Compiled by Anne Coppell
Kia ora from Aotearoa New Zealand!
In June, Kate, The Lavender Librarian, put out a calls for Storytime Hacks on the Storytime Solidarity Facebook Group:
What’s a storytime hack you wish you’d known sooner?
Mine: you can cut out* the middle of books that are too long!
And the Storytime Solidarity whānau delivered! Please enjoy this selection of direct quotes from the Facebook Group discussion.
Ngā mihi nui to you all.
*PS ‘cut out’ means, paper clip the pages together. We promise we don’t do it for real.
Shhh! It’s a library
Quieting songs work wonders for transitions. When I started using them, I had no idea how I’d done it without.
You can use ‘Can You Hear Me’ to the tune of ‘Frere Jacques’:
Can you hear me
Can you hear meNod your head
Nod your headThank you very much
Thank you very muchShh, shh, shh
Shh, shh, shh
I add other verses with quiet actions like ‘thumbs up’ and ‘wave your hand.’
Get quieter and start whispering to the kids in front. The noisy kids in the back think they’re missing out on something and get quieter, trying to hear what they’re missing. Also sticking your hand in the air and counting “1,2,3, shhhh…”
A note from Ms. Kate:
One of my favourite ways to quiet kids down is to give them permission to be LOUD first. We’ll sing something as LOUD as we can before as quiet as we can. I find that this gets the attention of the kiddos who would not naturally want to be be quiet. Obviously, this works best when you’re in a space where you’re unlikely to disturb others..
Themes: yay? or nay?
The kids don’t care about themes! I spent so much time stressing about finding the right books and songs for themes until I realized themes didn’t matter as long as books and songs were engaging. I stress so much less now and can really focus my storytimes around books and songs that they love.
Let me add that themes are okay if you love them/find them helpful! I just got so wrapped up in the mindset that they were MANDATORY.
Never underestimate the power of a well-timed wiggle break.
To the tune of Wheels on the Bus to get wiggles out:
I wake up my hands with a clap clap clap, clap clap clap, clap clap clap
I wake up my hands with a clap clap clap and I wiggle my waggles away
Repeat with other body parts and actions, eg:
- Feet with a stomp
- Knees with a bend
- Legs with a jump
- Arms with a wave
- Shoulders with a shrug
- Head with a nod
To transition to a book after a high-energy activity, I have the kids lift their hands in the air and take deep breaths and slowly blow it out with me while also slowly lowering our hands. This slows their heart rate and gets them ready to sit. We usually do this 3 or 4 times.
When the storytime is getting out of control, sing this song in a calm tone but audibly:
Rain, rain falling down (twinkle fingers moving down)
Falling on the ground
Pitter patter pitter patter
What a lovely sound
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh
And… repeat!
You can read the same book two weeks in a row.
It’s more important to repeat rhymes and songs than it is to try and shove all your favorites into one session. Repetition is so important for young children and the parents get a chance to catch onto the tune and sing/say along with you.
Props or not?
If you have a smaller group, using a parachute provides much entertainment and fun.
It’s okay if you don’t like to do some of the traditional ST things. I rarely use puppets and I rarely use shakers. But everyone still has fun.
Adding scarves or rhythm sticks when possible makes the kids 1000 times more interested in whatever book you’re reading
Are you a model?
You read that right: Don’t be afraid to use props during the story to keep kids engaged.
Repeated text or sound effects are a great excuse for props like shakers!
But wait! There is more!
An underlying theme for a few of these I 1000% agree with: Give yourself permission/forgiveness to be flexible and use the kids’ vibe as your guide.
- If a song is a clunker, fade it out early.
- If the kids are riled up swap one of your books for an extra movement song.
- If a book is positively bombing, skip ahead (or call it).
Always go in with an extra book and a couple go to transition rhymes/songs you know by heart to plug in or swap out as needed. I’m totally transparent with my audience “It looks like it’s a high-energy day. Let’s lean into it! Let’s wiggle it out!”
This takes the pressure/embarrassment off caregivers and shows them it’s okay. We are modelling for them and it’s more important to have a positive/fun experience than a “perfect” one.
Plan extra activities, but be prepared to cut things too.
I always have extra books in my Storytime tote. You never know when you might need to change things up or substitute a simpler book for the longer one you really wanted to read.
I have two new assistants this year, both of whom were new to storytime. They told me once they were so relieved when I told them they were going to bomb sometimes — that we ALL bomb sometimes, regardless of years of experience, great theme, perfect books, etc. Sometimes stuff that works one time fails another. It’s not necessarily about you and your personal performance — the group of kids, the parents, the phase of the moon… you never know what it might be, but sometimes you just have a shitty storytime. And that’s ok. Learn what you can from it, brush it off, and move on to prepping your next one.
Kids don’t care if you can’t sing!
It’s okay to abandon a book that isn’t working! It’s powerful modelling for caregivers and a great time to sneak in a literacy tip about print motivation.
What am I doing?
It’s ok to have the words for songs & rhymes in front of you when you need them!
It’s okay to ask kids and caregivers what number you’re on if you lose track during a counting song 😅.
I like writing my outline on a whiteboard behind me. It helps me remember what’s coming next (I can be a bit scatterbrained sometimes, and having it written down helps me remember), but it also helps parents and kids know what to expect next. I’ve also read that this helps neurodivergent kids in that it creates structure and they can prepare for what’s coming up next.
Also, if a family comes late/leaves early, they can see what/how much they missed. Sometimes if there’s only one song left, a family with a fussy baby might not feel as bad for leaving early since they already attended most of the program. And it incentivizes the late-comers to try to be a bit earlier next time.
Consider it bonding
It started spontaneously because the kids couldn’t resist showing off their boo-boos. So I use to do a formal “Owie Check”. Each kid gets a moment to show off their scratched knees or picked at mosquito bites.
It’s a moment of bonding.
”My advice: check your clothing.
~ Anne.Storytime Solidarity team.
Make sure your underwear is comfortable and (if appropriate) you don't jiggle too much...
Check hem lengths / widths (wide-legged shorts 🙄)
