Who knows why I
remembered this in the middle of the night, but it’s worth passing on. I had a little chant that I would say
before I read a story that went like this:
If You Want to
Hear a Story
If you want to
hear a story, (Begin snapping your
fingers to the beat.)
This is what you
do
You’ve got to sit
down on the floor
Like good students
do.
You’ve got to
listen to your teacher.
Raise your hand.
You’ve got to let
her know
That you
understand.
That’s right! (Snap and then point to children
who are sitting quietly.)
That’s right!
That’s right!
That’s right!
Here’s another
trick I would use to focus children for story time. They loved “turn the page, turn the page.”
Open Your Book
Take out your
book. (Both
palms together.)
Open it up. (Open
up palms.)
I have a story to
read you-
Turn the page,
turn the page. (Pretend
to turn a page in the book.)
I know you’ll like
it, I do-
Turn the page,
turn the page. (Pretend
to turn the page.)
We’ll fly to
storybook land-
Turn the page,
turn the page. (Pretend
to turn the page.)
I’ll share the
magic with you.
Close up your book
and put it away. (Pretend to close
the book and
put
your hands in your lap.
One more idea to
quiet children in 2013:
Everybody Do
This
(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
Everybody do this,
do this, do this. (Clap or snap to
the beat.)
Everybody do this
just like me.
Touch your
shoulders, touch your shoulders,
(Touch shoulders.)
Touch your
shoulders just like me.
Tap your fingers…
Nod your head… (Continue
calling other movements for children
to imitate until everyone settles down.)
Put your hands in
your lap. (Lower
your voice as you model putting
You’re ready for a
story just like me.
your hands in your lap.)
READ MORE BOOKS
would be one of the best resolutions a teacher could make for the New Year. If I were in charge of the world I’d
have a list of children’s classics (GOOD NIGHT MOON, CAPS FOR SALE,
FERDINAND, PING, etc.) that were required reading. If we don’t read these to children when they are young, they’ll
probably never hear these wonderful stories. Isn’t that sad?
When I taught
college students I started each class by reading them a book. I’ll never forget a note an adult
student wrote me: “Thank you for
reading to us. Some of us has
never been read to before.” There
are a lot of things in this world that are not nice, but reading a book is a
BEAUTIFUL thing! Anytime,
anywhere, any place!