Storytime Plan Theme 3
Exploring out in the world and back again
Launch the Theme Introduce the Poster Hang the poster “On the Move!” at children’s eye level and welcome them to this theme about exploring different places. What do you see? What are the children doing? How are they getting around? How do you usually go places? What is your favorite place to visit?
As young children develop an understanding of themselves and who they are, they also become aware of places beyond their homes. These stories depict animals venturing away from home: a gorilla leading animals out of the zoo, a duck guiding her family through a storm, and a small dog inadvertently causing the whole town to chase after her. Skills Focus • Vocabulary: Movement Words • Comprehension: Main Characters • Alphabet Knowledge: Beginning Letters & Sounds • Social & Emotional: Individual Differences
TM & © Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Illustrated by Carol Ferrando.
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Use Movement Words Play a movement game and talk about the movements you make. Pretend to walk , run , fly , climb , drive, etc. Invite children to do as you do and say the movement words.
I ___to school. I ___up a hill.
School Safari Take children on a school safari by turning a classroom or building walk into an adventure. Encourage children to talk about what they see on your safari. Jot down their observations as you walk. Then, transcribe these observations onto chart paper in the classroom. Display this chart for children to illustrate and add to throughout this theme. Play the CD Play the song “Bomba Le Le” from the Latin Playground CD. Invite children to imagine traveling to new places as they dance to the music. First Language Support Provide translations of key words that will help children better enjoy and understand the stories. For example, for Spanish speakers: chase (v.) = perseguir ; lost = perdido ; stop = parar
Resources
• Big Book: Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann • Read-Aloud: This Way, Ruby! by Jonathan Emmett • Read-Aloud: The Great Gracie Chase by Cynthia Rylant • Music: Latin Playground • Character Cards: Gracie & Friends • Poster: On the Move! Refer to the Program Guide for Family Time and additional activities.
1111 STORYTIME 1
After Reading Aloud Talk About It! Because much of the book is wordless, it is helpful to flip through the illustrations as the children retell the story. What happens each time the zookeeper says goodnight? Why do the animals follow the zookeeper? What happens after the zookeeper goes to sleep? How do you think the zookeeper’s wife feels about Gorilla? Follow Me! Have children imagine they are leading Gorilla and the zookeeper to someplace new. Invite children to draw themselves in this new place with Gorilla and the zookeeper. Reread Read the book again, this time focusing on the illustrated but silent story about the mouse and the banana. Help children notice that the mouse is trying to “steal” the banana when the gorilla is still in the cage. Ask them to follow the mouse as he brings the banana on a string everywhere. Invite them to share what they think happened to the banana at the end. English Language Development Narrate the events of this story as the zookeeper. Choose a child to be Gorilla and tell the story as he or she frees each animal. Encourage children to act like the animal following Gorilla. Then, ask children to end the story any way they like. Research Connection Exposure to good stories lays a broad and lasting foundation for children’s emergent literacy skills. As children listen to books like Good Night , Gorilla or This Way , Ruby! , they experience a story read from start to finish. They begin to expect the rhythm of a beginning, middle, and end in all stories. Going through the story again, rereading it, and talking about it helps children develop wider vocabularies and their own storytelling abilities.
With very few words, the book Good Night,
Gorilla , tells the story of a mischievous gorilla who is not ready to go to sleep.
Get children moving and motivated with this adventure rhyme. Invite them to repeat each phrase after you. See the Program Guide for additional lyrics. GOING TO LOOK FOR LIONS We’re going to look for lions. We’re going to see a big one. We are not afraid! We have each other! Look, over there. Tall grass! Wavy grass. We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it.
We’ll have to go through it! Swish, swash, swish, swash
Share the Big Book Introduce Good Night, Gorilla Show the cover and explain that it is nighttime, but the gorilla does not want to go to sleep. When I look at the cover of this book, I see that the gorilla has the zookeeper’s keys. What do you think the gorilla will do instead of going to sleep? Let’s read the book to find out. Read Interactively As you read the book, pause to focus on the beginning letter and sound in each animal’s name. Gorilla. What letter do you see at the beginning of the word gorilla ? What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word gorilla ? That’s right. The letter g makes the / g / sound.
STORYTIME 2
After Reading Aloud Talk About It! Guide children to reflect on how Ruby knew the way back to Father Duck and Mother Duck. How did Ruby know to look for the willow tree? the water lilies with the bright purple flowers? the waterfall? How is Ruby different from her brothers and sisters? We Are Special Ducklings Have children act like ducklings who all do the same thing as one another. Have them pretend to swim or walk in a line. Then ask each child to take a turn being Ruby by going a different way or stopping to look at something. Ask how it feels to be the one doing something different. Then ask children to share something they like to do that is different. Reread Draw a simple map on the board or on chart paper, showing the places the ducklings traveled to. Be sure to include the waterfall, the lilies with the purple flowers, and the willow tree. Then, as you reread the story, invite children to take turns moving the character cards through the map to show the ducklings’ travels. English Language Development Gather a group of children and ask them to pretend to be a family of little ducks. Let them go off on an adventure to anywhere in the classroom. Narrate their story as they take a trip around the room, using as many movement words as possible.
In This Way, Ruby! a little duck follows her siblings out into the world. Yet it’s Ruby’s way of doing things differently that helps them all get back home.
This whole-body transition routine can be used anytime to help young ones settle in before you begin reading. Up, Down, Turn Around! Up (stand up) Down (kneel down) Turn around!
Front (step front) Back (step back) Sit right down
Share the Read-Aloud Introduce This Way, Ruby! Preview the book by reading aloud the title and author’s name. Some children may have read Ruby in Her Own Time , another story about the same little duck. Remind children that Ruby’s siblings are always racing off in search of adventure, but Ruby likes to take things slowly. What does it usually mean when we say “This way!”? Who do you think leads the way in this story? Let’s read to find out. Read Interactively As you read, invite children to act out the movement words in the story. This will help them remember the path the ducklings take, just like Ruby does. Show me how the ducklings splash into the water. Show me how they raced through the gap in the tall green stems.
Research Connection Repetition in a book presents opportunities for building literacy. The title This Way , Ruby! is repeated throughout the story. Tracking the words and asking children to say these words as you point to them builds letter recognition.
STORYTIME 3
After Reading Aloud Talk About It! Have children talk about why this was a special day for Gracie. What does Gracie like to do in the beginning of the story? Why does Gracie keep running? How does Gracie feel about her day at the end? Dog Safety Have children brainstorm ways to keep a dog safe (i.e., using a leash, keeping small objects away from it, always closing the door, etc.). Children can then pick an idea to illustrate and write or dictate a sentence about their drawing. Create a class Dog Safety Guide. Reread As you reread, point out the many position words that tell where Gracie and the people ran. Guide children to focus on phrases such as up the hill, across the schoolyard, and through the water fountain. English Language Development Encourage children to make gestures to illustrate the direction words down (point down), up (point up), across (wiggle hands forward), and through (diving motion) each time they repeat in the story.
In The Great Gracie Chase , a little dog named Gracie leaves home all by herself. Soon, everyone in town is trying to catch her as she runs and runs!
Share the Read-Aloud Introduce The Great Gracie Chase Show the cover and read aloud the title and author. Explain that this story is about a dog named Gracie who loved a quiet house. Then, talk about the cover. It looks like Gracie is running with a lot of people chasing her. Who do you see chasing her? Why do you think she is running? Let’s read the story to find out. Read Interactively As you read, give children time to notice and enjoy the illustrations. Help them notice Gracie’s expression and think about how she feels in each picture. How does Gracie feel about the painters? How can you tell? How does Gracie feel when the people rest? How can you tell? Invite children to act like dogs as you read this rhyme. Some Dogs Some dogs know a lot of tricks. They shake your paw. (shake paws) Or jump up for sticks. (jump up to catch stick) Other dogs just want to have fun. These dogs like to run and run! (run in place)
Research Connection Extend the conversation (and increase children’s language skills) by asking questions that connect the story to chidren’s own experiences. Ask questions like: What does this story remind you of? Gracie is a very adventurous pet. Do you have any pets?
Connect the Stories Display and connect the three books to the theme of movement and adventure.
Which character had the most exciting adventure? What happened to each main character at the end? Where would you like to go on an adventure?
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