Busy Bee Bulletin September – December 2013
Calendar Buzz Inside this issue: Fall into School: Ideas to Calm First Day Jitters
1
Big Books
2
Books for Busy Bees
2
Head, Shoulders, Bees and Toes
3
Baby Bees
3
Bee Crafty!
4
Literacy on the Move 14 Busy Bee Boxes: A 16 Rotating Mini-Library
Continuing Education for Child Care Providers and Parents
Oakland County Child Care Council Trainings Main Library 6:30 p.m. Children’s Program Room Register online at
Oakland County Great Start Programs Main Library 7:00 p.m. Children’s Program Room Call the Library at (248) 848-4315 to register.
MAKING THE MOST OF CARE GIVING ROUTINES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS Wednesday, November 6, 2013
TREASURE BASKETS FOR INFANTS & TODDLERS http://www.greatstartconnect.org Wednesday, November 13, 2013 or call (248) 658-5506 LET’S BE FRIENDS Wednesday, October 2, 2013 HOLD THE PRAISE: TRY ENCOURAGEMENT Wednesday, October 9, 2013
CAPABLE, RESPONSIBLE, LOVED: BUILDING YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM Thursday, September 26, 2013
TERRIFIC TWO’S: STAYING AHEAD OF CONFLICT Wednesday, October 23, 2013
TELEVISION: WHAT CHILDREN SEE DOES AFFECT THEM Thursday, October 24, 2013
TERRIFIC TWO’S: HELPING TODDLERS NAVIGATE THROUGH CONFLICT Wednesday, October 30, 2013
PLANNING WITH CHILDREN Wednesday, December 4, 2013 WRITING OBJECTIVE ANECDOTAL NOTES Wednesday, December 11, 2013 RECALL TIME Wednesday, December 18, 2013
SAVE THE DATE! Annual Preschool and Daycare Fair February 1, 2014
Fall into School: Ideas to Calm First Day Jitters As autumn arrives, leaves change color, days get shorter, and temperatures cool. The fall season also brings the start of the new school year. As it approaches many parents may experience bittersweet emotions about their child achieving this new milestone of starting school. It is exciting for a child to make
new friends and experience a sense of new independence, but at the same time the child may feel worried about something unfamiliar. By exploring, reading and playing, adults can help children handle the first day of school. Here are a few ideas for caregivers and parents to try.
Parent Activity Use pretend play to explore the idea of preschool
Take turns being the parent, child and teacher. Act out common daily routines, such as saying good-bye to mommy and/ or daddy, taking off a coat, singing songs, reading stories, and having Circle
Time. Reassure your child that preschool is a place for fun and learning. Answer questions patiently. This helps children feel more in control which reduces their anxiety. See page 15 for additional ideas that you can try in your home or daycare.
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Books for Busy Bees Board Books HIPPOPPOSITES by Janik Coak. PETS by Charlie Gardner. GLOBAL BABY GIRLS by Global Fund for Children. NUMBERS by Orla Kiely. FALL LEAVES by Liesbet Slegers.
Big Books Benefits of Big Books The Farmington Community Library offers a variety of Big Books to share with your students. According to Mohana K. Nambiar’s article “Big Books for Little Readers” (ERIC 2013), “Big Books have several advantages over normal-sized story books.” These include “allowing the child to see the print and focus on specific parts of the text, facilitating use of certain reading strategies (e.g., thinking aloud), promoting awareness of the conventions of print language, and being inherently interesting because of their size.” You can find a complete list online of Big Book titles available for checkout from the Farmington Community Library at http://www.farmlibkids.org/pdfs/Big %20Books.pdf
Picture Books JUST RIGHT FOR CHRISTMAS by Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw. The king found some beautiful, bright-red cloth that would be perfect for a Christmassy cloak for the princess. After the royal sewing maids finish the cloak, they put the leftover fabric outside for someone else to use. Thus the cloth is used in smaller and smaller pieces for smaller and smaller people and creatures, producing that “just right” gift for many grateful receivers.
Busy Bee Bulletin
RHINO? WHAT RHINO? by Caryl Hart. Mischief abounds and everyone gets blamed except for the Rhino...it can’t be him! There’s only one Rhino and he’s in the zoo! Get ready for some rhyming silliness! NONI THE PONY by Alison Lester. Noni the Pony is friendly and lots of fun in this simple, sweet story. LETTING GO by Janet Morgan Stoeke. These loopy chickens think a fox is throwing apples at them from the apple tree. They climb a ladder into the tree to check things out. If the apples can just “let go,” why can’t the hens do it, too? Looks like fun! Then again...maybe not. Read aloud with caution!
MAX AND RUBY’S TREASURE HUNT by Rosemary Wells. Let’s go on a Nursery Rhyme treasure hunt. Can you help figure out the clues?
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Head, Shoulders, Bees and Toes eat the nuts until, (To the tune of “She'll Be Coming ‘Round Eat the nuts until the winter's gone.
My Little Turkey
the Mountain")
(Children pretend to eat acorns)
I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone. I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone. I'll be gathering all the acorns, gathering all the acorns, Gathering all the acorns till they're gone.
Then I'll do it all again come next fall. I will do it all again come next fall. I will do it all again, do it all again, Do it all again come next fall.
Cut out different colored feathers from construction paper. As you sing, hold up a different color feather for each verse.
A Squirrel Song
(Children make collecting motion with their hands)
And I'll put them all inside my little home. I will put them all inside my little home. I will put them all inside, put them all inside, Put them all inside my little home. (Children pretend to place nuts in tree house)
And I'll eat the nuts until the winter's gone. I will eat the nuts until the winter's gone. I will eat the nuts until,
(Children make gathering motion with hands and arms again)
The Floppy Scarecrow The floppy, floppy scarecrow Guards his fields all day. He waves his floppy, floppy hands To scare the crows away! Other verses: Replace hands with arms, toes, head, legs and elbows. Like to Go to School (To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")
I like to go to school. I like to go to school. Heigh-ho-the-derry-oh, I like to go to school. Other verses: I like to sing new songs…. I like to play with friends….
(To the tune of “Shortening Bread”)
My little turkey has feathers, feathers My little turkey has feathers of blue! Reindeer Pokey (To the tune of "The Hokey Pokey")
You put your antlers in. You put your antlers out. You put your antlers in and you shake them all about. You do the Reindeer Pokey and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! Other verses: You put your hooves in.... You put your red nose in.... You put your fluffy tail in…. You put your reindeer body in….
Baby Bees In THE ESSENTIAL FIRST YEAR, Penelope Leach states, “words in books are special because of their pictorial context.”
head. “Understanding of speech *and language] is linked to their understanding of concepts -- not only It is easy for your baby to ‘hot’ and ‘cold,’ but relate words to objects such also ‘up’ and ‘down,’ as a ball or cup. However, ‘big’ and ‘little,’ ‘full’ pictures really help babies and ‘empty,’” writes understand things they Leach. cannot touch. BABY A-B-C by Books illustrate conDeborah Donenfeld Reading books with simple cepts in many ways. pictures to your baby allows your Simple board books relate pictures baby to visualize ideas in his or her
to words. Touch-and-feel books relate texture to pictures or words. Concept books (about the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, or opposites) help your child to recognize patterns, symbols, similarities and differences. At the Farmington Community Library, we offer several different kinds of books with which to engage your baby. Stop in today to check out a new board, touch-and-feel, or concept book!
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Bee Crafty! Apple Tree Counting and Matching Activity Instruct students to cut out each of the apple squares and glue them on the matching dice. Younger children can draw lines from the apple squares to the dice. (This picture may be enlarged.)
Idea inspired by www.pagingsupermom.com Š2012
Practice counting and numbers by reading TEN RED APPLES by Pat Hutchins, a concept book that also features rhyming, repetition, and animal sounds. Pair this with a delicious apple snack, talk with your children about the different varieties and colors of apples, and try the apple tree counting and matching activity above. Busy Bee Bulletin
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Bee Crafty! Handful of Fall Fun! SUPPLIES: Brown construction paper - 9” x 12” Black construction paper - 9” x 12” Scissors Glue Red, yellow, and green tissue paper cut into small squares Pencil with eraser tip DIRECTIONS: Trace children’s hands and forearms on brown construction paper and cut out shapes to form trees. Next glue the trees onto sheets of black construction paper. Have children crumple the tissue paper squares or shape them around a pencil eraser, then glue tissue paper leaves on the trees. Put pictures around your classroom with the caption “Handful of Fall Fun!”
Handy Candy SUPPLIES: Construction paper - 9” x 12” White, orange and yellow tempera paint Large paintbrushes, 3 per child DIRECTIONS: Help youngsters paint their nondominant hands so they resemble pieces of candy corn. Then have them press their hands, fingers together, several times on sheets of construction paper, adding more paint when needed. After the paint dries, attach this craft to a display titled “Handy Candy!”
Ideas from Mailbox Magazine
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Bee Crafty! Birds
Read aloud BIRDS by Kevin Henkes; talk about their different sizes, shapes, colors and songs; and do the bird craft at left.
Activity from DLTK-Kids.com
DIRECTIONS: Have children color enlarged copies of the picture above, cut along the dotted lines and, finding the center where both birds meet, fold their birds in half. Punch a hole at the top of each bird and thread a piece of yarn about 12” long through the hole. Now, let the kids fly their birds around the room. Ask the question, “Where could you fly your bird?”
Busy Bee Bulletin
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Bee Crafty! Easy Envelope Animal Puppets SUPPLIES: Long envelopes sealed and cut in half Crayons Scissors Glue
DIRECTIONS:
Ideas from Notimeforflashcards.com
With the open side down, cut off both bottom corners of each envelope half. (Set the corners aside as you will need them for the puppet ears.) Ask kids to color their envelopes pink and draw pig faces on them. Attach the cut-off bottom corners for ears. Try making different animals like a mouse or a frog but round the ears instead of cutting them into triangles.
Zoo Animal Merry-Go-Round
SUPPLIES: Two paper plates per child Hole puncher Four 7� pieces of drinking straws per child Tape
DIRECTIONS: With the eating surfaces facing each other, punch four matching holes, evenly spaced, around the inside edges of each paper plate pair. Next, insert straw pieces into holes, fold ends and tape them down. Reduce and copy zoo animal templates on page 8 so that children may cut out, color and attach the animals to the straws.
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Bee Crafty! Zoo Animal Merry-Go-Round Templates
An Elephant Goes An elephant goes like this and that (walk feet in front of you) He's terrible wide (stretch arms out at sides) And terrible fat (same) He has two fingers (wiggle index fingers) He has two toes (wiggle feet) But, goodness gracious, WHAT A NOSE!!!! (pull on pretend trunk in front of nose)
Busy Bee Bulletin
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Bee Crafty! Thumbprint Cow Craft
Read ARE YOU A COW? by Sandra Boynton and ask toddlers to identify the various animals in it.
Inside Story Headline
This story can fit 100-150 words. The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field. You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients. If the newsletter is distributed inter-
nally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
dors.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or ven“To cat ch the r ead er's attention, plac e an int erest ing s ent enc e or qu ote from the stor y h ere.�
Ideas from Mailbox Magazine
SUPPLIES: Black stamp pads A picture of a cow or enlarged copies of the picture above DIRECTIONS: Using stamp pads, let the children dip their thumbs into black ink to create spots on the cows. describing Alternatively, offer them black bingo dabbers or thick black markers with which toCaption make spots.
picture or
graphic.
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Bee Crafty! Build Oral Language Skills with This Fun Farm Story SUPPLIES: Brown paper lunch bag Small plastic farm animals Directions:
DIRECTIONS: Place an assortment of small plastic farm animals in a paper lunch bag. Sitting in a circle, explain to the children that you are making up a story about animals on a farm and that when the bag comes to them, they should each pull an animal out and say its name. Every time a child pulls an animal from the bag, add it to the story. Read MRS. WISHY-WASHY’S FARM by Joy Cowley along with FARMING by Gail Gibbons. Discuss the different animals and jobs done on the farm. By pairing nonfiction with fiction you reinforce concepts about farms in different ways.
Circle Time Song Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee i ee i oh! And on that farm he had some chickens, Ee i ee i oh! Tell children to each pick out their favorite farm animal and With a cluck-cluck here, teach them the words to this song. Next, have the kids, sitting And a cluck-cluck there in a circle, take turns at making their animal’s sound as they sing “Old MacDonald.” Here a cluck, there a cluck, Everywhere a cluck-cluck Old MacDonald had a farm Ee i ee i oh! (Make up additional verses using other animals and their sounds.)
Busy Bee Bulletin
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Bee Crafty! Egg Carton School Bus SUPPLIES: Egg carton lids Yellow paint or markers Black construction paper or lids from milk jugs (for wheels) Black marker Scissors OPTIONAL: Small images of people cut out from magazines or coloring books or hand-drawn DIRECTIONS: Instruct kids to paint or color the lids yellow. While the paint is drying, cut circles out of black construction paper or ask the children to make their own wheels using white crayon, chalk or pencil to trace the lid from a baby food jar or orange juice container -- preschool kids enjoy tracing. Allow the children to cut out their circles with safety scissors, or supervise them while they use regular scissors. The wheels don't need to be perfectly round -- let youngsters have fun cutting. Idea and image from DLTK Crafts for Kids
Paper Plate Apple Craft SUPPLIES: Small paper plates Torn pieces of red paper Brown paper cut like stems Green paper cut like leaves Glue
DIRECTIONS: Spread glue all over the plates, allowing the kids to help, if you like. Next, have the children place red paper pieces on their plates, then glue the stems and leaves on the top middle of each paper plate. Use green or yellow paper for different kinds of apples. Idea from www.crafts-for-preschool-kids.com, Image from http://jennwa.blogspot.com
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Inside Story Headline
Bee Crafty!
Busy Bee Bulletin
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Bee Crafty! Clowning Around
:Images from KidsSoup, Inc., coloring page from www.mailboxcompanion.com Aug./Sept. 2009
Have students trace shapes on and color copies of the picture above. Afterwards, try these yummy clown snacks. You will need: grated cheese; cherry tomato halves; sliced carrots, cucumbers, bananas and apples; raisins; crackers and popcorn. Let the kids’ imaginations soar as they make clown faces from food!
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
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Literacy on the Move
Reading Tips to Share Every Day
We often think of early literacy development as happening when we sing, read books, and have conversations with young children.
Reading Rockets, a national multimedia literacy program, provides “Reading Tips for Parents” of babies through third-graders.
But whole-body movement rhymes also support language acquisition and enhance speaking skills. Plus, they’re fun!
Available as downloadable handouts at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/18935, these tips emphasize fun ways to help children develop reading skills and are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Haitian, Creole, Hmong, Korean, Navajo, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, an early literacy expert, advises that movement activities increase blood flow to the brain, which boosts concentration, improves memory and helps regulate emotions. Moreover, group movement activities often prepare participants to attentively listen to stories and each other. The following rhyme, adapted from Marc Brown’s book Play Rhymes (Dutton, 1987) ties animal names to movement and naturally guides children to sit quietly:
Listed below are sample suggestions to try at home, daycare or preschool.
Read together every day Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.
Give everything a name For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings?"
Can you hop like a rabbit? Can you jump like a frog? Can you waddle like a duck? Can you run like a dog? Can you fly like a bird? Can you swim like a fish? And then sit down like a quiet child, as still as this?
Be interactive Discuss what's happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.
Talk about writing, too Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.
Know when to stop Put the book away for awhile if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.
Read with fun in your voice Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up! Teachers and parents will find many books of rhymes and fingerplays at the Farmington Community Library. Also, our Busy Bee Web (http://www.farmlib.org/wiki/ Busy_Bee_Web) has a link to Curriculum Planning Resources, including Storytimes Online (http://youthliterature.com/index.html), a comprehensive source of rhymes. The Library staff is always happy to help you find fun and meaningful books, music, and activities to share with young children.
Point out print everywhere Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.
© Copyright 2013 WETA Washington, D.C.
Busy Bee Bulletin
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Ideas to Calm First Day Jitters continued Here are additional activities and tips for parents and caregivers to help ease the transition on the first day of daycare or preschool. Parent Activity Explore the New School
Visit your youngster’s preschool together. Ask when you can tour it with your child. Play on the school playground a few times before he or she starts the program. These visits increase your child’s comfort and confidence in this new setting. Parent Activity Read Books About School There are many books about going to preschool and daycare available from the Farmington Community Library. Choose several to share with your child before school starts. Try MOUSE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL by Lauren Thompson, FIRST DAY JITTERS by Julie Danneberg or THE KISSING HAND by Audrey Penn. Talk about the story and how the characters are feeling. Ask how your child is feeling.
Parent Activity Help Your Child's New Teacher
Teacher Activity Hide a Classroom Mascot
After the first few weeks of daycare or preschool, discuss these questions with your child’s teacher. What does he or she like and dislike? What subject areas are challenging for him or her? What extra support do you provide to your child? What are your goals for the year?
Design a mascot to hide in different places around the classroom, and also make a list of locations. Have your students look for the mascot, then check off on the list where they found it. This helps them locate their skill and job centers, cubbies, mailboxes, bathrooms, etc.
Parent Activity Establish Before- and After-School Routines
Teacher Activity
Discuss and plan the changes in your child's daily routine that will happen once school starts. You can even begin practicing your new schedule, focusing on morning and evening routines, well in advance of the first day of school. Establish a "Get Ready the Night Before" policy. Pick out clothes for the next day and pack your child’s backpack every evening to save precious time the next morning. Teacher Activity Play the Name Game with Your Students Sitting in a circle with your class, say a student’s name and roll a ball to that child, who in turn says another name and rolls the ball accordingly. This is a very simple but effective way for classmates to meet one another.
Show-and-Tell in a Lunch Bag Send a paper bag home with each student on the first day to be filled with four or five items that are of some personal significance -perhaps a photo, an item from a collection, a souvenir from a trip, or a sports memento. Explain to them that during the week they will sit together and open up their bags to show each other something about themselves. Even the teacher can participate.
Information on School Readiness For information on school readiness read NAEYC READINESS: NOT A STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT A STATE OF MIND by Dr. Dan Gartrell at http://tinyurl.com/krtn2kf
Great Ideas for Child Care Providers from the Farmington Community Library
Busy Bee Bulletin Main Library 32737 West Twelve Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 848-4315 Farmington Branch 23500 Liberty Street Farmington, MI 48335 (248) 553-0300 ext. 220 Find Us Online at: farmlib.org/wiki/Busy_Bee_Web facebook.com/fclbusybees pinterest.com/farmlib/
Children’s Outreach Librarian (248) 553-6881
Busy Bee Boxes: A Rotating Mini-Library Did you know that the Farmington Community Library offers a minilibrary for your licensed daycare or preschool classroom? To help support early language and literacy success, the Library provides a selection of boxes, each filled with 25 books for a variety of ages.
In order to participate in this program, a member of your staff must have a Farmington Community Library card, for which any adult who lives or works in the cities of Farmington or Farmington Hills is eligible. We will need this card number prior to your first delivery.
These include picture books, board books, concept books, early readers, easy nonfiction, fairytale and Mother Goose books, poetry, and picturebooks-with-CD sets.
If you have any questions regarding the Busy Bee Box delivery program or would like to sign up for this free service please contact Children’s Outreach Librarian Melissa Smith at (248) 553-6881.
The Busy Bee Box delivery program is available for area preschool and child care facilities. Every other month, our staff will drop off a Busy Bee Box and pick up the previously delivered Busy Bee Box without charge.
Busy Bee Bulletin