|
|
OUR OWN STORYBOOKS (Art/Prereading)
Give each of your children a blank book made by stapling pieces of white paper together between two colored construction paper covers. Let the children use crayons or markers to draw pictures on their book pages any way they wish. When they have finished, write their names on their book covers and any text they dictate to you at the bottom of their book pages. Then invite them to put their books in your library corner, if they wish.
CONCEPT BOOKS (Art/Colors/Shapes/Numbers)
Here are more book ideas for your room library. Make blank books for your children as described in the activity Our Own Storybooks, above. Then try one or all three of the ideas below. When the children have finished, title the cover of each book (“My Color Book,” “My Shape Book,” or “My Number Book”) and add the child’s name.
|
Color Books: In each child’s book, use matching colored markers to write a color word (Red, Yellow, Blue, and so forth) at the top of each page. Then let the children cut or tear matching colored pictures out of magazines and glue them onto the appropriate book pages.
|
|
Shape Books: Label the pages of each child’s book with a small shape (a circle, a square, a triangle, and so on). Cut various sizes of each shape out of colored construction paper. Have the children choose a shape page and then glue the appropriate shape cutouts onto it.
|
 |
Number Books: Number each child’s book pages from 1 to 5 (or higher). Set out washable inkpads and a variety of rubber stamps. Have the children name the numerals on their book pages and then stamp on matching numbers of prints (one apple print, two leaf prints, three bird prints, and so forth). |
|
BOOK GAMES (Sizes/Counting/Sorting)
In your library corner, let your children take turns playing the games that follow.
|
On a bookshelf, arrange books from tallest to shortest or shortest to tallest. |
|
Count the number of books that have been placed on a bookshelf. |
|
Sort picture books about animals and picture books about transportation into two piles and arrange them on two bookshelves. (Or provide two other categories of books for this activity.)
|
|
LIBRARY VISIT (Social Studies/Prereading)
|
Arrange a time with the children’s librarian at your local library to bring in your group for a special storytime session. Explain that you are working on a unit about what a librarian does, and ask the librarian to include in the session a few details about the job. |
|
Before visiting the library with your group, help the children make a list of questions they would like to ask the librarian about his or her work. |
|
When the storytime session is over, let the children choose several books to check out on your library card and take back to your room. |
|
LIBRARY PLAY CENTER (Dramatic Play/Prereading)
Set up a Library Play Center in your room. Include such things as a desk for the librarian, comfy floor pillows, a bookcase filled with books, a magazine rack for periodicals, and a basket for holding unshelved books. Then let your children take turns being the librarian and doing tasks such as those below.
|
“Reading” books aloud to small groups |
|
Helping find books that readers want |
|
Giving out precut library cards and checking out books |
|
Reshelving any books left in the basket or on the floor |
|
LIBRARY BOOK FUN (Prereading/Thinking Skills)
Try one or both of the ideas below.
|
Draw a large tree on posterboard at your children’s level. Print the titles of library books that you read to your group on cutout leaf shapes and let the children tape them to the tree branches. Review the titles when the tree is full of leaves. Which are favorites? |
|
Have the children answer riddles about familiar library books. For instance: “I’m thinking of a book about an animal that is wearing something funny on its head. What book is it?” (“The Cat in the Hat”) |
|
I WISH I WERE A LIBRARIAN (Music)
Tune: “The Mulberry Bush”
I wish I were a librarian,
Librarian, librarian.
I wish I were a librarian
And worked in the library.
I’d help kids find their library books,
Library books, library books.
I’d help kids find their library books
To read with their family.
Heather McPhail
|
LIBRARY BOOKS AND SNACKS (Prereading/Food Preparation)
Just before snacktime select a library storybook that involves food to read aloud. For instance, choose “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Then spoon warm oatmeal into small bowls and invite your children to top their “porridge” with such things as raisins, sliced bananas, and fresh or frozen berries. Help them add small amounts of milk too, if desired.
|
|
|
|
