Storytime: 3,2,1 Go!

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Today we read 3, 2, 1, Go!: A Transportation Countdown (Counting Books)

The appealing aspect of this counting book is the illustrations; they are actual toys set against real backgrounds. Children may delight at the 10 toys school buses, the 9 toy ambulances, the 5 toy taxi cabs, and the (quite wonderful) 4 toy tug boats. All forms of transportation presented in the book are a great exploration activity for small minds. The toy tug boats rest on the shore with the real waves pushing up against them, the 9 toy ambulances sit in the parking lot of what appears to be a real hospital, and in this manner each picture is presented to the child. 

Accompanying each mode of transportation is a very brief sentence that describes/tells what that mode of transportation is used for. This book can be used as a way to help children connect new vocabulary words to the environment and to help children understand that print conveys meaning and describes our world.

This book can be used in conjunction with these transportation activities and children may also enjoy listening to these books whose main theme is transportation also...waallaahu a'lam.

Have a peek inside 3,2,1 Go! insha'Allaah and Enjoy!:

Storytime: Rub-a-Dub-Sub

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Today we read Rub-a-Dub Sub

Another funny story from Linda Ashman! I not only read this story out loud for storytime, by request, I re-read and re-read and re-read it until I lost count!...lol. And just like Starry Safari, there is that one part of the story that just makes you laugh a good laugh.

In Rub-a-Dub-Sub, our young character is having an underwater adventure. This story is a wonderful teaching tool for teaching about word families and teaching rhyming words. Words such as: seal, eel; haze, maze; claw and jaw are a few of the words children will encounter in this fun story. Like Babies On The Go,Rub-a-Dub Sub has a nice collection of verbs to help build childrens' vocabularies insha'Allaah.

This book is also a wonderful resource to be used when teaching about ocean life and it can also be read to prepare the little ones for a part of their day that, for some, can be a challenge for both parent and child. A book of many purposes. Again, I won't tell you too much because I don't wish to spoil it for you *smile* but this book will be one that I recommend on A Muslim Child is Born insha'Allaah. It's just too cute a story to pass up...

Storytime: Babies on the Go

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 Today we read Babies on the Go

This book may easily become a toddler storytime favourite. A wonderful rhyme that teaches (and shows with beautiful illustrations) how different animal babies get from one place to another and how some animal mothers transport their babies because they are not able to transport themselves. In both cases, the mother is there, lovingly overseeing the child's trek from one place to the next. The book ends by letting children know that human babies and animals babies are transported with love. 

Some of the illustrations are truly adorable: a baby polar bear is gently nudged along by its mother and a baby swan is gracefully tucked and carried under the wing of its mother. A library find that makes great reading for storytime insha'Allaah. I think you will enjoy reading it as much as your child(ren) may enjoy having it read to them...waallaahu a'lam.

Storytime: What Do You Do With A Tail Like This?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Today we read What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? PB

What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? PB takes children on an exploration of animal body parts. On each page a specific body part of different animals is shown. For example, the first page shows the eyes of five different animals and asks the reader, "What do you do with a nose like this?" Turn the page and the reader is told how each animal uses their nose. This pattern continues through the book with eyes, feet, tails, and ears. At the end of the book, more information is provided for each animal which is a wonderful springboard to encourage students to do independent research on one (or more) of the animals presented in the book.

You can find many resources on the web to use with this book. Click here for a helpful resource and here also. You can also do the following activities using this book:

- With students, research the animals in the book.

- Discuss how people and animals use various body parts .

- Talk about which animal has the most unusual body part?

- Using a map, invite students show where each animal lives.

- Research the habitat of one of the animals in the book.

If you've used this book in your classroom or homeschool, what activities did you do?

Storytime: The Very Best Bed

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Today we read The Very Best Bed

This is a warm, gentle story with illustrations that compliment the story wonderfully. In The Very Best Bed a little squirrel has lost track of the time while out looking for food. As the cover of night begins to fall he scurries from nest, to den, to burrow looking for a suitable bed for the night. The only problem? Each nest, hovel or den he happens upon is already inhabited by another woodland creature.

The way the author has woven facts about animals' sleep habits into the story is very subtle and children will not have the feeling they are being taught as they listen to this story insha'Allaah. The illustrations are infused with light and at the same time very gentle which gives the story a calm feel. The last line of the story is perhaps the best part of the story. The author ends by asking the listener: "Do YOU think the squirrel had the very best bed of all?" This is a nice way to invite children to talk about the story and may help parents/teachers have ever changing discussions about the book each time it is read.

Children in pre-school to grade 2 may enjoy this book during your daily read aloud time or at bedtime...waallaahu a'lam.

Storytime: I Read Signs

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Today we read I Read Signs (Reading Rainbow Books)

A wordless picture book, I Read Signs (Reading Rainbow Books) is a wonderful book to use when teaching shapes or safety.

This is also an excellent book to be used to help children connect literacy to their environment. All of the signs in the book are those that many children see regularly on any given day that they leave their home. Reading this book will further help children understand that print conveys meaning and in the case of signs, print is often used to help keep people safe.

Because the book is wordless and filled with colour photographs of familiar signs, this book can be used to have a lively conversation with toddlers and pre-schoolers about their city, neighbourhood, province, country, safety, etc. Games can be made and children can act out some of the actions that the words on the sign indicate, such as: walk, don't walk, push, pull, etc. This is a great way to bring literature alive for children and make the learning fun and memorable insha'Allaah.