January 30: Preschool Storytime: Hibernation and Migration

(Reminder note: When it is time to read a story, I read the titles of three books and then display them. The children pick which one we read. The three fictional ones listed below are the ones they picked. The other recommended picture books are listed at the bottom.)

Opening song:                                                    

 (Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

                        

We tap hola like this

We tap hola like this

Hi-ho cherry

We tap hola like this

Continue with other verses:

We drop hola like this...

We circle hola like this...

We spin hola like this...

We toss hola like this...

We roll hola like this...


INTRODUCTION:
How do we stay warm in winter? How do animals stay warm in winter? We will be practicing the letter Mm for migration.

Held up M and m
Talked about sound of Mm
Talked about things that start with Mm
Make a lowercase m in the air
Put the alphabet chart on the floor. Let each child take the pointer and point to the letter Mm.

INFORMATIONAL TEXT: "Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter" by Martha E. H. Rustad

BOOK: "The Very Long Sleep" by Polly Noakes 

ACTION SONG (Used shakers for part of it): In advance, I found and printed off pictures of the animals that we would be singing about. As an animal was mentioned, I put the corresponding picture on the floor. You can access the document with all the pictures for this and other songs about migration here.

“Bear is Sleeping”
(Tune: “Are You Sleeping”)

Bear/oso is hibernating
Bear/oso is hibernating
In his cave, in his cave
I wonder when he’ll wake up?
I wonder when he’ll wake up?
In the spring, in the spring.

Frog/rana is hibernating,
Frog/rana is hibernating,
In the mud, in the mud
I wonder when he’ll come out?
I wonder when he’ll come out?
In the spring, in the spring.

Fish/peces are resting,
Fish/peces are resting
In the mud, in the mud
I wonder when they’ll come back up?
I wonder when they’ll come back up?
In the spring, in the spring

Birds/pajaros have flown away
Birds/pajaros have flown away
To somewhere warm
To somewhere warm
I wonder when they’ll come back?
I wonder when they’ll come back?
In the spring, in the spring.

Snakes/serpientes are resting
Snakes/serpientes are resting
Down in a hole, down in a hole
I wonder when they’ll come back up?
I wonder when they’ll come back up?
In the spring, in the spring.

BOOK #2: "Bear Has a Story to Tell" by Philip C. Stead

ACTION AND SHAKER SONG: We used some of the pictures in the document mentioned above.

“Migration Song”
(Tune: Are You Sleeping?”)

Time to go, time to go
Mr. Whale/Ballena, Mr. Whale/Ballena
The air is getting colder
The days are getting shorter
Hurry, hurry go
Hurry, Hurry go

Continue with Mr. Butterfly/Mariposa, Mr. Duck/Pato, Mr. Elk/Alce

BOOK #3: "Little Owl's Snow" by Divya Srinivasan

Goodbye song:                                                  

(Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell") 

                         

We tap adios like this

We tap adios like this

Hi-ho cherry

We tap adios like this

Continue with other verses:

We drop adios like this...

We circle adios like this...

We spin adios like this...

We toss adios like this...

 We roll adios like this...

Craft Time:  

I modeled the rainbow writing page for letter Mm, the Mm dot page, and the craft before the children starting working on them. Before starting the craft, the children write the given letter using 3 different colors of crayons. I have attached a link to the free rainbow writing letters I used. Completing the dot page is optional.

You can find free rainbow writing letters here. Since they are free, they lack a dot for where to start. print one off, add the dots with a black marker, and then make copies of that one. You can find the dot pages here. 

Click here for a link for letter formation prompts for capital and lowercase letters. Children need to spend more time working on the lowercase letters than on the capital letters.


Craft:  Fingerpainting birds flying in a V formation

My examples

Materials:

1. Tempera paint in a variety of colors

2. Small plates for paint

3. Blue construction paper for base

4. Ruler 

5. Pencil

Note: About 75 percent of all birds migrate. Children could pick any kind/color of bird to paint. My top example is of mallard ducks and the bottom one is of flamingos.

Preparation in advance:

Use a rule to draw a V on each child's piece of construction paper.

*All photos are with parent permission.

I always let the children pick which three books I read from the ones I bring with me. These are the additional suggested books that the children didn't pick:

1. "When It Starts to Snow" by Phillis Gershator
2. "Shh! Bears Sleeping" by David Martin
3."The Bears' Winter House" by John Yeoman and Quentin blake
4. "Snuggle Down Deep" by Diane Ohanesian
5. "Chaucer's First Winter" by Stephen Krensky
6. "Winter Lullaby" by Barbara Seuling
7. "Following Papa's Song" by Gianna Marino
8. "Not a Buzz to be Found; Insects in Winter" by Linda Glaser