Cover Sheet – For the Presenter
The following storyhour program is designed for preschoolers (primarily 3- and 4year olds). Arbor Day falls on the last Friday in April in Iowa. (See the Arbor Day
website at http://www.arborday.org/arborday/ for more information.) This
storytime is also good for celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd.
You don’t have to read the leader’s comments word-for-word, but try to include
the information in your own words. Of course, if you don’t have parents attending
with the children, you can skip those asides. The information that is just for you is
in italics – so don’t read that text.
The general outline of our storytime is:
I.
Opening Song
II.
Welcome/Introductory Comments
III.
Quieting Rhyme
IV.
Book
V.
Story Rhyme
VI.
Interactive Rhyme
VII.
Book
VIII. Extra Rhyme
IX.
Closing Rhyme
Feel free to substitute your own opening and closing rhymes as well as any rhymes
with a similar theme that the children have heard before. Repetition of songs and
action rhymes from previous storytimes is better than introducing all new ones.
Feel free to make a copy of rhymes that you would like to use again in the coming
weeks.
We have included a take-home sheet and coloring pages here. You may add your
library name to the end of the take home sheet before printing. Flannel board
artwork is posted on the website where you found this “kit.” It would be nice to
enlarge some of the rhymes to help the adults join in.
“Trees/Arbor Day”
Start with a simple song, sung to the tune of “Skip To My Lou.” Shorten the song if
necessary to suit your needs. It helps to have the words enlarged on a flip chart or poster
so that the parents and caregivers will find it easy to join in.
Opening Song
Books (clap), books (clap), books (clap) for you
Songs (clap), songs (clap), songs (clap) for you
Rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap) for you
Here at storytime.
We’ve got . . .
Stories and more
Yes we do
Stories and more
Yes we do
Stories and more
Yes we do
Here at storytime.
Books (clap), books (clap), books (clap) for you
Songs (clap), songs (clap), songs (clap) for you
Rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap) for you
Here at storytime.
We’ve got. . .
Songs to sing
Yes we do
Songs to sing
Yes we do
Songs to sing
Yes we do
Here at storytime.
Books (clap), books (clap), books (clap) for you
Songs (clap), songs (clap), songs (clap) for you
Rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap), rhymes (clap) for you
Here at storytime.
Come . . .
Sit right down
And join right in
Sit right down
And join right in
Sit right down
And join right in
Here at storytime.
(Invite everyone to sing along as they join the group. You might clap during the
chorus as noted.)
Introduction
Welcome to storytime. I am glad you could all be here today. Our theme today is
trees. On Arbor Day, we celebrate the wonder and beauty of trees. Many people
plant trees on that day.
To the caregivers:
Today we are focusing on building narrative skills – the ability to tell stories and
recount events. We do this by simply giving the children a chance to respond to
the stories and rhymes.
Quieting Rhyme
Now let’s put away all of our wiggles to get ready for a story. If you have a pocket,
you can put your wiggles there – or just place them in your lap as we say this rhyme
together. (Add a simple tune if you wish. Use hand gestures to indicate the parts
of the body mentioned.)
I’ve got a wiggle in my toes.
I’ll put it away.
I’ve got a wiggle in my nose.
I’ll put it away.
I’ve got some wiggles on my lips.
I’ll put them away.
I’ve got some wiggles in my hips.
I’ll put them away.
Now, I’ve got quiet in my chest
And quiet in the rest
I’m as quiet as can be
So, now please read to me!
Book
Read your favorite book about trees. Some suggestions are: We Planted a Tree by
Diane Muldrow, A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma, Apple Pie Tree by Zoe
Hall, A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry, The Big Tree by Bruce Hiscock; Someday
a Tree by Eve Bunting.
Briefly discuss some of the ideas presented in the book you chose. Ask a few
questions about the material – be sure to ask questions that can’t be answered with
simply “yes” or “no.” In preparation for the following story rhyme, you might lead
the discussion to how trees grow and change. Talk about how bark feels.
Together, name as many animals as you can that live in trees. You might ask the
children if they will grow to be as tall as their favorite tree.
Now, listen to this rhyme about trees.
Story Rhyme
[Add some gestures – like hugging yourself when you say “squeeze,” or pretending
to look up high for the birds.]
Squeeze your favorite tree today
And gently stroke its bark.
Pick a tree to be your friend
At home or in the park.
Look for the birds up in your tree
And squirrels who like the view.
Watch and wait for little bugs
To share your tree with you.
Enjoy the shade and pretty leaves
That change from spring to fall.
See how much your tree will grow
As you are growing tall.
~S. Gruber
Interactive Rhyme
To make this rhyme interactive, read through it once with the flannel board (see
the artwork document that goes along with this storytime), then read it a second
time having the children fill in the blanks as shown below.
ChangingTrees
In summer trees have green leaves.
Some have apples or pears in the Fall.
Then their leaves turn yellow,
And in winter they have none at all.
In summer trees have green _______ (pause and point to flannel board; if
children do not respond, ask some leading questions, say the word “leaves” emphatically to
end).
Some have apples or pears in the ____ (pause again; ask when we pick apples;
let parents help if necessary).
Then their leaves turn _____ (pause; ask what colors leaves turn in the Fall;
accept other colors as answers even if they do not rhyme),
And in winter they have ______ (accept any answers, but end by saying “none at
all”).
To the adults:
You can play games like this with favorite rhymes or stories that you’ve read many
times.
Book
Read another book about trees.
Flannel Board Game
Using the flannel board pieces provided, play “which of these foods comes from
trees?”
Extra Rhyme – Use if time permits.
Above Me in the Trees
The birds in the branches go chirp, chirp, chirp
Chirp, chirp, chirp
Chirp, chirp, chirp
The birds in the branches go chirp, chirp, chirp
Above me in the trees.
The babies in the nests go peep, peep, peep
Peep, peep, peep
Peep, peep, peep
The babies in the nests go peep, peep, peep
Above me in the trees.
The squirrels overhead rush to and fro
To and fro,
To and fro,
The squirrels overhead rush to and fro
Above me in the trees
The bugs on the leaf go chomp, chomp, chomp
Chomp, chomp, chomp,
Chomp, chomp, chomp.
The bugs on the leaf go chomp, chomp, chomp
Above me in the trees.
Now it’s time to end our storyhour.
To the caregivers:
Feel free to stay a while and do a craft or check out some books to take home.
Remember to talk to your child about the books you read together this week!
Closing Rhyme
See you later, alligator
(use hand to shade your eyes as if searching)
In a while, crocodile
(point to watch or clock)
Bye-bye, butterfly
(wave)
Toodle-oo, kangaroo
(wave hankie)
Time to go, buffalo
(look at watch and shake head as if running late)
Just like that, fat cat
(snap fingers)
It’s the end, my friend.
(shrug shoulders and throw up hands in a “giving up” gesture)
Crafts:
We like the idea of providing a craft at the end of storyhour. Something simple is fine. This gives
parents a chance to visit and it re-inforces what the children learned.
If you have parents leave for storytime, you might invite them to come back for crafts as they
drop off their child.
Coloring pages are provided.
You might also try “sponge-print trees” – print out tree trunk shapes on construction paper (you
might photocopy the bare tree from the flannel board patterns). Cut sponges into small irregular
shapes. Provide small bowls of tempera paint in shades of green (or red and yellow for fall).
Have children use sponges as stampers to paint leaves on their trees. You could do something
similar with glue sticks and small pieces of cut or torn colored paper to make the leaves.
“Trees/Arbor Day”
Take-Home Sheet
Today we talked about trees. We focused on building narrative skills through
simple discussion with the children. Please continue the discussion at home by
telling stories about planting trees, how much a special tree in your yard has grown,
and so on. Show photographs showing how a tree has changed if you have them. Or
find a book about seasons that shows trees.
Here is a rhyme we heard today:
ChangingTrees
In summer trees have green leaves.
Some have apples or pears in the Fall.
Then their leaves turn yellow,
And in winter they have none at all.
~S. Gruber
When you read to your child, ask a few simple questions about the story –
questions that require more than a one-word answer. You might even ask
your child to retell parts of the story in his own words. Say things like
“What happened after the moose ate the muffin?” Remembering events in
order is also an important part of developing narrative skills. It is
important, too, to make a child feel that his answers are not wrong. Simply
make suggestions that lead her to a better answer. For example, if your
child says, “He wants you to make more muffins,” say, “Yes, the moose
wanted more muffins, but first didn’t he ask for something to put on the
muffins?” That way you aren’t contradicting the child, but encouraging him
to think again. Remember, too that it takes longer for a child to form a
response to a question.
Now let’s play a rhyming game. How many words can you think of
that rhyme with “tree”? Use the pictures to help you get started.
(bee, tea, knee)
Help your child think up more rhyming words – like three, free and me.
What words can you think of that rhyme with “trees”?
(freeze, peas, and sneeze)
Help your child think up more rhyming words – like please and squeeze.
Even silly made-up words are OK.