Storytime Online: Now With Puppets!
By Mary Cusic, Speech-Language Pathologist, MS CCC-SLP
So I’m really into this YouTube channel called KidTimeStoryTime. A lady named Eileen and her puppets read books in a very engaging way. This link is to them reading a book called The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Prett.
There are two big reasons that I love this video. First, this book shows a girl using a growth mindset when she (spoiler alert) makes a mistake and learns and grows from that experience.
This video is also a fantastic example of a shared storytime. Kiddos often want us to just read the words on the page. Nothing more. Nothing less. But there are so many opportunities to use books to make connections with their world and include strategies that support literacy. In the video, she pauses to label the pictures and comment on them. She also makes predictions about what will happen in the story. She and the puppets make personal connections with the text.
Here is something that you can do at home. Don’t worry; you don’t have to become a puppeteer! No props, no imaginary characters, and no dramatics are required. Start small by labeling and commenting on the pictures and change it up as you reread the story. Talk about memories that are connected to the story; it’s okay to get sidetracked sometimes by looking at pictures or calling Grandma to reminisce.
Online storytimes are great to get some new stories while the libraries are closed. If you’re really lucky, you have the book at home and can read along!
Mary can be reached at CORT@i-can.center.