Eleven
Author: Rita Williams-Garcia
Find this book at your library

Award: Sibert Medal
Title: Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Author: Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore
Find this book at your library

Award: Odyssey Award
Title: Scowler
Author: Daniel Kraus
Produced by: Listening Library
Find this book at your library

Award: Printz Medal
Title: Midwinterblood
Author: Marcus Sedgwick
Find this book at your library

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Way Up In the Sky!

2014-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a great good morning rhyme: Way Up In the Sky

Way Up In the Sky

Way up in the sky
The little birds fly
While down in the nest
The little birds rest
Shhh! They're sleeping.

With a wing on the left
And a wing on the right
The little birds sleep
All through the night.
Shhh! They're sleeping.

Up comes the sun
And the dew drops away
Good morning, good morning,
the little birds say

I like this one because it can easily support a waking routine. Young children often have a difficult time transitioning from one activity to another. Waking from a warm bed and moving into a stimulating environment can be a little jarring. Connecting a fun and comforting song with the transition can help ease things. This is especially helpful if your morning is a little bit rushed.

Establishing routines helps kids make predictions about what is going to happen next. In addition to supporting a child's social and emotional development, this is a skill that will help kids comprehend what they read once they begin learning.

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Ten In the Bed!

2014-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my! and Golly gee! Today marks the one year anniversary of Fingerplay Fun Friday!

Check out our very first FFF post here.

We started Fingerplay Fun Friday shortly after launching our WCCLS Kids blog as a way to spotlight our growing collection of online rhyme videos. We quickly realized that by sharing rhyme videos in a blog format we could tie-in information about how fingerplays and nursery rhymes help kids build important pre-reading skills.

We hope you have enjoyed Fingerplay Fun Friday and have learned some new activities to share with your family. Although we may miss a Friday here and there, we will continue to share nursery rhymes as we are able. Stay tuned for more fun!

Today we feature a silly counting down rhyme: Ten In the Bed

Ten In the Bed

There were ten in the bed (hold up ten fingers)
And the little one said
"Roll over, roll over" (make a rolling motion with arms)
So they all rolled over
And one fell out! (lower one finger)

(repeat with 9-2)

There was one in the bed
And the little one said
"Alone at last! Goodnight!"

I like this rhyme because it lets kids practice their fine motor skills (raising and lowering individual fingers) while they also learn how to count down from ten.

When kids count down, they are practicing the mathematical concept of subtraction. In this case, they are subtracting by units of 1:

There were 10 in the bed minus 1 = there are now 9 in the bed

You can modify the rhyme and help kids better understand how subtraction works:

There were ten in the bed (hold up ten fingers)
And the little one said
"Roll over, roll over" (make a rolling motion with arms)
So they all rolled over
And two fell out! (lower two fingers)

There were eight in the bed ....

It is very important for kids to have a strong number sense when they begin learning math. Number sense is a child's ability to think and work with numbers. When kids count on their fingers, they practice making the one-to-one correspondence between the amount of fingers on their hands and the abstract idea of a number. The ability to reason abstractly is critical for future math success!

As with all early learning, children learn best when they engage in fun and meaningful activities. Ten In the Bed is a great example of fun pre-math activity.

Fingerpla Fun Friday: Monkey See, Monkey Do!

2014-01-10T15:56:00.002-08:00

Here is a neat little rhyme with a repeated chorus: Monkey See, Monkey Do

Monkey See, Monkey Do

When you clap, clap, clap your hands
The monkey claps his hands

(Chorus) Monkey see monkey do,
Monkey do the same as you.

When you stomp, stomp, stomp your feet
Monkey stomps his feet
(chorus)

When you turn, turn, turn around
Monkey turn, turn, turns around
(chorus)

When you jump, jump, jump up high
Monkey jump, jump, jumps up high
(chorus)

I like this one because it includes the repeated chorus over and over. You can extend the rhyme by adding new verses, but you will always include the "Monkey see, monkey do, monkey do the same as you!" This is provides kids with a very quick introduction to song structure. Kids who understand how songs and stories are structured have a much easier time making predictions when they begin learning how to read!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Mama's Little Baby Loves Clapping!

2014-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun update to a familiar old song: Mama's Little Baby Loves Clapping

Mama's Little Baby Loves Clapping!

Mama's little baby loves clapping, clapping
Mama's little baby loves clapping fast!

Mama's little baby loves clapping, clapping
Mama's little baby loves clapping slow

Mama's little baby loves jumping, jumping
Mama's little baby loves jumping fast!

Mama's little baby loves jumping, jumping
Mama's little baby loves jumping slow

I like this one because it is so easy to adapt. You can keep the rhyme going by adding more and more verses:

Mama's little baby loves clapping
Mama's little baby loves jumping
Mama's little baby loves spinning
Mama's little baby loves brushing
Mama's little baby loves eating
Mama's little baby loves cleaning up

Rhymes like this one are great for turning a chore into a time of fun. Just be careful when brushing teeth or eating that you don't go too fast. :)

Early childhood educators have used music and rhymes to help facilitate classroom routines for years and years. Music can be a great way to help kids look past the tedium and find the fun in everyday actions.

"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP, the job's a game!" - Mary Poppins

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Touch Your Nose!

2013-12-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a fitting end to the year: Touch Your Nose

Touch Your Nose

Touch your nose,
Touch your chin.
That's the way
This game begins.

Touch your eyes,
Touch your knees.
Now pretend
You're going to sneeze (Aaaa-choo!).

Touch your ears,
Touch your hair.
Touch your lips,
Just right there (Smack a kiss).

Touch your elbows,
Where they bend.
Jump right up and say
THE END!!!!!

I like this one because it has an awful lot of body parts crammed in. They also show up quite randomly, so it is a little harder for kids. They really have to pay attention in order to follow along and "play the game."

I usually end all of my storytimes with this little gem. Early learning research shows that kids respond positively to repetition and regularity. Routines let your child focus more on the task at hand instead of worrying about what is going to happen next. Check out this wonderful article from Zero to Three on Love, Learning, and Routines for more information.

See you next year!!!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Green Says Go!

2013-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun game that you can stretch on and on, to help kids burn off some of that extra holiday season sugar: Green Says Go!

Green Says Go!

Green says, Go!

Go! Go! Go!

Yellow says, Slow!
Slow! Slow! Slow!

And red says, STOP!

Go! Go! Go!

Slow! Slow! Slow!
and STOP!

This one works best if you have a lot of room to move around in. Start by practicing the three different motions: Go, Slow and Stop. Slow and Stop can be especially challenging for little kids who just want to run around. When kids play at slowing down and stopping, it helps them to build important self-regulation skills that allow them to focus when the learn. Drag out the Slow and Stop parts to add an extra challenge.

If you have some colored construction paper, cut out big green, yellow and red circles and hold them up while you share the activity. After your child has practiced the game a few times, try to see if they can Go, Slow and Stop just by looking at the color (without any speaking). Doing activities like this helps kids understand that symbols can have meaning outside of themselves. This is the basis of print awareness, one of the six critical pre-reading skills that contribute to early reading success.

Fingerplay Fun Friday: I'm a Little Snowman!

2013-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a seasonal rhyme all about a snowman: I'm a Little Snowman

I'm a Little Snowman

I'm a little snowman
Short and fat,
Here are my buttons,
Here is my hat.

When the sun comes out,
I can't dare stay
If I do,
I'll melt away!

This rhyme is perfect for starting a conversation about snowmen and how they melt if it's too warm. We call a child's understanding of how things in the world work their background knowledge. When kids have a thorough understanding of the world, it is easier for them to make sense of what they read.

Not everyone can build a snowman in the winter. For all the kids who live in warm places, here is a fun snowman activity:
The Life Cycle of a Snowman (from www.frugalteacher.com)

By placing water balloons in your freezer over night, you can create your very own snowman! Use a basin to catch the water as the ice melts and expose your children to a real life experiment in melting. Try creating multiple snowmen and placing them in different locations (inside & outside) to see which snowman melts first. When you share experiences like this with your child you are helping them to understand concepts like melting in a fun and meaningful way!

FIngerplay Fun Friday: The Wheels On the Train!

2013-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

There's something about the holiday season and trains. They seem to go hand-in-hand. Here's a fun update to the familiar "The Wheels On the Bus": The Wheels On the Train

The Wheels On the Train

The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.
The wheels on the train go clickety-clack,
All along the track!

The station master shouts "All aboard!"
"All aboard!" "All aboard!"
The station master shouts "All aboard!"
All along the track!

The conductor says "Tickets please!"
"Tickets please!" "Tickets please!"
The conductor says "Tickets please!"
All along the track!

The whistle on the train goes "Choo-choo!"
"Choo-choo!" "Choo-choo!"
The whistle on the train goes "Choo-choo!"
All along the tracks!

The people on the train go bumpity-bump,
Bumpity-bump, bumpity-bump.
The people on the train go bumpity-bump,
All along the track!

The kids on the train say "Are we there yet?"
"Are we there yet?" "Are we there yet?"
The kids on the train say "Are we there yet?"
All along the track!

The brakeman on the train says "Slow 'er down!"
"Slow 'er down!" "Slow 'er down!"
The brakeman on the train says "Slow 'er down!"
All along the track!

"The Wheels On the Bus" is a massively popular children's song. It has been regularly sung in nurseries and classrooms for the last 50 years or more. This general familiarity makes it easy for kids to get on board with "The Wheels On the Train."

When we take familiar songs and add new verses or update using a variant theme we are exposing kids to new vocabulary. In this particular case, we are introducing kids to many of the people who are involved with railroads:

Each person has a very particular job to help make sure the train runs smoothly and efficiently. When you share rhymes like this, you can take a moment to have a conversation with your child about how things in the real world work. You can talk about how a Station Master makes sure the train station runs correctly, how the Conductor makes sure the train runs correctly and the Brakeman helps slow down the train when it stops. Your child will be building vocabulary in the process. This, in turn, will help your child recognize words when they begin reading!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Jellyfish!

2013-11-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a great little rhyme to help you work off your Thanksgiving meal: Jellyfish

Jellyfish

Jellyfish, Jellyfish, Jellyfish, JELLY!!!

Wiggle a body part while saying the rhyme. Add an additional body part each time and keep building the number of active body parts!

1) Fingers
2 )Wrists
3) Elbows
4) Knees
5) Feet
6) Bottom
7) Tongue

Ok. This one is totally wild, but super-fun! I like it because it gets kids up and really moving. Few rhymes are as great for getting the wiggles out.

Focusing on multiple body parts at the same time is extremely difficult. Repeating back the sequence of body parts adds an extra level of complexity to this rhyme. When kids play with rhymes and games like Jellyfish, they are building their memories. The ability to recall helps kids understand content once they begin reading.

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Mosquito One, Mosquito Two!

2013-11-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun rhyme, originally from the Caribbean: Mosquito One, Mosquito Two

Mosquito One, Mosquito Two

Mosquito one,
Mosquito two,

Mosquito jumps
In the old man's shoe;

The shoe's too hot
He jumps in the pot

The pot's too cold
He jumps in the hole

The hole's too deep
He jumps in the jeep

The jeep's too fast
He jumps in the grass

Just then, an old man passes...
The mosquito hides...
Then he jumps outside!!

Who doesn't love a rhyme where you get to jump a lot?! I have modified the last few lines of the rhyme, turning it into a fun "jump" surprise (the last lines of some of the original versions are a little naughty).

I love the repetition of the word "jump" throughout this rhyme. Kids quickly learn that they will be jumping into each new place. The final big jump is delayed with a slight shift in the narrative. This delay builds suspense. When kids play and practice at waiting, they are developing important self-regulation skills. The ability to quiet your internal urges is very challenging for lots of kids. Self-regulation is a skill that many Kindergarten teachers want to see in new students. Playing waiting and anticipating games can help grow this skill in a fun and meaningful way!!

WCCLS Kids

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Fingerplay Fun Friday: Way Up In the Sky!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Ten In the Bed!

Fingerpla Fun Friday: Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Mama's Little Baby Loves Clapping!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Touch Your Nose!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Green Says Go!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: I'm a Little Snowman!

FIngerplay Fun Friday: The Wheels On the Train!

STATION MASTER

CONDUCTOR

BRAKEMAN

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Jellyfish!

Fingerplay Fun Friday: Mosquito One, Mosquito Two!