According to recent research, the best way to make new connections in a child’s brain is by building on something already known. A child who loves a book will listen to it repeatedly, maintaining interest. Using a selected book in a number of consecutive preschool storytimes, but presenting it differently each time, can help children learn new skill sets. This book presents a new approach to storytime, one that employs repetition with variety to create an experience which helps children connect and engage with the story on a higher level. Diamant-Cohen, recently awarded the 2013 ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, and Hetrick offer a year’s worth of activities specifically designed to address multiple intelligences through a repetition-based process. Incorporating recent theories on developmental learning, this book includes Scripts for 8 different books, with enough activities to repeat each one for six weeks, along with lists of optional alternative books Planning aids such as outlines of storytime sessions, a fill-in-the-blanks planning sheet, questions for evaluation, and tips for enhanced storytimes using props and crafts Detailed but straightforward explanations of theory and research that will help readers communicate effectively with parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders From setup to execution, here’s everything you need to create and implement a successful, elevated storytime.

This book serves as both a textbook and reference for faculty and students in LIS courses on storytelling and a professional guide for practicing librarians, particularly youth services librarians in public and school libraries. Storytelling: Art and Technique serves professors, students, and practitioners alike as a textbook, reference, and professional guide. It provides practical instruction and concrete examples of how to use the power of story to build literacy and presentation skills, as well as to create community in those same educational spaces. This text illustrates the value of storytelling, covers the history of storytelling in libraries, and offers valuable guidance for bringing stories to contemporary listeners, with detailed instructions on the selection, preparation, and presentation of stories. It also provides guidance around the planning and administration of a storytelling program. Topics include digital storytelling, open mics and slams, and the neuroscience of storytelling. An extensive and helpful section of resources for the storyteller is included in an expanded Part V of this edition.

Lesson plans and examples will help you incorporate the national language arts standards covered by standardized tests and implement the Information Power II standards into your next storytime. Specific content areas and lesson plans are included and cover literary elements, Caldecott books, folk tales, genres and nonfiction. Strategies like pair share, Big Books, reader's theater, puppet shows and choral responses encourage all students to participate and respond in storytime reading lessons, while brainstorming, composing and publishing strategies encourage participation in storytime writing lessons. Students will always love storytime so why not make it more than just reading aloud?

The topic of early literacy continues to gain momentum in educational circles. But early literacy storytimes are only one way libraries can contribute. The authors of this innovative training handbook offer many more. Reflecting the combined expertise of a reading specialist, an outreach librarian, and an early literacy trainer, Every Child Ready for School keeps libraries at the forefront of early literacy and school readiness information delivery. Focusing on training the caregiver, this handbook Explains how to help day-care providers, homeschoolers, and others who care for young children foster school-readiness skills among their charges Arms librarians with a step-by-step workshop model, with tips on implementing and evaluating the program Provides guidance for coordinating workshops with other library early literacy initiatives Includes resources and activities to share with participants Presenting models which can be easily adapted to state-mandated school-readiness requirements, Every Child Ready for School helps libraries fashion their own innovative community early literacy outreach programs.

This book describes a groundbreaking concept that enables public libraries—and librarians—to become indispensable by following a "Three Pillars" educational approach, and by replacing traditional terms with powerful, intuitive, value-enhanced terminology that everyone understands. While there is no question that what librarians and library professionals do is critically important, the ways in which these roles and responsibilities are described can mean the difference between being valued as essential to the community or considered optional. Something as simple as a choice of words can determine what is valued—and consequently what gets funded, and what gets canceled. Transforming Our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage examines how the "Three Pillars" approach harnesses the power of language to enhance respect, generate increased perceived value, and garner funding. The power stems from positioning all that library professionals do under three, easy-to-remember "pillars," and replacing typical library terms and phrases with bold, value-enhanced terminology that commands value—language that people outside of the field can immediately understand. This book is essential reading for public library staff members at all levels of the organization, especially those in leadership roles; and its root concepts are applicable for all other library types as well.

Here, one of America’s foremost experts in public library services to children cover the basics of library services for children. Jeanette Larson highlights best practices and "toolkits" that provide tools and resources to quickly implement programs and services. She includes model programs, checklists and forms, and ready-to-use examples of programs, with an emphasis on programs that are inexpensive to implement and simple to replicate. From start to finish, learn how to plan, implement, and manage public library programs and services for children, ages birth to twelve years old. Children's services are a critical part of today's library services and staff need basic background information, practical advice, and specific examples of how to perform the fundamental duties required of them. Special features of the book include: Basic information on how to implement the fundamental services and programs of library services to children Background and rationale for the provision of these services and programs Enhancements for children's programs and services that support literacy and learning Templates for successful programs Examples of inexpensive and ready-to-use programs ranging from simple to on-going and more elaborate programs Children’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers basic background, practical experience, and best practices necessary for the successful provision of children's services in today's public library. Whether you are a part-time children's librarian in a small, rural library, a generalist assigned to provide children's programming in a medium-sized library, or a paraprofessional working in the children's department in a large urban library, this practical guide will help you implement dynamic programs and services that meet the needs of today's children and families

Following on from their ground-breaking first book, Delivering the Best Start, Rankin and Brock return to the subject of pre-school and early years library provision with contributions and case studies from innovators and experts around the world. There is a growing awareness of the significance of the first five years of life for intellectual, social and emotional development and early intervention is of political interest. This book provides knowledge and understanding about early language and literacy development and how young children become successful through enjoyable and meaningful experiences. Coverage includes: an examination of the key role of library practitioners who work with young children the importance of effective interdisciplinary teamwork for professionals working with the early years a focus on involving parents and carers and valuing their culture, language, heritage and community practical guidance given on setting up and running pre-school library services contributions and case studies from experts around the world. This book will be useful reading for early years professionals and librarians, those responsible for commissioning and delivering pre-school library services, students of library and information studies or childhood studies and practitioners undertaking practical early years qualifications.

Librarians and educators can shake up storytimes, help children stay healthy, and encourage a lifelong love of reading with Dietzel-Glair’s easy-to-use resource. Demonstrating exactly how to use children’s books to engage preschool-age children through movement, it’s loaded with storytimes that will have children standing up tall, balancing as they pretend to walk across a bridge, or even flying around the room like an airplane. Presenting hundreds of ideas, this all-in-one book is divided into six sections: “Art” spotlights titles that are natural hooks for art or craft activities alongside ideas on how to create art just like the character in the story, while an appendix includes art patterns that can be used as coloring sheets; “Games” includes searching games, follow-the-leader games, and guessing games to enhance the books in this section; “Movement” features books that kids can jump, stomp, clap, chomp, waddle, parade, wiggle, and stretch with; “Music” chooses books perfect for activities like shaking a maraca, singing, dancing between the pages, and creating new sound effects; “Playacting” lets kids pretend along with the characters in these books, whether it’s washing their face, swimming with fish, or hunting a lion; “Props” encourages storytime leaders to bring out their puppets, flannelboard pieces, and scarves—these books have enough props for everyone in the program to have a part. Each chapter includes as much instruction as possible for a wide range of motions. Pick and choose the amount of movement that is right for your storytime crowd, or do it all!

Learn how to use children's books during storytime to approach sensitive topics and increase children's social-emotional wellness-and how to create storytimes that are engaging, participative, and FUN! The emotional challenges many children experience consume the time of teachers, exhaust parents, and sometimes lead children toward behaviors that prohibit social and academic success. Storytime to the rescue! Library storytimes prepare children for kindergarten; storytimes at home and in preschools allow teachers, parents, and children to think and talk about empathy and the importance of honoring your own and others' feelings. In Bringing Heart and Mind into Storytime, Heather McNeil teaches librarians and teachers how to use books to open conversations with children to teach such concepts as patience, tenacity, kindness, and teamwork. McNeil shares research on brain development, social-emotional learning, and the importance of play, but she also emphasizes maintaining the fun of storytime. She recommends songs, action rhymes, games, and crafts that contribute to fun and healthy storytimes. Extensive lists of recommended books will help readers find the right ones for their audience.

Includes more than forty selections, including action songs, chants, tongue twisters, musical games, and audience participation tales. Whether you are working with preschoolers or high schoolers, a story stretcher is a great way to create immediate rapport with your audience and within your group. These "two-minute miracles" from storyteller Naomi Baltuck will have children and adults, singing, moving, laughing, and begging for more. For each stretcher, she has included music, hand motions, tips for telling, or other personal touches developed during the countless times she has used it to hold the attention of her audiences. Time lengths and target audiences are also included so that you can select the best stretchers for every situation. Naomi has gathered these gems from her own childhood, from other storytellers, as well as from her children who bring home new activities from camp. Tried and true, these stretchers are a wonderful way to bring together family, friends, classes, Scout troops, and audiences everywhere.