The setting is a medium size room which will hold 25 children and their parents comfortably.
Based upon my community’s interest, I conduct 4 types of classes per month.
1st week is “Play with Me” a play class with toys and a 5 minute story time
2nd week is a more tradition story time
3rd week is a movement/exercise class and a 5 minute story time
4th week is a music class: lots of books and library materials included through out class
Each week has 6 classes
2 for babies 0 – 14 months
2 for toddlers 1- 3 years
2 for preschools getting ready for Kindergarten ages 4 – 5 years
So a weekly schedule would look like this:
Tuesday 9:30am Babies 0-14 months Wednesday 9:30am Babies 0-14 months
Tuesday 10:15am Toddlers 1 – 3 years Wednesday 10:15am Toddlers 1-3 years
Tuesday 11:00am Preschool 4-5 years Wednesday 11:00am Preschool 4-5 years
1st week Play with Me classes uses the adapted MGOL in this way
After Playing with our friends and cleaning up the toys, we spend 5 minutes with this outline:
Hello Song (which is the same for every class every week)
2 Nursery rhymes
1 Book
1 Body rhyme
Goodbye Song (which is the same for every class every week)
2nd week Story Time I use the adapted MGOL in this way
I pick 3 to 5 books that follow a theme. Based upon the theme, I choose nursery
rhymes, finger plays and songs that support the books we are reading.
I always follow a patter where we
- Sing Hello
- Sit still for a moment
- Do an activity
- Sit still for a moment
- Sing a Song
- Sit still for a moment
- Do an activity
- Sing Goodbye
- Do a craft based upon the theme
3rd week movement / exercise classes uses the adapted MGOL in the same way as the 1st week’s class
After exercising with our friends, we spend 5 minutes with this outline:
Hello Song (which is the same for every class every week)
2 Nursery rhythms
1 Book
1 Body rhythm
Goodbye Song (which is the same for every class every week)
4th week Music Class
This is the class that is very similar to MGOL. The format is:
Hello Song
4 Nursery rhymes
Song – rhythm sticks
Rhythm activity
Song – marching activity
2 Finger Play/nursery rhymes
Song – body movement
Listen and repeat
Song – walk or march in a circle
Sing together
Bells
Song – with Bells
2 Finger play/nursery rhymes
Song – Rocking or Dancing depending upon how I choose to end the class
Goodbye Song
* * * * * * *
I limit all classes to 25 children. Caregivers are additional so the average class size is 50 participants. This is based upon my room requirements and the magical number 25
Our registration list is almost always full with a waiting list of 5 children. (Except for a few times a year, like in May when school is over for the year and the week between Christmas and New Year)
Generally attendance is:
10 Babies for our baby class
20–25 Toddlers for our 1-3 year old class
20-25 Preschool children for our 4-5 year old class
I prepare flannel board pieces, large written nursery rhyme flip charts, and puppets. I memorize every activity. I practice. I use audio equipment like CD players. I use visual equipment like ipads and computers connected to a projector. I use an Elmo or document reader to project the books.
I follow the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy. I organize all of my books, puppets, flannel board materials, and charts in order of the outline. I place my organized pile of materials on a tall table covered by a cloth or in a storage container or behind the CD player. Instruments are stored in a storage container and a cloth is placed over this container. Sometimes the instrument container is small enough to sit on top of the table, and sometimes the container is stored under the table. Everything is stored where I can see it and know what is coming up next. If a prop is too big to fit in my organized pile, I will write myself a sticky note and place the sticky note in the proper spot.
With the Babies 0-14 months, I always use “Goosey Goosey Gander”
With the Toddlers, 1-3yrs, I always sing “If you are Happy and You Know it”
With the Preschool Children, 4-5 yrs, I always ask the same questions like:
What color is…
What Shape is this…
What matches with…
What sounds like…
Winter Snow Story Time adapted from MGOL
Welcome
Sing Hello Song:
We Clap Hello, Hello
We Clap Hello, Hello
Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello
We Clap Hello, Hello
Repeat with other actions like
Pat (pat your toes or head or tummy)
Roll (roll your hands or arms in a circle)
Tap (tap the floor, your elbows, your nose)
Goosey Goosey Gander – Puppet
Hickory Dickory Dock – Flannel Board
Read Book: There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe by Jane Cabrera
Sing: I’m a Little Snowman (sung to the tune of I’m a little tea pot)
I’m a little snowman short and fat
Here are my buttons, here is my hat
When the sun comes out, I cannot play
I just slowly melt away.
Sing with Book: “I went to play in the Snow one Day”
show the pictures to the book “In the Snow” by Sharon Phillips Denslow
I went to Play in the Snow one Day.
I saw a (winter animal) across the way.
And what do you think the (animal) did say?
(animal sound)
At the end you can see a snowman. And he did say? Hello!
(place a picture of a flannel snowman inside book)
Read Book: In the Snow by Sharon Phillips Denslow
Sensory Activity: Snowballs with soft music in background “Let it Snow”
Babies 0-14 months – use soft snowballs to touch your toes, arms, head …
Hide snowballs under scarf and play peek-a-boo.
Toddlers 1 – 3 years – Use snowballs to support vocabulary words.
Say up and toss the snowball up
Say down and throw the snowball down
Say circle and draw a circle in the air with snowball
Say triangle and draw a triangle in the air with snowball
Say right side and left side
Preschool Children 4-5 years – Use snowballs to following directions
Simon Says “Pass your snowball to your neighbor”
Simon Says “throw your snowball to your partner”
Simon Says “hide your snowball” etc…..
Sing: Snowballs away (sung to the tune of Bells away)
Snowballs away, snowballs away
Time to put our snowballs away
Open Shut Them – finger play
Read Book: “Footprints in the Snow” by Mei Matsuoka
Learning Activity: Show pictures of animal tracks in the snow and match them to the correct animal.
Finger puppets: 5 Little Snowmen
5 little snowmen standing in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
Each with a hat (pat head) and a big red bow (pull at neck like a bow tie)
Along came the sun (arms form big circle over head)
and it shone all day (lean to the left)
and one of those snowmen melted away! (put down one finger)
Read Book: “Bears in the Snow” by Shirley Parenteau
Music Activity: Sing and Ring Bells to rhythm of beat
We Ring our Bells together
Ring them up High, Ring them down Low, Ring them in the middle
Ring Your Bells
Ring, Ring, Ring Your Bells
Ring them up High, Ring them down Low, Ring them in the middle
Bells away
Flannel Board and Finger Play: Winter Sky – Show Snowflake on Flannel Board
Way up high in the winter sky,
Two little snowflakes caught my eye. (Point 2 fingers to sky)
Down to the ground they fell without a sound. (Twist around)
And before very long, It was snowing all around. (Hold arms out)
Finger Play: Snowflake Dance (Sung To: “Are you Sleeping”)
Dance like snowflakes, Dance like snowflakes
In the air, In the air
Whirling, Twirling snowflakes, Whirling, Twirling snowflakes
Here and there, Here and there
Sing Goodbye Song:
We Clap Goodbye, Goodbye
We Clap Goodbye, Goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye
We Clap Goodbye, Goodbye
Repeat with other actions like
Pat (pat your toes or head or tummy)
Roll (roll your hands or arms in a circle)
Tap (tap the floor, your elbows, your nose)
End with Wave Goodbye
* * * * * * * * *
Back to School Story Time
50 minute program for Preschool age 1-5years
Set up
Projector
Flannel Board – propped up
iphone plugged in to sound system
Flannel of Clock
Flannel of School Bus
Flannel of Mouse
Welcome Time
Twiddle Dee Dee Twiddle Dee Dum
Let’s see who’s here to have some Fun!
Say Hello to … (if possible call each child by name)
Sing and Dance to : Glad to See you song by Peter Allard on the CD
Sing it! say it! stamp it! sway it! vol. 1
Story Time
What time is it? Back to School time.
Nursery Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock with Flannel Board
We start our morning at 7:00am – Show Clock
7:00am School Bus Time
Sing: The wheels on the bus go round and round – Show bus Flannel
Read Book : Pete the Cat The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean
8:00am ABC Time – Show Clock
Sing the ABC Song
Book: David Goes to School by David Shannon
9:00am Math Time – Show Clock
Nursery Rhythm: 1 2 3 4 5 Once I caught a fish a live – use fish puppets
Read Book: Monster Math by Polly Powell
10:00am Science Time – Show Clock
Read Book: If you take a mouse to school by Laura Numeroff
Do the science project with the Volcano found in the back of the book.
¼ cup baking soda
½ cup vinegar
food coloring if desired
11:00am Lunch Time – Show Clock
Sing: “Peanut Butter and Jelly” on CD “Toddlers Sing” by Music for Little People
12:00 Recess – Show Clock
Play Stop and Go
Play Follow the Leader
Play Ball
Read Book: Tiny Goes Back to School by Cari Meister
1:00pm Art Time – Show Clock
Book: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! By Karen Beaumont
Create an art project – great time to insert a story time craft
2:00 Music Time – Show Clock
Nursery Rhyme: Two Little Dickey Birds
Sing Songs with Bells from CD Listen, Like, Learn with Mother Goose by Betsy Diamant-Cohen:
We’ll Ring Our Bells Together
Ring Your Bells
Ring Bell Ring
Bells away Bells away
3:00 Library time and Time to get ready to go home – Show Clock
Read Book: I want to Help! By Diane Adams
Goodbye Time
Twiddle Dee Dum Twiddle Dee Dee
Now It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Me
Say goodbye to… (if possible wave goodbye to each child by name)
Nursery Rhymes:
- “Twiddle Dee Dee” (I use this rhyme to open and close)
Twiddle Dee Dee, Twiddle Dee Dum.
Let’s See who’s Here to Have some Fun.
Twiddle Dee Dum, Twiddle Dee Dee.
Now it’s time to say Goodbye to Me.
- “Once I caught a fish alive”
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
Song Lyrics:
“Glad to See You” by Peter Allard
Hello Everybody Glad to See You.
Clap Your Hands and Show You’re Glad to See Me too.
Clap Your Hands Everybody, Clap Your Hands.
Clap Your Hands and Show You’re Glad to See Me too.
Repeat verse with actions
Stamp Your Feet
Blink Your Eyes
Nod Your Head
Shake Your Hips
- “Peanut Butter and Jelly” – Author Unknown
First you take the peanuts
And you crunch ’em,
You crunch ’em
First you take the peanuts
And you crunch ’em,
You crunch ’em
For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Then you take the grapes
And you squish ’em,
You squish ’em
Then you take the grapes
And you squish ’em,
You squish ’em
For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Then you take the bread
And you spread it,
You spread it
Then you take the bread
And you spread it,
You spread it
For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly
Then you take your sandwich
And you eat it,
You eat it
Then you take your sandwich
And you eat it,
You eat it
Games
Stop and Go – Create a “Stop” Sign with Red background and a “Go” Sign with Green background
Show the Stop Sign and say “Stop”
Call out an action like “Pat your Head”
Show the “Go” sign
Show the Stop Sign and Say “Stop”
Follow the Leader
The teacher is the leader and the children all line up behind the leader. The leader then moves around and all the children have to mimic the leader’s actions. I don’t play where children get out. We all follow and we all complete the game together. I usually go with the flow of the group. Sometimes we can play through five actions. Sometimes we have to cut it short to three actions.
Play Ball
I get a big beach ball and we put on any kind of fun background music and we roll the beach ball to each other.