Storytime: Dogs

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes

1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Pick a Pup  - Marsha Wilson Chall

I paper clipped a couple of these pages together, there were a few too many dogs to keep the kids' interest.


3) Song - I Know a Chicken - Laurie Berkner

A favorite song for my kids. To tie in to the previous story, I emphasized how I needed them to "pick" which color egg shaker they wanted to use.

4) RRRalph - Lois Ehlert

I love the unique pictures in Ehlert's books, and this one is no exception! Though I think the adults got more of a kick out of the talking dog than the kids did... ;-)


5) Song - BINGO 
We just sang this classic song acappella, and I had the brainstorm of making felt board letters for it. Well, I actually took the letters from my bulletin board stash and glued felt to the backs. After each verse I took a letter off the board. Easy peasy, and the kids really did it well!


6) Bark, George - Jules Feiffer

The kids sure had a laugh with this one.


7) Song - Shake Your Sillies Out - the Wiggles
They needed to get up and move...


8) Some Dogs Do - Jez Alborough

Surprisingly, the kids did well sitting through this one even though it was a little long for an ending book. But I thought it had a great message to end our day.


Paper bag dog
Our craft for today was a simple paper bag dog, kind of like the one found here. I didn't have a separate piece for the head, and just used black hole-punched dots for eyes and an oval for the nose. Instead of the feet and tail shown in that link, I traced the leg onto pink paper for a tongue. :)