Routines

I read 4 different books, 1 each week,  for 4 weeks in each class.  In other words, we do a book a week and I rotate the books so that at the end of the 4 weeks each class has heard all 4 books.  I tell other stories as well, but I usually have a central "theme" that I use for the 4 weeks.  This time is one of my favorites: monsters.  Well, not really monsters, Jack & the Beanstalk, Abiyoyo, Go Away Big, Green Monster and The Very Busy Spider.  I love these stories.  Usually, I will read the story myself the first time I do it and then I will use
recordings, iPad apps, YouTube videos and such to tell the story in another way.

This year I couldn't find my copy of The Very Busy Spider, so I ended up telling the story from a book written in Spanish.  It was fun and frustrating to look at the words and try to figure out what they said, but I also knew the story well enough to tell it without the exact text.  I love it when I get to that place where I can just tell the story.  The same is true for the other books.  Go Away Big, Green Monster has an app that has the story in song form.  For Abiyoyo I have an iPod recording of Pete Seeger telling the story.  Jack & the Beanstalk is a different story.  I don't usually use a different version of this book.  The one that I have is simple enough and flows nicely.  It's one that we got with grant money many years ago.  I enjoy the Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum part the best because I get to sound like a giant and the kids are really engaged.

All in all, this is a great group of books and the children really enjoy them.  They are among the ones most requested when I see them in Pre-K.