Link Up to Literacy

It is true that early literacy skills established prior to kindergarten contribute to future success in school.

Parents, you are your child's first teacher.

Visit http://jpl.coj.net/linkuptoliteracy/.

The Link up to Literacy page on Jacksonville Public Library's website provides resources, book recommendations and video clips to help you create a fun literacy experience anywhere.

Dream Big... Read Storytime: Bedtime

All summer we'll be doing storytime programs with our summer reading theme, Dream Big... Read, in mind. This week- Bedtime!

 Sun and Moon

Moon comes out. (Hand forms crescent)

Sun goes in. (Place other hand behind back.)

Here is a blanket to cuddle your chin. (Place hands under chin)

Moon goes in. (Place moon behind back)

And Sun comes out. (hold out hand)

Throw off the blanket and wiggle about.

Five little monkeys

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

So Momma called the doctor and the doctor said

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!

…4…3…2…1

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, touch the ground

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, wink an eye.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, reach up high.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!

There were five in the bed

There were five in the bed and the little one said

Roll over! Roll over!

So they all rolled over and one fell out

…4…3…2…1

Animals Sleeping

We are the animals, sleeping, sleeping

We are the animals, sleeping tight… *Yawn*, stretch!

We are the animals, waking, waking

We are the animals waking up as…

Cheetahs (running)

Sharks (chomping)

Elephants (stomping)

Kangaroos (jumping)

If You’re Sleepy And You Know It

If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn like this (yawn)

If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn like this (yawn)

If you’re sleepy and you know it and you really want to show it

If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn like this (yawn)

… stretch like this… (stretch)

… go to sleep… (pretend sleeping)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are. (hold hands up high and sway them)

Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (make diamond shape with fingers)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! (hold hands up and sway)

Fun bed time books to check out:

Brown, M. Goodnight Moon

Hill, S. Can’t Sleep Without Sheep

Markes, J. Shhhhh! Everybody’s Sleeping

Rosenthal, A. Little Hoot

Sobel, H. The Goodnight Train

Stein, E. Interrupting Chicken

Willems, M. Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late

Wood, A. The Napping House

Yolen, J. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night

Music Club Summer 2012 part 1 and 2. Tony Steve and John Citrone.

We've had two music club presentations so far this Summer, and they've both been amazing! (scroll down for information on the upcoming Music Club's!)


In June we had Tony Steve, a percussion and composition professor at Jacksonville University. He's got quite an impressive history as a musician; being a member of the Jacksonville Symphony for 13 years, touring with “A Chorus Line” in Europe, appearing in Korea as marimba soloist with the Brooklyn Percussion Ensemble, and performed as percussionist at Madison Square Garden for “A Christmas Carol”. He's worked with Henry Mancini, Lou Rawls, Sheri Lewis and The Xaiver Cugat Orchestra. And he's won numerous ASCAP writers awards.

And as expected, he was an amazing guest to our first Music Club for the 2012 Summer. We talked about different drumming styles and different types of drums. He played a number of pieces including some he had written. Some of his performances were set to film and he even introduced the kids to electronic drums. Here's a video!

It was clear he had a lot of great experience to draw from and the kids really appreciated and learned a lot. The performances prompted some great discussion and questions.

Our second Music Club of the Summer featured John Citrone, another professional working musician although this time a little different. Along with his usual lessons and students, John has taught rhythm workshops for STOMP! and Blue Man Group, as well as performing in a number of groups both domestic and internationally. He's been a writer, producer and director for a number of musical theatre performances and documentary films. John has even played with member of Frank Zappa's original band, and wrote and recorded the theme for a Jacksonville Jaguars commercial!

John's session started off with a great body rhythm workshop. He actually didn't even talk for the first 5 minutes of the session, just got different sections of the room to work on different rhythms.

He had the kids on stage (and in the audience) working of different rhythms a lot. Everyone got to talk about rhythms you can make and rhythms in nature. He spent the second half of the session talking about the drum set and the evolution of a lot of beats you hear today. We talked about how different drums make different sounds in related to the size of the head and the depth and radius of the drum shell. The kids had a lot of great questions. I think everyone of them left hoping to get a drum set soon.

Here's some videos from the program.

Music Club is geared towards children ages 8-12, although children ages 6-14 may attend. We’ll explore different types of music, and learn about particular artists / composers, instruments and theory. And as you just read and saw - we have special guest performers and speakers!

I hope you can join us for the upcoming sessions.

July 24th @ 2pm - Tropic of Cancer
(click to see video of their last Music Club performance here and here.)

August 7th @ 2pm - After The Bomb Baby!
(click to see video of their last Music Club performance here.)

Dream Big... Read Storytime: Things that go bump in the night

All summer we'll be doing storytime programs with our summer reading theme, Dream Big... Read, in mind. This week- Things that go bump in the night! Prepare for a spooky storytime!

Dark Scary Night

The ghost in the dark go “Boo! Boo! Boo!

Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo! Boo!

The ghost in the dark go “Boo! Boo! Boo!”

All night long.

The steps…Creak! Creak! Creak!

The thunder…Boom! Boom! Boom!

The kids..”I’m not scared!”

There’s a spider on the floor

There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor

There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor

Who could ask for anymore?

Than a spider on the floor

There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor

There’s a spider on my knee...Oh Gee

There’s a spider on my thigh…Oh my

There’s a spider on my middle…oh fiddle

There’s a spider on my head…Oh dread!

Then he jumped off…

Two Little Monsters

Two little monsters sitting on a hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

Stomp away, Jack Stomp away, Jill

Come back, Jack Come back, Jill

Two little monsters sitting on a hill

One named Jack and one named Jill

A-haunting we will go

A-haunting we will go

A-haunting we will go

We’ll catch a ghost

And put him on a post

And then we’ll let him go.

A-haunting we will go

A-haunting we will go

We’ll catch a ghoul

And make him duel

And then we’ll let him go.

A-haunting we will go

A-haunting we will go

We’ll catch a cat

And put him in a hat

And then we’ll let him go.

A-haunting we will go

A-haunting we will go

We’ll catch a witch

And make her itch

And then we’ll let her go.

The Spooky Tree

Way up high in the spooky tree

Two grey bats smiled at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down swooped the bats

And I ran away as fast as I could

Monster, Monster

Monster, Monster, turn around

Monster, Monster, touch the ground

Monster, Monster, show your shoe

Monster, Monster, How old are you?

Monster, Monster, reach up high

Monster, Monster, blink your eyes

Monster, Monster, slap your knees

Monster, Monster, sit down please.

Fun spooky books to check out:

Boo who? : a spooky lift-the-flap book by Joan Holub

The spooky tire by Jon Scieszka

The Berenstain bears and the spooky old tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Nathaniel Willy, scared silly by Judith Mathews

Under the bed by Paul Bright

A very hairy scary story by Rick Walton

Can you make a scary face? by Jan Thomas

The scary show of Mo and Jo by Hanoch Piven.

Some things are scary: no matter how old you are by Florence Parry Heide

Seven scary monsters by Mary Beth Lundgren

Scary Fright, are you all right? by Scott Gibala-Broxholm

The little old lady who was not afraid of anything by Linda Williams