Storytime Share

Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

Talk about spiders and how they spin their webs. Each web is different. They use their webs to catch their food.
Read the book.
Put up pieces on a flannel board, having the participants retell the story as you put up the pieces.
Adult Aside: This book has lots of repetition so it is a good one for retelling. I have a handout with the same figures that I used on the flannel board. I will also pass out some yarn to make the web. You can cut out the figures and use the yarn to retell the story. 

Figures for flannel board and handout  verybusyspiderpatterns.doc
[For the flannel board, an alternative to using the cutout figure of the spider is to make a spider by stapling two small paper plates together. Cut strips of black construction paper and attach to paper plates for legs. Slip yarn between the stapled paper plates with a bit sticking out to start the web. Pull out the yarn as you make the web on the flannel board. If you need to you can use velcro or pins or tacks to hold the yarn to the flannel board. Tell the children that spiders don’t need that–the web itself is sticky.]
Submitted by Saroj Ghoting

Pig’s Picnic by Keiko Kasza

Read book. Retell to group using story props. Have the children retell the story as you maneuver the props.
At the end of storytime hold up the handout of Pig’s Picnic and demonstrate how you have cut out the pieces so that the children can retell the story.
Closing Aside: You can strength your children’s narrative skills, the ability to tell stories, by taking home this storytime handout, having your children cut out the pictures and retell the story.
pigs-picnic-hand-out.doc
Submitted by Laura Mikowski, Hillsboro (OR) Public Libraries

Blue Sea by Robert Kalan

Read the book. Use the flannel board to retell the story. You put up the pieces and have the participants retell the story as you put up the pieces. You may say a few words to prompt them. Use the handout (attached) as a way for them to retell the story at home.

Adult Aside: Giving your child an aid will help them remember the story and the order. This helps them develop their narrative skills.

Patterns for flannel board pieces  blueseafbpatterns1.doc
Handout for retelling at home blueseaactivhandout.doc
Submitted by Saroj Ghoting

Storytime Handout: Animals All Around Us

Animals All Around Us Handout by Glencoe (IL) Public Library

Storytime Handout: Blue Sea

Blue Sea Handout by Saroj Ghoting