Bodies “look like” the “Good Listener” Poster

(This poster works best for grades K-3)

• Feet on the floor
• Eyes on the speaker
• Mouth is silent
• Hands are folded in lap
• Body is still
• SMILE!

(see Good Listener poster above)

(Keisa Williams)

Songs

Author Song (Sung to the tune of Hi-Ho Dairy-O with hand motions like you are writing)

The author writes the words,

The author writes the words,

Hi-Ho Librari-O,

The author writes the words.

Illustrator Song (Sung to the tune of Fr’ere Jacques with hand motions like you are painting)

Il-u-stra-tor, I-lu-stra-tor

Draws the pictures

Draws the pictures

I-i-lu-stra-tor, I-i-lu-stra-tor, (the I’s have to last two counts in this line)

Draws the pictures,

Draws the pictures

Storytime Songs

Listen to Hands Go Up!

To the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

"Hands go up and hands go down,

I can turn myself around,

I can stand up on one shoe,

I can listen, so can you,

I can sit, I'll show you how,

Storytime is starting now."

I use this with PreK and Kindergarten classes to work out the wiggles before we start. We do the actions and they love it! It has even helped me improve my balance. I always point at a couple of kids when I sing "so can you." The neat thing about this song is that as the kids turn around and stand on one foot, they are also spreading themselves apart so that they are not crowding each other when they finally sit down. (Regina Hartley)

The Listening Song

(Tune: Frere Jacques/Are You Sleeping?)

"Eyes are watching,

Ears are listening,

Lips are closed,

Hands are still,

Feet are very quiet

You should really try it,

Listening well, listening well."

Used with PK-K. (Ann Mengel)

Video for "Are You Sleeping?"

Ready to Listen

Wiggles

I wiggle my fingers (hands in air wiggle fingers)

I wiggle my toes (look down and wiggle toes)

I wiggle my shoulders (move shoulders)

I wiggle my nose (wiggle nose)

Now, no more wiggles (pointer finger wiggles)

Are left in me (thumbs point to self)

So I will be still (big clap)

As still can be (whisper this last line and fold hands in lap)

I do this with Child Development and Kindergarten after they come in and sit down on the rug.

Storytime Poems

These are two "storytime poems" I use before storytime, similar to the ones above. I think I found them on LM_NET.

KINDERGARTEN

Sometimes my hands are in the sky

Sometimes my hands do like to fly

Sometimes my hands go snap, snap, snap

Sometimes my hands go clap, clap, clap

But now they're quiet as can be

Because it's storytime, you see!

FIRST GRADE

Make one eye go wink, wink, wink

Make two eyes go blink, blink, blink

Make two fingers stand just so

Then ten fingers in a row

Back and forth your head will rock

Make your fists go knock, knock

Now fold your hands and help me say

A very quiet sound today...shhhh.

FIRST GRADE (CHIGGA CHIGGA - THEY LOVE THIS!)

See video to the RIGHT with hand motions >>>>>>>

Chigga chigga whole potata

Half past alligata

Bim bam bullagata

Give three cheers for the dippy dappy happy sappy readers!

Are we happy?

Well I guess!

Readers! Readers! Yes Yes Yes!

(Susan Eley)

Ready to Listen

Here is one that I use with my Pre-K and Kindergarten classes. I can't remember the source!

These are my grandma's glasses (make glasses on eyes with circled fingers)

This is my grandma's cap (put your hands like a tent on top of your head)

This is how she folds her hands,

And puts them in her lap. (Fold hands and place them in your lap as you are seated criss-cross)

(Amy Blaine)

Ready Rhyme

If you are seated on your bottom with your legs crossed and your eyes this way, You're ready You're ready You're ready Yea!

My school is Pre-K through 1st grade. We start each Storytime with a rhyme or finger-play. We work on several seasonal ones foe about a month at a time. Some of them are found in Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown. We use these as filler activities if we are waiting in line for our teacher as well. We have a 5-Star Listener poster in our story area. We have kiva steps that we sit on "criss-cross applesauce." just like the child in the poster. Our five check points are eyes, ears, lips, hands and feet. If a look doesn't take care of it, I usually just give simple reminders to those having difficulty like eyes, or hands (if someone is touching a neighbor.) We sit on cut-outs that match various themes during the year so we don't crowd each other. That is important because you need to do motions in many of our stories! We use lots of puppets, stuffed animals and student participation. We had a Cookie Monster video clip on the theme letter of the week this last year for Pre-K from our Safari Montage collection. Cookie Monster wouldn't come out unless we were being 5-star listeners.

(Donna Bills)

Use sign language motions. Clap at the end.

Criss-Cross Applesauce

All of my preK through 2nd grade story times start with this rhyme. Years ago one of the teachers used to use "Criss cross, applesauce", so the 2nd graders and I decided to expand it. The students love to do the rhyme-- last year the high school girls' softball team saw me at a street fair and insisted on showing me that they still remembered it.

Criss cross, applesauce.

Hands on lap, gingersnap.

Lips sealed, orange peel

Open ears, root beer.

Open eyes, french fries.

Back straight, chocolate shake.

Heads up, Reese's Cup!

Alan Katz; David Catrow

I use the Poem from Alan Katz book: Are Your Quite Polite:

When You're in the Library by Alan Katz

(To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

When Your In the Library

Quiet is the Way to Be

Please Talk Softly

Make the Choice

Only use your indoor voice

Libraries are full of joys

But they can't be full of noise

Someone is a bit to loud (getting louder)

We don't need a one kid crowd

I won't beat round the bush

Please be still won't you shush

I will have to ring this bell

And I'm going to start to YELL (quite loud but not yet yelling)

NOW I'M SCREAMING NOISE MUST CEASE

WE ALL WANT TO WORK IN PEACE

SILENCE NOW LETS BE CALM

DON'T MAKE ME TELL YOUR MOM

QUIET IN THE LIBRARY (yelling now)!!!

oops the noisy one is me (whispering)

After a few times the students sing it with me. Even the 3rd graders request it.

Storytime Attention Song

During my internship, my cooperating teacher (April Eichmiller) sang this song at the start of each story time and the kids LOVE it. She made the song up and it's the tune of Barney's song, I love you.

"I am happy to see you,

Thanks for visiting me,

Welcome to the library

Where voices are hushed and eyes

are up front to look

Now...sit down and listen to this lovely book!"

Another is this chant she made up where one student says it and the others repeat.

"We are ready

Our eyes are straight ahead

Our hands are to ourselves

Now...Please read us a book from one of the shelves"

Ready for Storytime

Standing up:

Can you hop like a rabbit? (use hands above heads as ears or in front of you bent at wrists)

Can you jump like a frog? (spring high!)

Can you walk like a duck? (use arms to make wings)

And run like a dog? (we usually pant with our tongues out after we say this one)

Can you fly like a bird? (arms out big especially if we say "eagle" instead of "bird" - small flappy wings if we say "little bird")

And swim like a fish? (hands with palms together swishing through water)

Can you sit, still as can be, just like THIS? (sit on "this)

Ready for Story

Standing: (with thanks to Jennifer Struss who taught me this one)

My two hands go clap, clap, clap

My two feet go tap, tap, tap

My two fists go thump, thump, thump (on chest)

My two feet go jump, jump, jump

My one body turns around

then ver-y qui-et-ly sits down.