Multilingual Storytime

Multilingual Storytime

THE MISSION:
We are expanding our Multilingual Storytimes to several languages. It is a fun, educational program for children 0-5 years months and accompanying parents and caregivers. Program facilitators use fun, engaging techniques and activities to develop positive feelings in children toward books and reading. In the process, librarians model/teach these techniques to parents and caregivers so these techniques can be shared at home with their children. Positive associations toward books and reading are the beginning steps toward literacy and educational success. Also, it is our goal to encourage families to read, sing, and talk with their children in the language they are most comfortable with. Children, with a strong foundation in their home language, will have an easier time translating those language skills to a second language, like English.

THE AUDIENCE:
The audience of this program is both the parents, caregivers (who may be other family members, like grandparents), and their children. We want to create a welcoming environment to families who may be new immigrants or working in the US and are from other countries. The children may have a wide range, from babies to young preschoolers, who have not yet started pre-K.

Behavioral characteristics of young children:

· Thrive on routines (use the same opening songs and closing songs during storytime).

· Need clear, simple instructions.

· Are great imitators (show them what you want them to do!)

· Babies and toddlers have more receptive language than expressive language (they understand more than they can express themselves).

· Often talk, make noise, and become distracted while you are reading.

· Like to make animal sounds and imitate actions of objects, like airplanes. Books that allow them to participate by making sounds are good choices.

· Like to hear the same story and songs over and over.

· Learn with their whole bodies (so provide lots of activity).

· Are unpredictable and have emotional highs and lows (and may not be willing to do something they did before).

· Babies and toddlers do complicated fingerplays; and do best with hand motions and action rhymes with big, broad movements.

· Young children are still learning how to sit and be a part of a group. Some children may wander during storytime, but they are still listening.

· Are easily distracted (use this fact to redirect behavior).

· May not easily share or take turns.

· May sit passively during storytime, simply observing and not participating. Participation may improve as familiarity with storytime routines increase.

THE METHOD:

· Total time is 30 minutes. Plan about 25 minutes with the books, rhymes, songs, musical instruments, flannelboard activities, and allow 5 minutes for opening/closing rituals. This program will vary greatly when having a mixed group of young children.

· You may want to have nametags available so parents/caregivers can make one for their toddler. This will help you learn the children’s names.

· Make adults understand that when they participate in storytime, their children are more likely to participate. This also means that parents and caregivers are expected to stay with their child during storytime.

· Encourage parents and caregivers to sit with the children, especially if it is the child’s first time.

· To improve adult participation, provide a rhyme sheet for each participant and/or provide a flip chart with the rhymes in big letters, easily viewable from a distance.

· Young children especially enjoy having the same opening and closing songs, rhymes, and ritual each week.

· Introduce new material sparingly. In between opening and closing routines, you may want to rotate previously shared songs, rhymes, and activities to maintain familiarity.

· Young children can easily grow restless, so it helps to maintain a swift pace, but not overwhelming. Gauge varying levels of attention spans and adjust the pace accordingly.

· Movement and participation help keep young children focused on storytime activities.

· Longer books do not have to be read word for word. Gauge your audience’s attention span. Interject sounds, voices, etc., and be animated. The “book experience” should be fun for them.

· Communicate to parents and caregivers the importance of their reading to their child each day and that they are their child’s best teacher. Explain the importance of rhymes, fingerplays and songs to build literacy skills. Encourage them to read in the language they are most comfortable with.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

· Be flexible and read your audience. Add another rhyme if they are patient, cut it short if they are getting restless. And always have a welcoming smile and sense of humor!

· Start and end each program with the same songs/rhymes to establish the routine and sense of comfort that toddlers get from familiarity.

· Repeat each rhyme/song at least twice.

· Clap with enthusiasm after every book, song, rhyme, and activity. Use instruments, flannelboard activities, puppets, and other related props as appropriate.

· Have fun!

THE MATERIALS:

Activities: Songs, rhymes, storytelling, movement (with songs and rhymes), flannelboard activities, scarf activities, and draw & tell (requires white board). The repertoire will vary from facilitator to facilitator and audience to audience.

Tools & Props: Books (larger formats are best for bigger audiences), rhyme handouts and/or flip chart, music CDs, boom box, percussion instruments (e.g., bells and shakers), and puppets, scarves.

What to look for when choosing books for young children in multilingual programs:

· Stories with lots of action, that move fast.

· Books with objects to name and identify.

· Songs in picture book format.

· Books about young children’s special interests—trains (“things that go”), animals, dinosaurs, daily routines (e.g., bath or bedtime), teddy bears, weather….

· Stories that encourage interactions and movement.

· Repeat phrases and sounds that children can echo.

· Pages with flaps or moveable parts.

· Bright, colorful, simple illustrations

· Books that introduce colors and numbers.

· Simple plots and predictable endings.

· Read simple books in the language of the program. You can also shorten or simplify longer books.

· If you can’t find books in the language of the program, look for simple books you can easily translate to the language of the program.

· Or share books in English in bold illustrations or wordless books. Encourage families to talk about the pictures together.

· Pick books that may be cultural relevant to the families attending the program.

English Books that are simple or wordless:

Please only share books that are in the BPL collection. *Indicates a wordless or mostly wordless book.

Ah Ha! By Jeff Mack
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka*

Beaver is Lost by Elisha Cooper*

Before After by Anne-Margot Ramstein & Matthias Arégui
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
Chalk by Bill Thomson*

Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield
Clip Clop by Nicola Smee
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Draw by Raúl Colón*
Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell
Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert
First the Egg by Laura Vacaro Seeger
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd *
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle*

Flora and the Peacock by Molly Idle*
Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle*

Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann*

Hondo and Fabian by Peter McCarty I Like it When… by Mary Murphy I Went Walking by Sue Williams Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood Machines Go to Work in the City by William LowMoo! by David LaRochelle ; illustrated by Mike WohnoutkaMy Car by Byron Barton No, David! by David Shannon Odd Egg by Emily Gravett A Splendid Friend Indeed by SuzanneBloomSupertruck by Stephen SavageThe Three Bears by Byron Barton The Treasure Bath by Dan Andreasen

Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia Today is Monday by Eric CarleThe Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle The Typewriter by Bill ThomsonWave by Suzy LeeWhere’s Spot? by Eric Hill Where’s Walrus? By Stephen Savage*Wiggle Waggle by Jonathan London, illustrated by Michael Rex

SAMPLE MULTILINGUAL STORYTIME FORMAT
(These are suggestions; alter to fit the presenter’s personality and the group’s needs!)

1. Welcome and share the early literacy tip of the day. If it is a small group, have everyone introduce themselves (including grown-ups).

2. Opening song, rhyme or ritual (same each time).

3. Share 1-2 action rhymes and/or songs. While introducing new songs is good, be sure to repeat ones from earlier sessions. Do each one at least twice, accompanied by clapping and other movements. Gauge your audience’s interest level to determine number of repeats.

4. Share an early literacy tip about the importance of singing and/or sharing songs and rhymes.

5. Book (usually the longest of those selected since attention spans are best at the beginning of the program).

6. Share an early literacy tip about the importance of reading with young children.

7. Action rhymes and/or songs with movement (e.g. clapping, standing, etc). Do each one at least twice.

8. Book (flannelboard, puppet, big book, etc.). (If the children are listening well, repeat steps 7 and 8).

9. Pass out musical instruments (bells, shakers) or scarves. Sing 2-3 songs.

10. Introduce “Playtime” and bring out the toys.

11. Goodbye song or ritual (same each time). Thank everyone for coming to the library and share your key early literacy tip one more time.

SAMPLE TODDLER TIME PROGRAM

Welcome song: Try to use the same song at all your programs.

Welcome, Welcome
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Welcome, welcome everyone! Wave hello.
Now you’re here, we’ll have some fun.
First we clap our hands hello, Clap hands.
Then we bend and touch our toes. Touch toes.
Welcome, welcome everyone! Wave hello.
Now you’re here, let’s have some fun.

Early Literacy Tip: Today we are sharing books and songs that have a transportation theme, about buses, trains, cars, and even horses! Take books with you on long car or plane rides or even on a bus ride downtown. They are great way to entertain both you and your child!

Picture book: Read your longest picture book at this time.
My Car by Byron Barton

Fingerplays, Rhymes, or Songs: Share one to three. Repeat short rhymes twice.

“The Wheels on the Bus”

Picture book: Chugga, Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis (Hyperion, 2001).

Early Literacy Tip: If your child walks away when you are reading, that’s OK. Keep reading! Toddlers often can’t sit still for long periods. Read to her while she is playing. And even if they walk around during storytime, they will learn to participate with the group in time.

Fingerplays, rhymes, songs:
Share one to three things. Repeat short rhymes or fingerplays twice.

“This is the Choo-choo Train”

Here's a little choo-choo train Move arms at sides like train wheels.
Chugging down the track
Now it’s going forward Lean forward.
Now it’s going back Lean back.
Now the whistle blows
Whooooo, Whooooooo! Mime blowing whistle.
What a lot of noise it makes Cover ears.
Everywhere it goes. Spread arms wide.

Source: http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/transportation-rhymes.htm

Picture book: Clip Clop by Nicola Smee

Early Literacy Tip: If your child is interested in a particular topic, trains, cars, horses, etc., get a nonfiction book about it. Ask your librarian for help. Most nonfiction is too long for toddlers so just talk about what interests your child and look at the pictures together.

Share an Action Song/Rhyme
Children may need to do something active at this point. Share one to two things.

“Shake My Sillies Out” by Raffi
Do the actions in the song

I'm going to . . .
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
Shake, shake, shake my sillies out
And wiggle my waggles away.

I'm going to . . .
Jump my jiggles out…
Clap my crazies out . . .
Stomp my sillies out . . .
Yawn my sleepies out . . .
Stretch my body out . . .

Picture book: Machines Go to Work in the City by William Low

Song: “If You’re Happy and You Know it”

Closing song or rhyme: Try to keep this song or rhyme the same every time.

“The More we Get Together”
The more we get together, together, together Children and grown-ups can walk
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be. in a circle holding hands or sway side to
For your friends are my friends, side while standing or sitting or standing.
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

SUGGESTED EARLY LITERACY TIPS TO SHARE AT TODDLER TIME

Try to share 3-4 early literacy tips directed to the parents throughout the program. These can be to the whole group or one-on-one. Try to make them conversational and short (2-3 sentences). If you have young children in your life, use them as examples. Here are some general tips you can use at most programs:

· Read, talk, play, and sing with your children in the language you are most comfortable. Children need a strong foundation in their home language to learn to English.

· When your child says something, add a word or two to what he said. If he says “Doggie!” after seeing a dog in a book, say “Yes, that’s a big, brown doggie!”

· If your child walks away when you are reading, that’s OK. Keep reading! Toddlers often can’t sit still for long periods. Read to her while she is playing.

· Your child may want to hear the same book over and over again. That’s OK! Children learn through repeating things and familiar books can be comforting.

· Try singing the same song for different activities. Use the same song for bathtime, another song for mealtime, and different song when it is time to change the diaper. This will help your child know what is happening next!

· If your child is interested in a particular topic, trains, cars, horses, etc., get a nonfiction book about it. Ask your librarian for help. Most nonfiction is too long so just talk about what interests your child and look at the pictures together.

· Writing is an important early literacy skill and young children learn to write by drawing and scribbling. Give your child plenty of chances to use crayons and crayons. Have fun drawing on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk!