Early Literacy Fun for Little People

June: Fingerplay of the Month

Get out your plastic construction tools for this one! This fingerplay helps children learn to count to five while integrating some rhythmic tapping and some intense coordination for little ones. It's also sure to get the giggles going as we count to number five and our limbs are going everywhere!

Peter Works with Hammers (Follow-along Video Plus Script)

Peter works with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer
Peter works with one hammer
Yes he does!

Peter works with two hammers, two hammers, two hammers
Peter works with two hammers
Yes he does!

Peter works with three hammers, three hammers, three hammers
Peter works with one hammers
Yes he does!

Peter works with four hammers, four hammers, four hammers
Peter works with four hammers
Yes he does!

Peter works with five hammers, five hammers, five hammers
Peter works with five hammers
Then, he's done!

Further Reading
Don't forget to check out our construction and trucking books. Here are some of our favorites:
The Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
Raise the Roof by Anastasia Suen
Get to Work Trucks by Don Carter
Building by Elisha Cooper
New Road by Gail Gibbons
Roadwork by Sally Sutton

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

April: Fingerplay of the Month

Here is a good fingerplay that mimics the sights and sounds of buzz-worthy beings and the environment. In addition to the counting component, which you can use to count up or count down the number of bees coming out of the hive, the fingerplay will help children learn to identify living things in the world around them. The fingerplay also offers a great way to introduce your child to books about insects, flowers, and honey as related topics.

Here Is a Beehive (Follow-along Video Plus Script)

Here is the beehive.

Where are the bees?

They're hidden away where nobody sees!

Watch them come out of their hive..

One, Two, Three, Four, Five!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Further Reading

There is plenty of buzz-buzz-buzz about books for the picture book crowd plus books for curious older readers:
Bee-wigged by Cece Bell

Bee and Me by Elle McGuinness

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz Went Bumblebee by Colin West

Harry's Bee by Peter Campbell

Big Bug Surprise by Julia Gran (Easy Reader)

Bees by James Joyce (Non-fiction, Nature's Children Series)

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

March's Fingerplay of the Month

This month's fingerplay features easy motions and dialogue to introduce the idea of people entering and exiting a scene. The play is a first step to getting creative and making up short theater productions, which you can do right here at the library!

Where Is Thumbkin? (Follow-along Video Plus Script)

Where is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin?

Here I am!

Here I am!

How are you today sir?

Very well, I thank you!

Walk away.

Walk away.

Further Reading

For more fun, check out our books on plays and puppets:
Lizzy and Skunk by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Aunt Nina's Visit by Franz Brandenberg

The Paper Party by Don Freeman

Let's Have a Play by Margaret Hillert

Post by Kathleen Sands

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

February's Fingerplay of the Month

This month's fingerplay introduces little ones to the ideas of how transportation and social interaction work. As kids do the hand motions of how wipers work and mimic mom's quieting loud children, they will begin to understand the inner workings of the bus as well as how people act in public. The other great thing about this fingerplay is it's easy to make up your own lines for added fun and family lessons.

The Wheels on the Bus (Follow-along Video Plus Script)The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round,
round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All through the town.

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
swish, swish, swish,
swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
All through the town.

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep
beep, beep, beep,
beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
All through the town.

Don't forget to check out our amazing Songs and Poetry picture book section where you can find other songs in story format. Some of our favorites:

If You're Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera
Down by the Station by Jennifer Vetter
Yankee Doodle by Patti Goodnow
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Iza Trapani
Eentsy, Weentsy Spider : Fingerplays and Action Rhymes by Joanna Cole

Post by Kathleen Sands

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

January's Fingerplay of the Month

January's fingerplay helps children with counting and learning the order of numbers, as many fingerplays do. This one features counting back (3-2-1) vs. counting forward (1-2-3). It also introduces concepts such as over, away, and with a small bit of dialogue, helps children learn about the world around them.

The Three Little Ducks (Follow-along Video Plus Script)

Three little ducks went out to play.
Over the hill and far away!
When the mama duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
Two little ducks came running back.

Two little ducks went out to play.
Over the hill and far away!
When the mama duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
One little duck came running back.

One little duck went out to play.
Over the hill and far away!
When the mama duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
No little ducks came running back.

But, when the daddy duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
Three little ducks came running back!

Fun Duck Books:
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Rosenthal
Katy Duck by Alyssa Capucilli
Guess Who, Baby Duck! by Amy Hest
Silly Goose and Dizzy Duck Play Hide and Seek by Sally Grindley
The Duck Who Played the Kazoo by Amy Sklansky
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

December's Fingerplay of the Month

December's fingerplay of the month helps young children learn the important skill of counting in a fun and seasonal way. It also encourages them to work on their motor skills because this fingerplay requires them to lift just one finger at a time, which is a learned skill that takes time and practice. Enjoy this fingerplay during the snowy months and watch your favorite little fingers and young minds get better at moving and counting.

Ten Little Snowflakes (Follow-along Video plus Script)

One little, two little three little snowflakes;
Four little, five little, six little snowflakes;
Seven little, eight little, nine little snowflakes,
Ten little snowflakes in the air!

Catch, catch, catch those snowflakes!
Catch, catch, catch those snowflakes!
Catch, catch, catch those snowflakes!
Catch those snowflakes in the air!

Further Reading
Check out our wonderful holiday book section or for wintry books, our nature book section. Here's a few among the many titles you may enjoy with your child:

First Snow by Bernette Ford
Hello Snow by Hope Vestergaard
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Snow Day by Lester Laminack
Hanukkah by Alan Benjamin
Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown
Fancy Nancy's Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor
This Is the Dreidel by Abby Levine

Post by Kathleen Sands

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

November's Fingerplay of the Month

This month's fingerplay has many variations; we offer one variant here. Your hand motions demonstrate the words and with repetition, you can help your little one develop hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, rhythm, sequence, memory, and an appreciation for following directions. Of course, there is a little tickling involved so have fun!

Open Them, Shut Them (Follow-along Video plus Script)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap, clap, clap
Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Put them in your lap, lap, lap
Creep them, crawl them
Creep them, crawl them
Right up to your chin, chin, chin
Creep them, crawl them
Creep them, crawl them
Do not let them in!

Further Reading
Here's a short list of books that feature a range of follow along activities to share with your child as he or she develops pre-reader and early reader skills. As always, please feel free to ask for other suggestions and recommendations.

Toddlerobics by Zita Newcome

Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Can You Guess by Margaret Miller

Zoo Parade by Harriet Ziefert

Post by Kathleen Sands

Early Literacy Fun for Little People

October's Fingerplay of the Month

Here's a fun song that will help your pre-K child learn to experiment with nonsense words and alliteration, a fancy name for two or more neighboring words that repeat the same sound. You can also gently move the hands of your infant and toddler, so they can wiggle and giggle as they listen to you and enjoy your movements. The older boy or girl scouts in your troop will no doubt recognize the tune as a scout camp favorite so have fun as a family with Ram-Sam-Sam!

A Ram-Sam-Sam (Follow-along Video plus Script)

A Ram Sam Sam
A Ram Sam Sam
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli
Ram Sam Sam
A Ram Sam Sam
A Ram Sam Sam
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli
Ram Sam Sam
A Rafi, a Rafi
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli
Ram Sam Sam
A Rafi, a Rafi
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli
Ram Sam Sam

A Selection of Singable Songs for the Shorter Set

Check out these among other books about songs, some of which illustrate classic tunes and others which set new words to old favorites:

Itsy Bitsy, the Smart Spider by Charise Harper
The Wheels on the Race Car by Alex Zane
Down by the Station by Jennifer Vetter

Tinkle, Tinkle Little Tot by Bruce Lansky
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow

If You're Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera

Post by Kathleen Sands

New Feature! Early Literacy Fun for Little People

September's Fingerplay of the Month

Learning to read begins well before the first day of school. Fingerplays are a fun way to improve your favorite little person's motor skills and coordination; help them learn to follow along; or to teach concepts (up/down, body parts, counting). Fingerplays can also help your child learn to hear, make, and play with sounds; as well as words and sounds within words (phonological awareness).

We offer here the first in a once-a-month online series, featuring fingerplays that you can enjoy in early childhood programs @ your library and again at home. Let's get ready to 'ribit' and have some fun!

Three Fat Freckled Frogs (Follow-along Video plus Script)

Three fat freckled frogs
Sitting on a bumpy log
Eating some nice delicious bugs

Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are two fat freckled frogs

Ribit, ribit!

Two fat freckled frogs
Sitting on a bumpy log
Eating some nice delicious bugs
Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there is one fat freckled frog

Ribit, ribit!

One fat freckled frog
Sitting on a bumpy log
Eating some nice delicious bugs
Yum, yum!
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are no fat freckled frogs
Ribit, ribit!

Further Froggie Picks for Growing Readers

Here's a very short list of picture or easy frog-friendly books that grow with your learning-to-read child. Ribit, ribit!

Frog by Susan Cooper
Froggy Plays... by Jonathan London

What a Party! by Sandy Asher

Better Move On, Frog! by Ron Maris Finklehopper
Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus
Frog by Irene Livingston
The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth
Frog and Toad series books by Arnold Lobel

Post developed by Kathleen Sands;
Marilou Overson served as videographer