Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy through Bounces, Rhymes, Tickles, and More

by Kathy MacMillan, Christine Kirker, Melanie Fitz (Illustrator)

Overview

Whether you've been presenting baby storytimes for fifteen years or fifteen minutes, you probably already know that the first five years of life are key for brain development and early literacy. Many public libraries have instituted baby and toddler programs, but finding exciting materials for baby storytime that go beyond nursery rhymes can be a challenge. Baby Storytime Magic is a treasure trove of new and exciting ideas for programs, all of which revolve around themes from a baby's world. Inside this resource you'll find * Fingerplays, bounces, flannelboards, activities with props, songs, American Sign Language activities, and more, with items arranged by type of material *Tips for planning storytimes, with advice on logistical issues such as age grouping, scheduling, formats, and physical setup *Guidance on involving caregivers in baby storytimes, including suggested scripts for explaining the benefits of each activity and how to use it at home * Age-appropriate book recommendations *Information on early childhood development, plus an appendix of recommended additional resources

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838912164
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	02/20/2014
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	695,092
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.25(d)

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2014
This guide features stories, rhymes, songs, and activities as well as library storytime management tips. Pros and cons of age groupings versus developmental groupings are considered, as is the need to accommodate older siblings. Information about an infant's developing brain and the acquisition of literacy skills is discussed in introductory chapters. Each activity or book is introduced with an informational "literacy bit" to be shared with caregivers. Most of the rhymes and songs are original and are sometimes set to the tune of traditional songs or chants. The focus of the content is on babies' familiar, daily activities. Adults are encouraged to use their own voices rather than musical recordings, and suggestions for props and flannel boards accompany the activities. American Sign Language drawings are added to many activities, but no textual description of the signs is provided. Drawings for flannel and magnetic boards are pictured in black-and-white illustrations that can be photocopied.—Jackie Gropman, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, VA

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