10/13 Story Hour

Theme: Boo!

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Narrative skills (sequencing events, telling stories)
Book: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Flannelboard: Make a Jack-o-Lantern
Fingerplay: Five Little Pumpkins
Activity: Practice saying “Boo!” with pumpkin mask
Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a tissue paper pumpkin
For Further Reading:
Boo! By Robert Munsch (E)
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman (E)

Sweet and Spooky Halloween by Melissa Lagonegro (E)
Two Little Witches by Harriet Ziefert (E)

Halloween or Bust by Jane O’Connor (E)
The Berenstain Bears Go On a Ghost Walk By Stan and Jan Berenstain (E)

10/7 Story Hour: Fall Reading Week

Theme: Pumpkins

Story: Mrs. McMurphy’s Pumpkin by Rick Walton
Flannelboard: Five Little Pumpkins

"Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (one arm held horizontally with other hand sitting on it, fingers pointing up).

The first one said, 'Oh my, it's getting late!' (hands to cheeks)

The second one said, 'There's a chill in the air!' (arms crossed on chest, pretend to shiver)

The third one said, 'But we don't care!' (arms out at sides, shake head sideways)

The fourth one said, 'Let's run and run and run' (pump arms at sides like running)

The fifth one said, 'We're ready for some fun!' (dance in place)

Then oooooohhhhh went the wind (wiggle fingers through air)

and OUT (clap) went the lights

and five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (roll arms over each other)"

Flannelboard: "Carve" a Jack-o-Lantern using felt pieces
Activity: Try eating pumpkin seeds
Craft: Decorate a mini pumpkin

10/5, 10/6 Story Hour

Theme: Trains
Targeted Early Literacy Skill: Narrative skills (sequencing events, telling stories)
Story: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Song: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Kids helped by playing their train whistles when the song called for the train to blow it's horn.
Fingerplay: Here is the Choo-Choo Train
Here is the choo choo train rolling down the track (pump arms at sides like running).
Now it's going forward (arms stretch ahead)
Now it's going back (arms stretch behind).
Now the bell is ringing (ring pretend bell)
Now the whistle blows (make whistle noise)
What a lot of noise it makes (cover ears)
everywhere it goes (yell "All Aboard!")
Craft: Train stamp pictures

9/28, 9/29 Story Hour

Theme: Fire Trucks

Targeted Early Literacy Skill: Vocabulary
Book: Firebears, the Rescue Team by Rhonda Greene
Fingerplays: Fireman Number 8

"Fireman, fireman, number 8 (make 8 with hands).

Bumped his head upon the gate (tap head).

The gate swung in (prayer hands swing one way),

the gate swung out (prayer hands swing the opposite way).

And that's how they put the fire out (swing hands back and forth quickly).

Emergency, emergency, 911! (repeat 3 times while stomping feet to the beat)"
Song: I’m a Firefighter

"I'm a firefighter, here's my hose. (extend arm out)

I put out fires as everyone knows. (tap head with finger)

When I see a fire, I put it out. (arm out, wiggle fingers)

'Thank you! Thank you!' people shout." (clap to the beat)
Activity: Stop, Drop, and Roll
Craft: Fireman Dress Up using fire cheif badges and hats.

We loved our visit with the Meade County Fire Department! Kids tried on fireman clothes, learned about the equipment, and climbed aboard the fire engine!

9/21, 9/22 Story Hour

Theme: Fire Safety

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Vocabulary (knowing the names of things)

Rhyme Dice: Baby Bumblebee and the letter "F"

Book: Firefighters! Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell

Song: I'm a Firefighter (sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a firefighter (point to self)

Here's my hose (outstretch arm with finger pointed).

I put out fires as everyone knows (tap head with finger).

When I see a fire (hand over brow)

I douse it out (outstretch arm and wiggle fingers).

"Thank you! Thank you! people shout" (clap hands).

Fingerplay: Fireman Number 8

Fireman, fireman number eight (make 8 with hands)

Bumped his head upon the gate (tap head with hand).

The gate swung in (swing prayer hands one way)

The gate swung out (swing prayer hands the other way)

That's how they put the fire out (swing hands both ways).

Emergency, emergency, 911 (marching, say 3 times getting faster).

Activity: practice Stop, Drop, and Roll

Activity: color butcher paper like smoke, then crawl under it.

Craft: Watercolor art

Next week we will be visited by the Meade County Fire Protection District. Come meet the firefighters and see a fire truck in person!

9/14, 9/15 Story Hour

Theme: Safety
Rhyme Dice: Shake My Sillies Out and the letter "A"
Story: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Flannelboard: What’s an emergency: talk about different scenarios that warrant a call to 911 (lost toy vs. an injured parent, someone not sharing vs. a house fire)
Activity: Dial 911 Jump Game: numbers 0-9 are laminated and taped to the floor in the arrangement found on phones. Kids can jump on the numbers 911 or any other numbers to practice counting. They also practiced numbers with phones that had been unplugged.

Craft: Phone number craft found here. Write child's name at the top of the phone and write phone number in spaces provided below. Then have child cut out matching numbers and glue them over the ones you wrote. A good way to reinforce numbers and safety principles!

Next week we will be learning about fire safety to get ready for our visit from the Meade County Fire Protection District. Barring an emergency, they will be bringing the fire truck and firefighters to Story Hour on September 28th and 29th.

9/8 Story Hour

Theme: Grandparents Day

Rhyme Dice: Shake Your Sillies Out and the letter "D"

Book: I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal

Activity: Family Bingo

Craft: Make cards and tissue paper flowers for your grandparents

Thanks to all our grandparents who joined us today! Next week we will begin our safety unit with a lesson on Emergencies!