Author Archives: Melissa

Land Ho!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Melissa

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! I’ve been a little becalmed here on Mel’s Desk–I wound up needing a few weeks off while getting acclimated to my girls’ new school years and prepping for the ALSC Institute, where my boss … Continue reading →

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Storytime Advice

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Melissa

The absolute best thing about writing Mel’s Desk is all the conversations I wind up having with fabulous, smart, passionate storytime providers. I learn so much from everyone, and a lot of what I learn funnels right back into more … Continue reading →

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Five Posts *about* Flannelboards

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Melissa

Mixed in with all my actual flannelboard patterns & ideas are these five posts discussing flannelboard issues! Can This Story Be Flannelized? Last year Cate asked folks to write about how we decide what stories to make into flannelboards, and … Continue reading →

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5 Favorite Felt Flannelboards

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Melissa

There is something super satisfying about making a flannelboard set out of felt and having it come out JUST the way you envisioned it! Here are the five felt sets that make me smile every time I pull them out…whether … Continue reading →

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Baby Storytime Resources

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Melissa

I’ve been lucky enough to have a weekly baby storytime for five years now! (Click on the “My Baby Storytime” category to the right for all my plans.) Here’s some of the posts I’ve written about how I do my … Continue reading →

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Posted in My Baby Storytime, Storytime & Programs, Training and Mentoring | 4 Comments

Early Literacy Storytime: Cumulative Songs

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Melissa

Being able to put the events in a story in sequential order is part of narrative skills. It’s related to comprehension skills because if you have a good understanding of a story or an event, you will be able to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Early Literacy Storytime | 2 Comments

9 Props for Storytime

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Melissa

Most often I share flannelboard ideas, but from time to time I post ideas for storytime props…either a single item for the storytime provider to hold, or sets to hand out to all the kids. Here’s the list so far! … Continue reading →

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Early Literacy Storytime: Nursery Rhyme Songs

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Melissa

When children understand that stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end, it gives them a way to anticipate what’s going to happen next when they are reading their first stories. Reading is hard work, and children need to … Continue reading →

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New Theme Page for Storytime Plans

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Melissa

Last week I listed my top ten favorite baby storytime plans, and this week I’m adding a page to Mel’s Desk that lists ALL of the themes I have posted! All Baby Storytime Themes I’ve done a lot of these … Continue reading →

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Posted in My Baby Storytime | 2 Comments

Early Literacy Storytime: Lullabies

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Melissa

We know that the more positive experiences a child has with language and reading, the more interested in reading they will be and the more motivated they will be to learn to read themselves. It’s much easier for any of … Continue reading →

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