Family Story Time
Family Storytime- Dance
Materials: Scarves, 5 ballet dancer printouts
Welcome and Introduction: Hello, hello everyone, bienvenidos, welcome to story time where we’ll be reading and moving and grooving and having fun together for the next half hour! My name is Abby, and I’m so happy you’ve all joined me today! I know I’m not the typical person who leads storytimes, but your lovely librarian, Joe, has so graciously allowed me to work with him as I learn about the wonderful world of libraries. For the next half hour, we’ll be singing and dancing and reading some excellent stories. Thank you for having me!
Expectations: Parents and caregivers, raise your hands. You have a special part to play today in storytime. I need your help to show your little ones how to participate. They learn best from you, so get ready to sing, talk, and play with us. But if you or your kiddos need a break, that’s ok too. We have a wonderful children’s section for you to explore, and bathrooms are conveniently located just outside.
Opening Song: Clap Everybody and Say Hello
Clap Everybody and say Hello
Clap Everybody and say Hello
Clap Everybody and say Hello
No Matter What the Weather
Stomp Everybody, and say hello
Jump, Everybody, and say hello
Dance, Everybody say Hello
Pre-Literacy Skill/Theme Introduction: Phonological Awareness & Dancing: Hello! Bienvinito! Welcome! Today at story time, we’ll be doing lots of moving and grooving as we explore the wonderful world of dance. We should have a letter of the day, don’t you think? How about the letter that starts with Dance? What letter makes the D, D, D sound? That’s right, D! Can you make the ASL sign for the letter D with me? Do you know the ASL sign for dance (show sign for dance)? Let’s keep an ear out for the letter D today in our stories and songs.
Song or Activity to Introduce Theme: Walking, walking (Frere Jacques) (each line 2x)
Walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop
Dancing, dancing, dancing
Now we stop!
(Tip Toe, Marching)
Book 1: How Do You Dance by Thyra Heder
(Paper clip the kitchen page and graph pages together to make the book a tad shorter.)
Movement Break: We wave our scarves together
(Remind children to look out for their neighbors)
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
Because it's fun to do.
Wave them up high
Wave them down low
Wave them in the middle
Because it's fun to do.
(Throw scarves,)
We’re dancing with our scarves…
We dance how we want to
Book 2: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Song or Activity to Reinforce Theme: Five Ballet Dancers (five little Monkeys). Turn it into a call-and-response song since the lyrics are significantly different from the original song. Line up five Dancers on the whiteboard with magnets. Take a dancer off the whiteboard for every verse of the song and recount them.
Five ballet dancers,
Prancing on their toes,
They Twirl and spin and jump,
Then off the stage one goes
Pre-Literacy Skill Recap: What was the letter of the day? Can you show me the sign for D? What other words start with the sound D? Do you remember what the sign for dance is? What other new words did you learn today?
Goodbye Song: The More We Read Together
Show signs for together, happy, and friends before jumping into the song.
The more we read together, together, together
The more we read together, the happier we’ll be
Cause my friends are your friends
And your friends are my friends
The more we read together, the happier we’ll be
5 Ballet Dancers Printout:
