For the fourth meeting of our spring session we read books about birds that hatch out of eggs!  We read about a silly goose and a little chick and we watched three creatures hatch…one wasn’t exactly what we expected!  Here are the books, rhymes, fingerplays, flannel boards, action songs and video we shared.


Books We Shared

The first book we read during our storytime was This Little Chick by John Lawrence.  In it Little Chick learns the sounds of the different animals in the barnyard…he oinks with the pigs, moooos with the cows, baaaaas with the sheep and more!  When he finally gets home to his mama, he has all sorts of things to say besides peep.  A great book for learning about farm animals and the sounds they make – it also helps children with some of their long and short vowel sounds (A-E-I-O-U).

Our second book was  Silly Little Goose by Nancy Tafuri.  Silly Little Goose is trying to find a safe, cozy, quiet place to lay her eggs.  She has a really tough time though!  Every time she thinks she’s found a spot, she learns it already belongs to another animal. Eventually she does find a big, cozy, warm hat (in a quiet spot) to lay her eggs and…”crack, crack,crack…” – her baby goslings pop right out!  Nancy Tafuri writes picture books that are perfect to read aloud to toddlers.  Her storylines are linear and easy to follow and the accompanying illustrations are bold, clear and bright.


Flannel Boards We Shared

Our story begins with three eggs in a basket – one large egg, one medium-sized egg and one round egg!

Two look just like the eggs you buy in the grocery store but one looks round and feels a bit soft.  Suddenly, the first egg begins to wiggle. And with a crick crack, out pops a baby chick. Then the large egg begins to wiggle. And with a crick crack, out pops a baby duck. Then the round, soft egg begins to wiggle. And with a crick, crack, out pops – SURPRISE – a baby turtle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The story doesn’t end here!  Eventually mama hen, mama duck and mama turtle all start looking for their babies and luckily they find them and are reunited!


Five Little Ducks Went Out One Day

Video:  Five Little Ducks

WE sang this rhyme while using the flannel board, but you can also sing or say it with an accompanying fingerplay.  I’ve included the lyrics to the rhyme/song with the finger movements so you can attempt this at home.  Just singing the song without the movements is fine too or, if you don’t feel like singing, you can just say the words.

There are many different ways to share this rhyme and it is a great one for helping your child develop narrative skills (a fancy term for story telling skills).  Developing the ability to tell a story helps a child understand that stories have a beginning, middle and an end.  In addition, being able to describe things and tell a story in sequence will later help a child with reading comprehension skills.

Five little ducks went out one day
(Hold up five fingers)
Over the hills and far away
(Wave bye-bye)
Mother duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only four little ducks came back.
(Hold up four fingers)

Four little ducks went out one day…
(Hold up four fingers)
Over the hills and far away
(Wave bye-bye)
Mother duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only three little ducks came back.
(Hold up three fingers)

Three little ducks went out one day…
(Hold up three fingers)
Over the hills and far away
(Wave bye-bye)
Mother duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only two little ducks came back.
(Hold up two fingers)

Two little ducks went out one day…
(Hold up two fingers)
Over the hills and far away
(Wave bye-bye)
Mother duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only one little duck came back.
(Hold up one finger)

One little duck went out one day…
(Hold up one fingers)
Over the hills and far away
(Wave bye-bye)
Mother duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But none of the five little ducks came back
(open hands in an ‘empty’ gesture)

Sad mother duck went out one day…
(Sing it sadly and slowly)
Over the hills and far away
Mother duck said “QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!”
And all of the five little ducks came back.
(Wave hand with all five fingers!)


Action Songs & Fingerplays We Shared

We share a lot of songs, bounces & rhymes during storytime!  You’ll find lyrics/words to those songs & rhymes we shared without CD accompaniment here.

Welcome, Welcome Everyone
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

Welcome, welcome everyone,
Now we’re here let’s have some fun!
First we clap our hands just so,
Then we bend and touch our toes.
Welcome, welcome everyone,
Now we’re here let’s have some fun

Open Shut Them – Video:  Open Shut Them

Open, shut them, open, shut them, (open and close hands)
Give a little clap, clap, clap.  (clap three times)
Open shut them, open shut them (open and close hands)
Put them in your lap, lap, lap. (place hands in lap and bounce them 3X)

Creep them, crawl them, creep them crawl them, (crawl fingers up arms)
Right up to your chinny  chin chin. (place fingers on chin)
Open up your little mouth (open mouth and say ahhhhhh)
But do not put them in!! (put hands behind your back)

This is Big, Big Big – Video:  This is Big

This is big big big
Hold arms out to side

This is small small small
Cup hands together

This is short short short
Hold hands with palms facing each other

This is tall tall tall
Reach one hand above head

This is fast fast fast
Circle fists quickly

This is slow slow slow
Circle fists slowly

This is yes yes yes
Nod

This is no no no
Shake head

Credit:  Mel’s Desk

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – Video:  Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle Twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.

Goodbye Friends (in sign) – Video:  Goodbye Friends

Goodbye babies, goodbye babies
Goodbye babies, it’s time to say goodbye.


Music from CDs We Shared

Children love to sing and dance to music.  Here are some of the action songs & rhymes on CD that we used in storytime.  Click onto the CD titles to find these items in our library catalog.

“Clap Everybody and Say Hello” from Sally Go Round the Sun by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

“Roll Your Hands” from Toddlers on Parade by Kathy Reid-Naiman

“I’m a Little Teapot” from Toddler Favorites by Music for Little People

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel

“ABC”  from Go Baby Go! Baby Loves Jazz by Baby Loves Jazz Band

Two Little Blackbirds” from  Circle Time: songs and rhymes for the very young by Lisa Monet

“We’re Going to the Market” from I Love to Hear the Sounds by Kathy Reid-Naiman

“Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes” from Its Toddler Time by Carol Hammett and Elaine Bueffel


We used our shaker eggs and bells for this song!  “We’re Going to the Market”


Video We Shared

We watched “Who’s Hiding in the House?”

 

CONTINUE THE FUN

If you want to read more books about birds that hatch, check these out at your local Pasadena Public Library!