Early Literacy Storytime: Sing a Story

One way children increase their print awareness is through learning about all the different ways besides books that we use print and reading. Try singing a book in storytime to help them make these connections!

Check out your board book collection for short, familiar songs in book format. Rosemary Wells and Annie Kubler are two illustrators to look for. Your 782.42 section may also have a few good books, such as Raffi’s “Songs to Read” series, which includes “Spider on the Floor” and “Baby Beluga.” You may also find titles in your easy picture book section. Nadine Westcott has illustrated quite a few!

Then, when you share these books in storytime, don’t read them, sing them! Don’t be afraid to sing at a slower pace than usual to allow yourself time to turn the pages.

After you sing, tell the parents, “One of the first steps to learning to read is understanding that the words on the page stand for the words we say and hear. When you sing a book with a song your child already knows, the familiar words of the song can help them make that connection to the squiggles on the page.”

I especially like using the titles that show the musical notation in the back of the book, because then I can tell the kids, “Look! We don’t just use reading to read books, but we can use reading to read songs too. We can read the words to the songs, and use a special kind of reading to read what notes to sing. Reading is everywhere!”