Large Group Storytime
Tess Goldwasser
Early Childhood Community Liaison
Lexington Park Library
tgoldwasser@stmalib.org
Amanda Ellington
Youth Services Supervisor
Lexington Park Library
aellington@stmalib.org
The Rules of Storytime
1. Story time is for Grown Ups too
2. It’s okay to take a break!
3. Have fun!
Storytime Format
Announcements
Opening song
Book (Long of the two books)
Song
Book (or flannel story or skit)
Song
Activity
Closing song (or rhyme, or ritual)
Handout (optional)
Introduction
Story time rules:
1. Story time is for grown ups too (please participate, and
leave discussion for later)
2. Everyone has a bad day (it’s okay to leave, or leave and
come back)
3. Have fun!
Reminders:
Stories and More on Friday
Dr. Seuss Birthday Party- March 5th
Feb 24th @ 3:00 LEGO FUN 3-6years
Circus Promo
Amanda
Opening Song
“Days of the Week” by Greg and Steve
What is the month? What is the weather like? What day is it today?
Amanda
Non Fiction
“The Wish” by Ann Friday
“Wish” by Dorothy Brown Thompson
from “Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young”
Tess
Amanda
Book
“The Sheep Fairy” by Ruth Symes
Tess
Song
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Book
“Yes Day!” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Song
Jump Up, Turn Around by Jim Gill
Jump Up
Turn Around
Stop Your Feet
Touch the Ground
Amanda
Prop Story
“The Wishing Well” from Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel
Amanda will read the story while Tess will use the props.
Tess and Amanda
Activity
Wishing Well
Each kids will get a coin to drop into the wishing well to make a
wish.
Tess
Closing Song
“Shake My Sillies Out” by Raffi
Shake sillies out, clap, jump, yawn, stretch (big noisy stretch), shake
again
Amanda
Twinkle Fingers
Point Up to the Sky
Make a Diamond with fingers
Twinkle Fingers
Tess
Amanda
Opening Song
Toddler“Oh What a Miracle”
by Hap Palmer
Pre-School“Days of the Week”
by Greg and Steve
Storytime Themes
Dragon Tails
Monkey Business
Snowflake Dance
Make a Wish
Best Buds
The Shape of Things
Rainbow of Colors
Outer Space
Castle Tales/ Fairy Tales
Wet & Wacky Weather
Whoo’s That?
Dinosaur Stomp
Froggy Hop
Just Ducky
Spring Fling
We Love Our Earth
Zoo Escape!
Silly Storytime Favorites
Port Side Pirates
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
Dialogic Questions
What do you think this book will be
about?
Can you help count the [blank] on this
page?
What color is the [blank] on this page?
What do you think will happen next?
Which Books work best with Big
Groups?
Reading with a lot of emotion, or using
different voices, or props, like a puppet, can
make books more engaging.
Try to use a big book with large, colorful
illustrations, or a pop-up book!
Get them involved!
We try to choose that encourage
audience participation.
Windows and Mirrors
Books You Can Sing!
Transitions
In between the parts of the story time
(from the book to the song, from the
song to the activity etc.)
Example: Transition from reading Owl
Babies by Martin Waddell to singing
“Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” by the
Wiggles --“We just read a story about
some birds who live in a tree, so let’s
sing a song about a tree.”
Types of “Action” Songs
Instruction-song in which the singer gives obvious
Example: “Jump Up, Turn Around” by Jim Gill
Prop- song in which it might be appropriate to
hand the children something to manipulate
during the song, like a streamer, or a flag, or a
musical instrument, like a shakey egg. Example: “I
Know a Chicken” by Laurie Berkner
Pretend- song that might not give instructions, but
lends itself to “acting out” the words in a pretty
simple way. Example: “The Goldfish” by Laurie
Berkner
Stories on Stage
Skits or “Readers Theatre” can be quite
dramatic like…
Non Fiction in Storytime
This can be as simple as mentioning a few
informative facts when introducing the
day’s theme or it can be more involved.
Large Group Activities
Sorting
Matching
Simon Says
Parachute
Parachute Play!
Put something on the parachute
to bounce around.
Make a bubble
Activity in the Bubble
Parents Play Too!
Magic Trick!
Closing
Toddler- “Put Your Hands Up in the Air”
by Hap Palmer
Preschool- “Shake Your Sillies Out” by
Raffi
Tips for a Successful Large
Group Storytime
Don’t be nervous
Focus on the kids
Keep it moving
Have Fun!
How to Handle Interruptions
Ignore them
Don’t ignore them (address the
disruption in a friendly, humorous, nonhostile way)
Stop! (Announce that story time will
not continue until disruption is taken
care of)
Ask the parent for assistance
Ask the family to leave
Kids Book Blog
www.kidsbookblog.net