ECRR Concept of the Week (7-26-07)

This week for storytime, our theme was camping. This was a great time with younger preschoolers and school-aged children. The stories used were Quiet Night by Marilyn Singer, Good Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins and Under the Moon by Dyan Sheldon. Ranger John Sutton from Baker's Mountain came to talk to the youngsters about safety in the wild and he also brought a friend, Shadow (a 5 foot King Snake). The older kids loved the snake, but I was not so sure. A good time was had by all! One of the activities that I did with the kids was a campfire story. Basically, this was a story that I told using something that I memorized and some puppets for props. When using Every Child Ready to Read Concepts, it is not always necessary to have a book in hand. Sometimes, the parent or caregiver might want to make up a story for the child. This challenges the child to use their imagination. The use of props is a great way for them to practice visualizing what they read. Also, when making up stories, see if they want to add to it. They might just surprise you with some pretty terrific ideas of how to story should go. The great thing about making up stories with your child is that you never have to worry about hearing the same one twice. -Amy Dawson, Youth Services Librarian, Catawba County Library