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Story Hour for Young Listeners
National Storytelling Network Presentation 2001
by Ellen Trousdale
I provide a weekly themed Story hour at 3 small libraries and Kid-Sports, with books, participation stories, finger plays, songs, instruments and a craft. Children age 0-7 come with a parent or day care provider. These groups are small. Sometimes I do special events at schools with groups of up to 30 children.
A key in telling to young children is to keep it moving along: alternate stories with activities, and be willing to switch what youre doing if it isnt working!
I usually start with a hello song, singing each of the childrens names. We then do a finger play to calm them down. Next I might introduce a story with a prop. I usually tell 2-4 stories, including finger plays, rhymes, story with a puppet or flannel board activity. At least one story is a participation story. When they get restless we begin singing, sometimes with rhythm instruments. At about the 30 minute mark, we move to making a simple craft for 10-to-15 minutes, then a quick clean up, and back to story circle. There Ill read picture books until the hour is up, and sing a little good bye song, again using each of their names.
Sample Story Hour Schedule
Come to your Senses
Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Touching, Tasting
Hello Song to the tune of where is thumbkins
Finger Play: Open them Close them
Talk about using eyes to see (colors of childrens clothes),
noses to smell (open spice jars, pass around) and ears to hear (play tape recording).
Felt board story: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Eric Carle)
Children give me animal cut outs.
Story of 3 Blind men and Elephant, with Touch Box
Play Rhythm instruments, sing songs.
Read Lucys Picture (Nicola Moon)
Craft: Collage of highly textured objects. It can be like an elephant, or not.
Materials: Stiff paper, glue, glue stick, sand, yarn, and fabric scraps.
I read childrens choice of books back at story circle.
Closing Song
The Blind Men and the Elephant.
Synopsis of my version: 3 blind brothers who use a train track for a shortcut into town. Train comes along, sees 3 men on the track, train screeches on brakes, stops just in
time, but derails. Its a circus train, with the cages pop open. The blind brothers come upon the elephant. First one feels tail, second feels leg, the third feels the trunk.
I made a feely box, with 3 cut out openings, the first has frayed rope taped inside, covered by a piece of felt with the number 1 on it, the second opening has a roll of paper towels in it (covered with the bark off of split cordwood), again with felt and number 2 on the outside of the box. A tree trunk is traditional, but it was too heavy to haul to my story hours! The third opening had a tubular foam pillow that I covered in vinyl. The brothers 1) feel rope Were at the hardware store? 2) bark-covered paper towels Were in the woods? 3) a hose/(vinyl covered foam) Were at the fire department? The elephant is annoyed and sprays them all with water (a plant sprayer). Everyone in town has come, helps get the train righted, and the animals back, and for the effort get free tickets to the circus. And the blind brothers vow to never to take the train tracks as a shortcut again, even though it is easier.
Favorite books, Favorite web sites
Storytimes for two-year-olds By Judy Nichols (isbn 0-8389-0719-9)
Easy to tell Stories for Young Children by Annette Harrison (isbn 1-879991-12-8)
Stories to Play With: Kids tales told with puppets, paper, toys, and Imagination
by Hiroko Fujita adapted and edited by Fran Stallings (isbn 0-87483-553-4)
Puppet Tales By Valerie Marsh (isbn 0-917846-92-3)
www.familyfun.com (great craft ideas)
www.perpetualpreschool.com (resource for themes, holidays, games, songs, art)
Discussions of storytelling [STORYTELL@venus.twu.edu]
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