Farm Storytime
Scott Bahlmann
So many things on a farm! The goose is featured in one of the stories, so I wanted the kids to see a duck and goose together.
This is our system-wide opener. Starting with the same song lets the kids know we’re ready to start, and builds their confidence.
We added sign language to this song for the words good morning, and rooster. This had everyone involved, and we got to hear a real rooster!
I thought the detailed illustrations would make nice conversations about the various animals, and the repetition of making a group wind sound would keep the kids engaged, but it just didn’t work. There wasn’t enough contrast in the pictures for a group to make out, and most of the kids just looked confused by the end.
My outreach kids got I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs, and it went over really well.
We listened to the sound of the horse hooves, then mimicked it by slapping our thighs. The kids kept the pace for the story, and loved the puppets being tossed at the end.
I love the illustrations especially, but it didn’t work as a group read for me. The progression wasn’t easy for the kids to follow. If I had talked about rice pudding, given some vocabulary first, I think it would have worked better.
We got out the shakey eggs and danced and flapped along! This is a regular in our Preschool Dance Party, and the kids all get into it.
The gradual appearance of a fox builds suspense for some, and others are just ready for it to jump out! They all have fun with it.
Before the story, we watched a little of this video to see the difference between Ducks and Geese.
It’s a great one to use puppets with! We line them all up, or pass them out to a small group, then say goodbye to each animal at the end.
Fun predictive elements in this, a chant along text and playful images, this is a great participative book.
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