Down on the Farm Storytime


Down on the Farm Storytime Lesson Plan

Books

The Little Red Hen by Byron Barton

Hurry! Hurry! By Eve Bunting

Stuck in the Mud by Jan Clarke

Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming

The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming

This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Cock-A-Doodle Moo! By Bernard Most

Clip-Clop by Nicole Smee

Hungry Hen by Richard Waring

 

Songs

“I Know a Chicken” from Whaddya Think of That by Laurie Berkner

“If You’re Happy and You Know It” from Jbrary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X16kPVPuETw&index=8&list=PLcw3Y8sV0xpuW0XNP0qkt3u1FXmZLHVjV

 “Old MacDonald had a Band” from Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

“Shake My Sillies Out” from More Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

 

Fingerplays/Action Rhymes

“Over in the Barnyard”
Over in the barnyard
Early in the morning
See the yellow chickies
Standing in a row
See the busy farmer
Giving them their breakfast
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep
Off they go (remove finger puppet)
[Also, pink piggies and spotted cows]
Credit: Teach-nology Farm Songs

 

“Farm Chores”
This is the way we plant our seeds, plant our seeds, plant our seeds
This is the way we plant our seeds so early in the morning
[Water our seeds, weed our seeds, our seeds grow up, pick our plants, eat our plants]

Credit: Storytime Katie

 

On the Farm

Here is the Piggy’s snout   

            (Hold up thumb)

He better stop eating, or his tail will pop out!                 (Pop out little finger)

 Here is the patient cow

            (Hold up thumb of other hand)

She’s eating hay from a big haymow                    (Hold up all other fingers and turn hand)

 Here is the barn at night                                          (Hands form an arch—barn)

It’s quiet and dark and locked up tight                 (Bring hands together to form closed doors)

 

Props

Five Clean, Squeaky Pigs Flannel

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink! (clap, clap)
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a great big thud
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs.

(Countdown 4,3,2,1,0)

Credit: Mel’s Desk http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/?p=1456

 

10 Fluffy Chickens Flannel

Five eggs and five eggs  Add a clutch of eggs each time you say “five eggs”
And that makes ten
Sitting on top  Add the hen
Is Mother Hen
Cackle cackle cackle   Clap hands as you say Cackle!
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chickens   Switch eggs for chicks.
Yellow as can be.

Credit: Mel’s Desk http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/index.php?s=chickens

 “When Cows Get Up in the Morning” from Jbrary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYp0RlHdjNU&list=PLcw3Y8sV0xpsggxqBnkTFRPAJdVkpEG_d&index=2

 

Every Child Ready to Read Skills/Practices

Sing—Singing develops language skills. Slows down language so children can hear the different sounds in words. Helps children learn new words and information.
Talk— Experiment with animal sounds and how different each one sounds!

Read— Reading together develops vocabulary and comprehension, nurtures a love for reading, and motivates children to want to learn to read.

Write—Kids write their names on nametags for storytime.
Play—Playing with sounds is an important step in literacy.  Hearing smaller sounds or combinations of sounds helps in understanding words.

 

Possible Asides to Parents & Caregivers

- Rhymes are packed with words we don’t always use during normal day-to-day conversation. They increase your child's vocabulary and help them make predictions about words when they're learning to read.

-Use imaginative play when thinking of being on a farm. What animals live on farms? What jobs can you do on a farm?

Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress

Domain: Language, Literacy and Communications:

Language comprehension

Artistic expression and interpretation

Vocabulary and syntax

Shape and picture recognition and interpretation

Motivation, engagement

Letter recognition

Concepts of print

Comprehension of narrative text

Storytime Implemented

Storytime for 3 to 5 year olds

Introduction: Letter of the day is “F”

Book: Stuck in the Mud by Jan Clarke

Song: “I Know a Chicken” from Whaddya Think of That by Laurie Berkner

Book: This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Action Rhyme: “Farm Chores”

Book: Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming

Song: “Old MacDonald had a Band” from Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi

 

Further Resources

Every Child Ready to Read

Minnesota Early Childhood Indicators of Progress

 

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