Websites for storytellers & preschool teachers

I created a page "Websites to visit" that is now available through Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln, NE @ http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/Kids/teachers_page.htm

These sites have theme units, flannel board stories, or other good things to use with young children. I share it with students who are studying early childhood education as well as with teachers who visit our library.

Buggy Summer

Our theme for summer reading (like a lot of the country) is "Catch the Reading Bug". I really like the new Ed Emberley book--"Bye-Bye Big Bad Bullybug".

"Bugs, Bugs, Bugs" by Bob Barner is available in a book/cd set that's so much fun. On kizclub.com you can find pieces to print out to do this on the flannelboard.

I'm also using poems from Rick Walton's "What to do when a bug climbs in your mouth and other poems to drive you buggy". Many of them beg to be recited with puppets or other props.

Brenda's Bedtime

I did the following several years ago for my preschool storytime & the kids had SO much fun with it. I used 7 very large plush animals to tell the story. Any animal or toy can be used with different excuses for taking them out of the bed (one squeaks, one is too hard, etc.) You can also use this as a flannel board story.

BRENDA'S BEDTIME

No matter how tired she was, Brenda never wanted to go to bed. She always needed one more drink, one more kiss, one more bedtime story.

One night when Brenda's mother was putting her to bed, Brenda cried, "I'm lonely. I need my special friend to keep me company."

"Just hurry up, Brenda. It's time to go to sleep. I'll come back in a few minutes and you better be in bed," her mother told her.

When her mother left the room, Brenda huttied to find her friend. First she found her teddy bear and put it in the bed. Then she saw her shaggy dog and put it in the bed. Brenda started to climb into bed when she saw her stuffed rabbit and put it into the bec. The next animal to be added was her elephant and then it was her monkey. Brenda looked around to see if she had forgotten anyone and saw her giraffe and her penguin and they went into the bed.

Brenda tried to climb into bed before her mother came in and there was....no room! What was she going to do? Brenda set out her penguin...but there still wasn't enough room. Then she took out her giraffe. Now she could get into bed, but when she tried to turn over, she fell out! So Brenda got up and put the penguin, the giraffe, AND the monkey into the toybox. Finally Brenda climbed into bed only to discover that her blanket wouldn't cover her and all her friends. The elephant joined the other toys in the toybox.

Now Brenda could lay in the bed AND cover herself and her friends with her blanket. The ears of her rabbit tickled her and made her wiggle, so the rabbit was hopped to the toy box. Now all that was left was Brenda, her teddy and her shaggy dog. Brenda was ready to go to sleep when the shaggy dog's fur made her sneeze! Back to the toybox he went.

When Brenda's mother looked in the door a few minutes later, Brenda was in bed, covered with her blanket and cuddling her teddy bear...fast asleep.