The Cozy Chair Storytelling Channel

Check it out!

We've just discovered

The Cozy Chair

a Reading Channel for Kids

Wonderful books told in delightful way

Since it's October, we suggest you start with an appropriately scary story,:

The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzai

Fall Storyteller Training

Spicing up Storytime

Storyteller Training

A big thank you to our guest Storyteller, Jessica Nix, Developmental Specialist for Kids on the Move. Thank you Jessica!!!

In our years of doing Storytimes and Laptimes here in our very large children's wing at the Orem Public Library, we find ourselves in a constant state of change. We are forever and always searching for ways to improve our offerings in our effort to be better--and better--and better! Jessica's presentation on telling to the littlest of our littles was an amazing opportunity to re-align our goals with what we are actually doing.

** When doing a Storytime, or Laptime as we call it, for the youngest of library patrons, it is extremely easy to go off track, to steer your storytime out of the baby and toddler realms and into the preschool camp.

Do not be swayed. Stay your course.

Do not shift gears and tell to the preschoolers who happen to be attending your baby laptime. I know, its going to be hard as they are the ones who are verbal, communicative, and responsive (thereby making your task of keeping it young even more daunting).

Hold fast and tell to the infants. At their level. It will pay off.

** You might ask HOW do you host a storytime at an infants level? How do you know if you are reaching them? As anyone who has tried can tell you, these children seem to fall into two categories:

The mini lumps that sit passively, silent, and seemingly unresponsive.
The wanderer who scoots gleefully away from the grasping frazzled arms of their adult.

Neither seem to be gaining anything from storytime. But---as explained by Jessica in our training-- 

"It takes 1,000 drops. It takes an average child hearing a word 1,000 times before they will then attempt to speak it. It's like filling a sponge, drop in the 1,000 drops and once the sponge is filled, one drop will come out, followed by another, and another, and so on."

SET YOURSELF UP FOR INFANT STORYTIME SUCCESS

1- Check your inhibitions at the door.

You are the performer, you are it, you are THE STORYTELLER.
Raise those eyebrows, lift those shoulders, use your full arsenal of vocal inflection.
Amplify yourself, as if you have a switch, turn yourself on and BE that storyteller personality.

If you are willing to be that silly, engaging, super smiling storyteller--then you are not only attracting the attention of the babies, but you are silently giving permission to the caregiving adults to do the same.

Welcome your attendees as they arrive. Warn them that we are going to get a little weird. Oh yes, you are that wind-up monkey. Welcome by name if you know it, if not, just start in on the compliments, because face it, what parent isn't head over heels for someone who notices and compliments their children.

Come on, practice it:
"Hi there! Oh, don't you look adorable in those sparkly pink shoes today! Oh, and you, you are so rocking that dinosaur shirt! My what brilliant caregivers and parents you all are for giving your child the gift of learning today! Welcome, welcome!


2- Repeat, repeat, and did I say it already? REPEAT.

Remember those drops into that little brain sponge? It's takes a 1,000 times, hearing the same word.

Say the fingerplay, rhyme, or poem to set it up for the adults
Sing it-- keep it slow, make eye contact with your audience--particularly the babies and toddlers.
Do it again--speed it up only if it looks like you've captured your target audience--the kids.
Now, again. Yes, again. Make a goal to reach even the most reluctant of participants.

Be over the top. Exaggerate. Emphasize. And if the adults are bored, you are just about doing it right.

 ~Do be conscious of the fact that you might have some more shy, timid, and special needs children, watch for those non-verbal clues warning you off.


3-  Don't be afraid to take it S L O W.

We may be experts, the preschoolers in your audience will certainly know they are experts, but those babies . . . they are not.

Enunciate, say it slow and clear. Incorporate body movements to more fully express your words. Repeat.


4- Be the example, kids learn through imitation.

It's all about building confidence with competence. Fingerplays are a staple of storytime for a reason.

Show your audience what is expected, ie: fingerplay moves, body gestures. Now PRACTICE with them:


First, show the gestures.
Second, pair the gesture with sounds (environmental, animal sounds).
Third step is gestures paired with actual words (exclamatory phrases).

In any way possible, get the adults to assist the littles by holding the child's hands, lifting their elbows, rolling their arms. It's amazing how quickly a baby will respond when given 'permission' to be involved. Imitation of their loved ones is key. It's hand over hand.

p.s. It's great when you have your own 'demonstration model/child' to assist you in doing the gestures.


TIPS:

Themes for Babies and Toddlers
Object words
Animal Sounds
Environmental Sounds
Exclamatory phrases
Short simple phrases

Beware of Theme Tunnel Vision
It's perfectly natural to think you need a theme. Well guess what, there aren't many babies that will get what Winter is. Or Valentines Day, Halloween, or anything else you may cook up. If you are doing a theme, realize that it is for you and the adults. It is not for the kids. Do not expect them to respond to such vague subjects. Now incorporate BIG and small with animal sounds and lots of movement--well, you might have just found a bridge between the two worlds. 

Praise specifics, such as, "I love your clapping hands." instead of the generic, "wonderful job."
 
Get Full Use of your Props
Do you have bells, rhythm sticks, or other prop to hand out? If you are going to the effort of handing out props, make full use of them. Let the kids hold onto the props for more than one quick shake, jiggle, or rattle of a song rendition. This is where repetition comes in very handy. Do more than just one movement. Take it high. Take it low. Got some mobile toddlers--let them dance it out. 

While on the subject of props -- REMOVE ALL POSSIBLE DISTRACTIONS, ie: Hide your props when not in use. All of them.


Now you too can be the infant laptime telling pro!

Using Puppets for Storytime

Using Puppets in Storytime

Particularly if you don't do puppets

Orem Library's Growing Great Storytimes Workshop

May 2015

Part One:

Steffani Raff's Mix-up Monkey and Singing Sea Dragon Diva

Part Two:

Q&A with Steffani

Part Three:

Mark Pulham's Primary Pup

Coming soon . . .

Are you a visual learner?

Do you prefer having someone show you how to do something new or different?

Guess what . . .

We are working on producing video (YouTube) versions of our fingerplays, songs, and stories!

It's been a dream of mine for years and years. Now we have the ability to make it come to fruition.

From welcome and closing bits, to unique ways of gaining crowd control. From introducing new concepts to putting a new spin on the old tried and true. We will also be including tips and ideas, all highlighting our uber-talented storytelling volunteers.

Keep watching. There will be an index page with links.
New recordings will be made every few months, this will be an ongoing project.

p.s. we will take requests

The Queen of Hearts' Tarts

I have been waiting for years to capture Kathe doing this particular Cut and Tell story.












Unfortunately the Cut and Tell book are not the easiest to get anymore, and the library copies have long gone the way of all too-well-loved books. 

In any case -- enjoy this Valentine's Day treat



...and so you can see it a little better, here she is

Wannabe a Puppet Workshop

Just popping in real quick to announce the dates for our upcoming workshop . . .

When:

Thursday November 10th, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday November 12th, 10:00 a.m.

Where:

Orem Public Library

What:

A hands on workshop where you get to explore your creative side and turn a stuffed animal into a puppet. Supplies are provided free for all of our storytelling volunteers. Other attendees are welcome, but you will need to call for details. (no worries, it is still free)

Best of all... you get to take home and keep your creation.

RSVP required.

So come on in and join the fun!

Amy

____________________________

Official Invitation

Dear Storyteller,

Want to add a little bit of the unexpected to your storytimes? Want to have something extra in your bag of tricks? Want to just have fun?
Join us for our Fall Storytelling Workshop as we explore with a little hands-on creativity.

There are as many ideas as there are blogs and hits from a Google search. This fall we will give you a list of some favorites, show you some ideas we have gathered from far and wide and then get down and dirty as you actually make your own Wannabe Puppet. Expert puppeteer Joe Flores will be here to assist us as we turn a few stuffed animals into puppets!

Supplies will be provided, but if you have some of the following you would like to bring for your personal use, please feel free:

• Glue gun, with glue sticks
• Felt pieces
• Long (new) dark colored socks or White (non-athletic) socks
• Needles and Thread
• Scissors
• Plastic Canvas / Large plastic ice cream tub lids or quart-size yogurt container lids
• Heavy duty scissors for cutting plastic
• Make-up sponge (for applying contact glue)

Amy has been collecting and washing a plethora of Wannabe’s (stuffed animals who really want to be puppets). There will be enough for everyone, but if find your perfect Wannabe, feel free to bring it instead.

We know an hour is not a lot of time for a project like this, but don’t despair; our goal is to give you all the instruction, ideas and supplies you need to get a good start. You are welcome to come both days if you would like. Workshops will be held on Thursday, November 10th at 7:00 pm, or on Saturday, November 12th at 10:00 am. Please RSVP by calling 801-229-7161.

We hope what we create at this workshop will be a fun addition to your future storytimes. As always, we feel that the best thing about Laptime and Storytime is YOU. You find the great books, you put the effort into knowing your material, you and your love of sharing and caring shines through each time you present a program. Kids can sense how you feel about books and reading. It’s that infectious adoration of good books that turns the littlest of our Littles into those avid readers and book hounds. Thank you!
Sincerely,
OPL Children’s Staff

Storytelling Training Tips
Orem Public Library Children’s Services

November 2011

 Dear Storytellers,

Thank you so much for wonderful Laptime and Storytime programs in October. What a rewarding part of our day to see the kids and families sparking to the stories, songs and activities you provide for them.

As rewarding as storytimes can be, there are challenges. This month I’d like to share a few tips about dealing with disruptive behavior. These ideas come from the book Crash Course in Storytime Fundamentals by Penny Peck (OPL Link). You all handle disruptions very well already, so we hope this newsletter will be a nice review of things you already understand.

• SET EXPECTATIONS BEFORE THE PROGRAM BEGINS
 o As library staff we know one of our roles during storytime is to . . . (read more)

Solving the Reading Riddle and a little extra

Speaking of large fall crowds for story and laptime, we only had 99 at our Laptime today, but still, it's an impressive picture!

On to other things -

As a library staff we have been reading and reviewing Rita Soltan's book Solving the Reading Riddle: The Librarian's Guide to Reading Instruction.

Here is my review of Chapter One, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it - yes, I enjoyed writing it.

Solving the Reading Riddle

by Rita Soltan

A Review of Chapter 1 by Amy
OPL Link

p.s. any mistakes or misinterpretations are my fault and not Rita's

We’ve come a long way baby…

We started with the new big thing, a revolutionary breakthrough, Basal Readers, ie: Dick and Jane. These didactic and culturally white-washed sight readers were exactly what schools needed. Predictable text with illustrations of kids doing what was taking place in the text, great for providing visual clues to beginning readers just starting out.

Ah, but enter the 1960’s and cultural awareness. In comes synthetic fabrics to make your life easier, wash and wear spandex , and along with that; a new synthetic code-breaking approach for our early readers, Phonics, ie: huked on fonics werked fer me! It didn’t take long, what with child invented spelling, and more classroom failures, for us to realize that the phonics decoding method was not all it was cracked up to be, there were still too many floundering readers.

So it was back to Basal Readers, albeit, with a more diversified cast of characters to appeal to the culturally aware or spoon fed to those unaware. Back to a ‘Dick and Jane’ method of sight reading, but with new emphasis on trade literature, a lucrative business as it turned out for the publishing industry. But still, even with review questions following each little story, even with a more relaxed and less controlled vocabulary, with its lengthy teacher’s guides and even scripts, the results were still not up to par. Great literature was being revamped to the point that it was dull and boring, and moreover, children were being grouped by reading level within the classroom – from the best to the worst and every kid in class knew it.

What to do? Well, it was now time for the Whole Language revolution. A new revolution this time, one of listening, reading and writing! Surely this ‘whole’ approach would work. Unfortunately the teachers were given training and directives for changing their classroom, but given minimal to no support for implementation. Gone were the pre-packaged basal reading classroom packages, teachers were now expected to create their own literacy program. Misused and misunderstood, the Whole Language had, once again, despite some success, failed our would-be readers.

Enter the 'Voice of Reason', a program for the twenty-first century, or—more pragmatically—it’s the current working theory… Balanced Literacy

Now it isn’t sounding out the words that are important, it’s being able to read independently. No longer just basal, no longer just decoding, it is going to take all the methods—together—to assist emergent readers in:

-Deciphering word shapes into sounds and meaning

-Incorporating instinctive and sophisticated guessing

-Using prediction and anticipation to create comprehension

-Adding linguistic clues to gain comprehension
(you know what black is when you encounter it because you already know white)

-And resorting to sounding out words that are not in their sight repertoire
(the same as non-medical adults do when confronted with a medical text or other unfamiliar tome)

The news so far is good, although there are still some struggling readers that are still being left in the lurch, despite our current ‘balanced’ approach.

In the end, it’s going to take a village, or in my personal view; fabulous storytime, impossible to resist laptime and numerous encounters with caring and engaging librarians in the very earliest stages of life, for the littlest of the littles to gain a familiarity, a fondness and a firm grasp on what is reading, and how to do it.

In the words of Joaquin Miller in Columbus, “Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"

Carry on librarians and storytellers, help these kids conquer new worlds, explore new horizons and break through all barriers—reading and otherwise—through an early love of literature! Carry on! Carry on! and on!

Storytelling Training Tips
Orem Public Library Children’s Services
September 2011



Dear Storytellers,

Fall is here! And with it come the large crowds at Laptime and Storytime. Some of you have already experienced the huge Laptime audiences of over one hundred people. We have really admired how you have been willing to take on such crowds with skill and enthusiasm.

I recently heard one mom who is new to our library say that she really enjoyed our Laptime and Storytime programs. It was a good reminder to me that we have new families joining us all the time, and we are so pleased that we can offer old and new friends alike programs where they can enjoy seeing and participating in practicing early literacy skills and parenting strategies.

Because our programs are attended by several ages other than the intended audience, they can be tricky to prepare for.

For Laptime, we suggest preparing your material primarily for the babies.
        Older kids in the audience will enjoy it even if it is geared toward the youngest patrons.

For Storytime, we often get a mixed crowd with lots of younger siblings attending.
       Programs geared towards toddlers seem to work for all ages, so for Storytime we suggest preparing your elements for the preschool crowd in such a way that they can be adapted for toddlers. Usually this means making the story visual or participatory in some way. The key is to be able to adapt to the audience and hold their attention. This doesn’t mean the program has to flow without any interruptions or moments of distracted chaos. But there are things you can do that will continually draw the audience back to you.


Here are a few tips:


o Make sure the audience can see and hear.

o Hold the books so the children can see the pictures.

o Move the books from one side of the audience to the other.

o Choose big books for larger crowds.

o Move quickly and smoothly from one element of your program to the next.

o Plan a program that has elements that can flow easily from one thing to the next.

o Try showing your audience what you are going to do next before telling them what you are going to do next. After they have done it with you a few times you might be able to fit in a brief word of commentary like: “This is a fun game to play right before bedtime.”

o Practice your transitions so that you do not have to look at your notes between elements.

o Make eye contact.

o Know your songs and fingerplays so that you can look at the audience while you do them together.

o Read your book enough times that you know some of the text by heart and can look at the audience while you read. They will be taking cues from your facial expressions and your tone of voice to make meaning of the story. You can also try looking at them while you are pausing to show the illustrations. You may take that moment to say a few words about the pictures or to restate the part you just read in your storyteller voice. Again, this should be a quick thing and should not interrupt the flow of the story too much.

o Learn names.

o This isn’t always practical; however, if one of your story elements includes using names of children, go for it!

o Stick to your time and don’t be afraid to end early.

o Laptime can be just 15 minutes. Storytime can be 25.

o Ending early and on a good note can be much more satisfying than asking the parents in your audience to try to help their children be attentive through one last story.

o Choose age-appropriate materials.

o Choosing age-appropriate materials can be tricky for our mixed crowds. Keep in mind that books that are good for toddlers usually work for all ages. Songs always help—they are a signal to our brains that it is time focus. We have noticed many of you have focusing songs or activities that you do a few times during your program, whenever you need to draw your audience back to attention.

o Sometimes an overall program length is just right but a particular story is too long. Don’t be shy about shortening a book and only doing parts of it. If you really want to do a long story, think of ways you can make it participatory. Many books invite audience participation. Ask a librarian for ideas of some good ones.

o It is okay to do new things and share new ideas that will increase your audience’s knowledge or stretch their attention span a bit. Be sure to present this new information in age-appropriate ways.

o For more ideas and lists of books to use for different ages, see Crash Course in Storytime Fundamentals by Penny Peck (2009). OPL Link


If you’re like me, when you read through this list of best practices, you nod your head in agreement because it makes sense. But if you’re like me, you will also wonder if you can really incorporate all these skills into your programs. Don’t worry. Sometimes we are the most critical of our own efforts and have a hard time feeling satisfied with what we have done. As a Children’s Staff we can say that you do wonderful work! We know you have busy lives and many important commitments and responsibilities. Thank you for making volunteer service to the library a priority. How kind of you, and how fortunate for us and our community!


Sincerely,

Amanda and the OPL Children’s Staff

Storytimes for Toddlers

August 2011 Newsletter

Dear Storytellers,

It is a pleasure to work with you. We think that you do what you do very well. We hope that receiving ongoing training from us will be a way to build on the good things you already do and will become a satisfying part of your volunteer experience.

For this first training newsletter, we have pursued the questions:


What is Laptime?
What makes Laptime different from Storytime?


These are questions I’m sure most of us have grappled with as we’ve tried to plan our Laptime programs.

Many libraries find it best practice to offer a lapsit program for babies who are not yet walking and a separate program for the more mobile toddlers. Perhaps one day the OPL will have the resources to offer that service. But for now, our Laptime audience combines both babies and toddlers. On top of that, we often have older preschoolers join the crowd. This can make it a tricky group to plan a program for. Despite these challenges, our aim is to gear Laptime towards the younger participants in the audience, knowing that older kids attending won’t mind joining in the fun.

So what are the elements that make up a Laptime program? Laptime programs at the OPL should include elements that are good for both babies and toddlers. Below is an outline of key ingredients for each of those age groups, taken from Crash Course in Storytime Fundamentals by Penny Peck (2009):


Story Times for Babies:

*Rhymes, including Mother Goose nursery rhymes, that invite tickling, bouncing, or other rhythmic movement; pointing to and naming of body parts; can be repeated.

*Songs that are repeated, including lullabies to help soothe children and prepare them to hear a story; many nursery rhymes can be sung.

*Very short books with bright, bold illustrations

*Sign Language

Sample Baby Program:


1- Welcome Song

2- Rhyme (repeat, vary pace)

3- Very Short Book (bright bold illustrations)

4- Song (repeat, vary pace, sing loud and soft)

5- Rhyme (repeat, vary pace)

6- Very Short Book (bright bold illustrations)

7- Closing Song


Story Times for Toddlers:


1- Rhymes, including Mother Goose nursery rhymes, that invite tickling, bouncing, or other rhythmic movement; pointing to and naming of body parts; can be repeated.

2- Songs that are repeated, including movement songs coupled with other more soothing songs to help prepare the children to hear a story; many nursery rhymes can be sung.

3- Very short books with bright bold illustrations. Big Books work better for large crowds. Board Books may work for a smaller group, but do not work very well for large crowds. Use books that invite participation from the audience, including:

4- Cumulative Stories—have recurring phrases that are added on

5- Circular Stories—the story ends up where it started

6- Participation Stories—the listener calls out a repeated phrase

7- Concept Books—alphabet, counting, shapes, opposites, numbers; some of the best of these books have a plot

8- Creative Dramatics—story can be acted out

9- Sign Language.

Keep in mind:

Quick and smooth transitions from one element to the next.

Eye Contact, even when you are reading a book, during the few seconds you are moving the book from side to side, showing the illustrations.

Learning and using the names of the children in your audience.


Sample Toddler Program:

1- Opening/Welcoming Song

2- Introduction and Statement of Theme, if any (theme can be very broad, like “animals”)

3- Movement Song or Rhyme

4- Listening Song or Rhyme (may include a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book)

5- Book or Story (may include books that invite audience participation, may include a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book)

6- Movement Song or Rhyme

7- Listening Song or Rhyme (may include a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book)

8- Book or Story (may include books that invite audience participation, may include a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book)

9- Closing Song


Now, let’s combine the elements of the Baby and Toddler programs and see what we come up with for a sample
 

Laptime program:
Sample Laptime Program for Babies and Toddlers

1- Welcome/Opening Song

2- Introduction and Statement of Theme, if any (Theme can be very broad, like “animals.”)

3- Movement Song or Rhyme (Include tickling, bouncing, or other rhythmic movement, pointing to and naming body parts, and sign language; repeat and vary pace.)

4- Listening Song or Rhyme (Choose soothing songs, including lullabies; sing with a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book.)

5- Very Short Book or Story (Choose books that contain bright, bold illustrations and/or invite audience participation. Try using a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book.)

6- Movement Song or Rhyme (Include tickling, bouncing, or other rhythmic movement, pointing to and naming body parts, and sign language; repeat and vary pace.)

7- Listening Song or Rhyme (Choose soothing songs, including lullabies; sing with a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book.)

8- Very Short Book or Story (Choose books that contain bright, bold illustrations and/or invite audience participation. Try using a prop like a puppet, flannel board, or big book.)

9- Closing Song (Invite children to come up afterward to visit your props and mingle.)

Keep in mind:
Remember, quick and smooth transitions, eye contact, and learning and using names are key elements to success.

This hybrid program contains at least double the amount of songs and rhymes as it does stories. That is a good mix for our youngest participants and will help distinguish Laptime from Storytime.

 
Need more ideas for your programs?
Try the following web sites:

Kate McDowell’s Website http://katemcdowell.com/laptime/

Perry Public Library http://www.perrypubliclibrary.org/Kids/BabytimeRhymes.htm

Creative With Kids http://www.gibbons.ca/creative/Songs/Fingerplay_songs.htm

Mother Goose On the Loose http://www.mgol.org/

Preschool Express Toddler Station http://www.prescholexpress.com/toddler_station.shtml

Mels Desk, List of Resource Links http://melissa.depperfamily.net/blog/?page_id=519 


As Children’s Staff at the Orem Public Library, we appreciate the chance to review these ideas. As we do, we think of how well each of you incorporate these elements into your programs. You may not realize that you are already doing what experts say is best. We want to affirm that the service you are giving matters, one song, rhyme, and story at a time. Thank you!

Please feel free to respond to this post with any follow-up thoughts or questions. Some of this training material along with follow-up questions and a chance to respond will appear later here on the Laptime and Storytime blog, created by OPL Children’s Staff member, Amy White.

 
Thank you all,
Amanda Ashton

Storytelling Workshop - Second

There's More than One Way to Spin a Tale

Part Two

In order to give our volunteers more options in attending, we usually present each workshop twice. Although we stayed true to the overall theme this go-round, the programs were different. Each day had different storytellers sharing their ideas. Thursday evening was more nursery and traditional tale day and Saturday was more Folk and Fairy tales.

Following are some more brave souls who not only prepare incredible story and laptimes for our children's programming, but also shared their ideas with adults--fellow storytelling adults no less!

Michelle is wonderfully creative and a long time favorite, forever pulling something new out of her bag, here Michelle has not only crafted some bees for the kids to handle, but has has a new tune to Here is the Hive!

Storytelling Workshops - First Workshop

There's More than One Way to Spin a Tale
Part One

What an inspiration our fabulous volunteer storytellers are!

Checklist:
Invitations went out
RSVP's were collected
Books were pulled for display
Snacks were prepared (Fruit, Cookies and fresh Lemon water)
Program was printed
Nametags prepared
Display put up

And we are ready to go

The following are a few video selections of our storytellers showing the the rest of us a little of what they do in story or laptime for variety, because, as we all know - there is more than one way to tell a tale!

Workshops 2011

It's that time of year!

We get to have our storyteller training workshops! The following are a few insider notes regarding what we do at the OPL.

Training workshops for our volunteer storytellers can be a lot of work. We want so very much for them to be wonderful learning experiences filled with tips, tricks and energizing new ideas; great get togethers where our storytellers can mingle and get to know each other and just an awesome all around gathering with snacks included.

City budget cuts have forced us to reduce our once quarterly workshop opportunities. Now, instead of having our tellers commit to 2 or 3 of the 4, we really need them there for everything they can get to.

Occasionally we are able to capitalize on our Timpanogos Storytelling Festival connections where we can send our storytellers to special storytelling events. This last February we were able to provide free admission to one of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival's Midwinter events.

Each workshop is presented twice. One is an evening program starting at 7:00 p.m. (that's the one this Thursday 5/12/11) and a repeat will be presented Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (5/14/11). The actual program should only last an hour, but we've blocked off the room for 2 hours. For some reason storytellers like to talk, go figure.

Join us for

There's More than One Way to Spin a Tale!

Please call the Orem Public Library  (the 7050 #, then ask for the Children's Desk) by Tuesday, 5/10/11 if you are in the area and want to participate. All tellers, librarians or storytime-interested-persons are welcome. 

Not in the area?

Reading this after the fact?

Keep watching, I'll post all about it by late Saturday

Special thanks go out to Cheryl, Amanda and Lori who have sweated, brain stormed and slaved away in order to make this first librarian hosted workshop of the year work.

A few words on being a library storyteller...

FYI: The Orem Public Library's storytimes are presented by a 'staff' of volunteer storytellers. Local moms, teachers, etc. Give us a call if you want to know more. 801-229-7161


Worst Case Scenarios for Laptime and Storytime

at the Orem Public Library

compiled by Gina Clark
(who has lived through more than one of them)

1. Your own children (if you have them) decide suddenly that Mom's "Laptime" means they get to be on Mom's lap.

This is surely a parenting issue, but it's something that comes into play a lot since moms are often volunteers. You know your children better than anyone, so plan on how to prepare them for the mornings when you are center stage and not sitting in the audience with them. Perhaps you are comfortable with them being on your lap or by your side while you do storytime. The key is to not go in assuming that they will behave a certain way. Librarians are often a great help with this. It's also nice to invite a friend in the audience to keep an eye on them. Be advised, though, that it's never a good idea to let your children loose unattended in the library. If you think they are a flight risk, plan accordingly.


2. The props you prepared end up in a child's mouth.

I think it's best to hide props or keep them out of reach until they are needed. Also, put them away when you are done. This is especially an issue during laptime, since there is no real barrier between the laptime teller and the kids. Another good idea is to tell the children when you first bring out a prop that afterwards they may come up to the front and get a closer look.


3. You are trying to sing "I'm a Little Teapot," but all that comes out of your mouth is "Once There Was a Snowman."

Practice. Practice. Practice. Also, don't fret. There is always someone in the audience who can pick out the tune for you if your mind suddenly goes blank. If you are uncomfortable singing, don't hesitate to use the library's wonderful collection of music. One of the primary purposes of all library programming is to introduce patrons to the library's collections. So it isn't cheating if you play a favorite children's CD from downstairs and sing along.


4. Four minutes into your retelling of "1,001 Arabian Nights," the audience simultaneously melts down.

What is it the experts say about a child's attention span--age in years equals ability to pay attention in minutes? That may be true, but on any given morning in the OPL there is a group of three year-olds who can only make it a minute and a half. Don't give them more than they can handle. Keep it short and simple. There are many wonderful folktales, fables, and original stories from picture books that can be put into very simple words. Older children and adults may relish complicated plots, but the preschool set isn't likely to pick up on the subtleties. Repetition doesn't bore the little ones. They like the pleasure of anticipating what comes next, and seem to pay more attention to simple, repetitive tales. If you find yourself loosing the audience, don't hesitate to end quickly and move onto something else.


5. A small person on the front row raises her hand (or doesn't raise her hand) to offer random particulars from her life every time you pause.

If the child isn't shushed by a parent, then perhaps the best thing is to be kind, direct, and clear. Ask the child to save her comments for the end, when you would love to talk to her personally. Ignoring the child usually just makes her more anxious to be listened to.


6. A trio of young moms just three feet from you persist in loudly discussing their children's sleep habits--even as you (and your puppet) glare at them.

The librarians have made a point of encouraging good etiquette from the adults in the audience, too. It's often still a challenge in laptime, which is less formal and more chaotic. Encourage adult participation by inviting parents, grandparents and other adult caregivers directly to take the child on their laps and do the activities along with you. Model this with a child. Repeat the fingerplay so the adult can learn it. Moms can get distracted and chatty if they don't have anything to do--so give them something to do.


7. You glance at the clock and discover that your slate of stories and songs didn't quite fill up fifteen minutes and you don't know how many more rounds of "The Wheels on the Bus" the adults in the audience can take.

Always over-prepare. Fingerplays don't take as much time as you anticipate. But there isn't anything wrong with ending a minute or two early, especially if the crowd is contagiously fussy.


8. The flannel board story you prepared suddenly becomes all flannel board and no story.

Anytime you introduce props into your storytimes and laptimes, plan for the logistics of it all. Make sure the stuff you think will stick actually sticks. There is nothing more annoying than to see a great story flop because your magnets aren't as powerful as you thought they were, or the library's easel isn't as big as you imagined.


9. A small boy (who happens to know nothing about the willing suspension of disbelief) begins crying inconsolably when you: a). pull out your favorite sock puppet; b). mimic the popping of a balloon; or c). say hello to him.

This happens rarely, but it does happen--especially in laptime. This is where Mom steps in and hopefully comforts the child. But, it pays to develop a tough skin. Don't be offended when the kids don’t seem to like you , or even notice you. Don't be surprised when they are more interested in the contents of Mom's purse than the fingerplay you cleverly invented, orchestrated, and illustrated using hand-colored and laminated visual aides. Consider yourself lucky to be performing for the most sincere audience on earth.


10. Just as you are about to begin singing (and dancing to) the "Go Bananas" song, you are paralyzed by stage fright.

One of the best things about the OPL storytimes and laptimes is that they are almost always done by volunteers. While many of us lack the polish of professionals, we are full of personality. Don't feel that you have to imitate anyone else. If you aren't comfortable hamming it up to silly songs, then take a quieter route. As a mother, I love how each teller offers something different. Sometimes what's best is how much a teller loves a story. Eight years ago when I began taking my first child to storytime, there was less storytelling and more reading of stories. What I loved then was how much the "tellers" loved the books they had selected. I was introduced to many wonderful books by readers who were anxious and delighted to share them with a young audience.


A big thank you to Gina who compiled and created this wonderful list and gave me permission to share.

A few comments about Laptime Program Size...

Getting Too Big for our 'Britches'
In response to Miss Courtney's question about the size of a Laptime...
(thanks for asking - it's been an issue we have had to deal with for years at the OPL)

First: What exactly is a Laptime?

'Laptimes', are short 15-20 minute story times for infants and babies that employ finger plays, songs, puppets, stories and sometimes a book or two.

At the Orem Library a small Laptime will be 30-40 participants

A large Laptime will be 75-85.

... all set for Laptime

...a small Laptime

Over the years we have learned, through trial and error, what works for us.

These are my notes:


As our audiences grew we had to decide if we were going to either limit the attendance or make it work for as many people as showed up. We chose no limits.

We tried doing 2 Laptimes, back to back. That worked for making smaller sessions, but it led to burn out for the staff and the storytellers.

Then we decided to make the space bigger. Several times over the years we have had to move shelf units to create a bigger area.

We also experimented with where the storyteller sits - do you have a WIDE front area (lots of front row space) or a DEEP area. Currently we have a wide orientation. I think it fits fewer participants, but the experience is better for more kids.

Behind all our maneuvering and adjustments, we've just been trying to follow our ideaology of providing the best programs in the best format. We want everyone to have a great time and we do not want to turn people away.


A few things that help to create a better Laptime experience:


My ideal expectation is to have every child on a parent's lap.

This is a somewhat unreal expectation in our area - where children outnumber adults. If I am the storyteller, I'll gently ask an older sibling to assist me with some of the tickle songs or you can also have these kids help by holding a puppet or standing up front to do the finger actions to a well-known fingerplay. This keeps the kids entertained and involved.

I also expect parents to take crying or disruptive babies out.

I like to do a little introduction before the start of Laptime. I like to introduce our storyeller and have everyone come in closer to the front, or, I like to let them know that it's fine to stay in the back if they have a particularly wiggle-filled little one that day. Parents sometimes feel that it's not polite to get up and leave in the middle of a program, it helps if you give them permission. We also try to have a Librarian standing by that assists with this (and the counting of attendees). Easier said than done I might add.

I like to think of our storytellers as being the enablers, the catalyst or just the leader that introduces the songs, books and fingerplays to the parents and that the REAL Laptime occurs on a daily basis, one on one between parent and child.


As far as I'm concerned; REAL Laptimes are done face to face, spur of the moment and at any given moment.


One of my fondest memories is of me laying on my back, still in bed, lifting my infant daughter up and down (and only half-way up) while singing 'The Grand Old Duke of York' and hearing her first giggle.


If you still have questions, or you would like to print out my whole Laptime 'spiel' (yes, it's a bit longer but it has a lot more information than this post) just follow this Books and Babies link