Learning Concepts: ABC & 123 -- 8/5/25

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
10 Dogs by Emily Gravett

Books:

B is for Bananas by Carrie Tillitson

The Case of the Missing Cake: Not an Alphabet Book by Eoin McLaughlin

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Roll Over: A Counting Song by Merle Peek

Craft: Ice Cream Cone

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (cone, scoops)

- Color pieces

- Glue scoops to cone

- Optional: Use a spinner or dice to determine how many scoops to add to your cone

Extension Activities:

- Play the Alphabet Game while riding in the car.  Try to find each letter of the alphabet on road signs or license plates.

- Practice counting throughout the day by counting various activities (ex - number of sips to finish a cup of drink, number of steps to walk through a room, number of buttons on shirt, etc).

Template --

Learning Concepts -- 8/13/24

 Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's online Story Time.

How to Count to 1 by Caspar Salmon
Go and Get with Rex by David LaRochelle

Books:

10 Hungry Rabbits by Anita Lobel

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

Little Plane Learns to Write by Stephen Savage

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Shape by Shape by Suse McDonald

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Craft: Turtle Numbers Count

- Print template at left

- Color turtles

- Rip colored paper into small pieces

- Glue corresponding number of pieces to each turtle that matches that shell's number

Extension Activities:

- Play a game of I Spy.  Switch it up by giving clues based on the first letter of the object, the color of the object, etc.

- Practice letter recognition by asking your child to find a different letter on each page of a book you are reading together.

Back to School: Math -- 8/15/23

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson
Night Light by Nicholas Blechman
The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock by Jim Aylesworth

Books:
Counting Chickens by Harriet Ziefert
Growing Patterns by Sarah C. Campbell
I'm Trying to Love Math by Bethany Barton
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Mice Mischief by Caroline Stills
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Numbers Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman
Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg
What Is Math? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Craft: Numbers Snake
- Print template (snake's head) onto cardstock or heavy paper and cut out

- Cut ten strips of paper about 1" thick and write the numbers 1-10 on them

- Glue paper strips into a paper chain making sure the links are in numerical order
- Color snake's head and glue to end of paper chain

Extension Activities:
- Practice number recognition by looking for numbers around you (ex - clock, ads, etc).  You can make a game out of it by having to find them in order or playing on a car ride by finding certain numbers on license plates.
- Teach your children about counting money.  Take a trip to the store and let them help pick items dependent on price or let them count out the (cash) money to pay at checkout.


Template --

Numbers: 8/23/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am and Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Warthogs in the Kitchen by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Books:

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson

Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson

Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh

One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Soup for One by Ethan Long

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

Craft: Flower Count

- Print out template (at left) on heavy paper or cardstock

- Color and cut out at least 15 circles

- Color stems on sheet

- Glue the number of circles onto the stems as indicated

Extension Activities:

- You can practice counting almost anywhere throughout the day.  Examples include counting how many times you chew your food during lunch, how many commercials are shown during a tv show you are watching, or how many steps it takes to walk down a hallway.

- Practice number recognition by asking your child to find certain numbers around you.  They could be on a clock, signs, etc.

Picture Book Genres: Learning Concepts -- 7/5/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am and Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson

Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

Books: (Alphabet, Numbers, Colors, Shapes, Safety, Manners, etc.)

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Monkey Time by Michael Hall

My Little Sister Hugged an Ape by Bill Grossman

Please Play Safe! by Margery Cuyler

Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Ten in a Hurry by Lo Cole

Triceratopposite by Bridget Heos

Up, Down & Around by Katherine Ayres

Craft: Alphabet Dominoes

- Print the template above onto cardstock

- Trace letters and color pictures

- Cut out dominoes

Extension Activities:

- The more you read to your child the more their vocabulary increases.  Participate in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the JCL-Arnold Branch to encourage reading to your child.

- Go on a color scavenger hunt.  See how many of items you can find for each color.  Or make it a competition between several people.

Counting Story Time: 8/9/21 (Outdoors) & 8/10/21 (Virtual)

Outdoor Story Times are held weekly on Monday mornings at 10:00 am and 11:00 am.  (Registration is required to attend.)  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)


Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.


Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman

Books:

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson

Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

One Little Chicken: A Counting Book by David Elliott

The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

Soup for One by Ethan Long
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani

Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson

Warthogs in the Kitchen: A Messing Counting Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Craft: Turtle Count
- Print out template (at left).

- Color turtles.

- Tear construction paper into small pieces.

- Glue the number of construction paper pieces to the turtles as indicated by the numbers on the shells.

Extension Activities:

- Practice counting throughout the day.  Examples include counting the number of chips on your plate for lunch, counting how many cars pass your house in a certain amount of time, counting the number of toys on the floor, etc.

- Sing various counting songs such as "Hundred Bottles of Rootbeer on the Wall", "Ten in a Bed", "The Ants Go Marching", etc.

ABCs & 123s Story Time: August 12-13, 2019

Books:
Alphabet Trucks by Samantha R. Vamos
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. *
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt *
Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC by Laura Leuck
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani *

Craft: Worms Counting Sheet
The kids colored a sheet with worms.  They then glued small strips of paper for stripes on the worms.  They had to glue the correct number of stipes on each worm as indicated by the number next to that worm.

Extension Activities:
- Play the Alphabet Game while in the car.  Ask your child to find all the letters of the alphabet (in order) in signs, license plates, etc.
- Practice counting everyday things.  (i.e. number of chips eaten at lunch, number of commercials during a TV show, number of stairs, etc.)


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123: Numbers & Counting Story Time: August 13-14, 2018

Books:
10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman
20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee
Counting in the Garden by Emily Hruby
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh *
The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard *
Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure by Derek Anderson *

Craft: Fish Count Sparkles Sheet
The children colored a coloring sheet with fish / ocean creatures on it.  They then glued the correct number of sparkles to match each fish's number.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice counting while eating.  Have your child count the number of things they are eating (i.e. 10 chips, 2 carrot sticks, 1 sandwich, etc.).
- A traditional clock is a great way to practice counting and number recognition.  You can point to each number as you count.  You can ask your child to point out random numbers on the clock.

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Math & Numbers Story Time: August 14-15, 2017

Books:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett *
Is That Wise, Pig? by Jan Thomas
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman
Night Light by Nicholas Blechman *
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin *

Craft: Numbers Snake
The children glued together a paper chain snake.  The paper chain was made from strips of paper numbered 1-12.  The children were asked to make the paper chain putting the numbers in order. A snake's head was glued to one end of the paper chain when done.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practicing counting can be done anywhere.  Simply start counting objects near you.  You can also practice other things while counting such as colors, shapes, etc.
- Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons is a great example of how to include simple subtraction into a counting book.  Try to incorporated simple addition and subtraction whenever you read a counting book with your child.

Math Story Time: August 15-16, 2016

Books:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox *
One More Bunny: Adding from One to Ten by Rick Walton
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin *
Ten Eggs in a Nest by Marilyn Sadler *

Craft: Color by Numbers Sheet
The children practiced their number recognition by completing a color by numbers sheet.  Template below.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number recognition.  Look for numbers around you and see if your child can identify them.  (i.e. clock, signs, etc.)
- Count while you eat.  Count the number of chips you have or the number of bites it takes to eat your sandwich.

Template --

Numbers & Counting Story Time: August 3-4, 2015

Books:
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox *
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman *
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin *
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland

Craft: Flower Counting Picture
Our craft this week was based on the photo to the left.  We revised it to be a craft.  The kids colored a sheet with five stems and leaves on it.  They then glued on the appropriate number of circles according to the numbers written at the top of the stems.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice counting while eating.  Have your child count the number of bites it takes to eat a sandwich, the number of chocolate chips in their cookie, or the number of chips they have, etc.
- Have your child come up with their own counting rhyme like Ten Terrible Dinosaurs where they count down as items disappear.

Numbers Story Time: August 11-12, 2014

Books:
Chicka Chicka 1-2-3 by Bill Martin Jr. *
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Night Light by Nicholas Blechman *
The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard *
 Warthogs in the Kitchen: A Sloppy Counting Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Craft: Chicka Chicka Apple Tree
Children colored the top of brown lunch bag green to make into a tree.  They then colored apples number 1-10.  They could either glue on the apples or they could leave the apples loose and store them in the bag so they could recreate the story of Chicka Chicka 1-2-3.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice counting as you go through the day.  For example, you can count the number of chips eaten during snack time.  Or count the number of people you see at the park on the playground.
- Have your child "write" their own book based on The Right Number of Elephants.  Pick an animal and see how many of them your child thinks they would need for various activities.

1, 2, 3 Story Time: August 19-20, 2013

Books:
20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee*
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett *
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Pugs in a Bug by Carolyn Crimi
Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg
Ten Little Mummies: An Egyptian Counting Book by Philip Yates *
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith

Craft: Apple Tree Match
I made a tree coloring sheet with the numbers 1-10 written randomly on the leaves.  The children were also given apple stickers with each apple numbered 1-10.  The children matched the sticker to the number on the coloring sheet.

Literacy Extensions:
- Play a counting game while in the car.  Have your child find a certain number of things (i.e. ten red cars, three yellow buildings, etc.)
- Learn how to count to ten in different languages such as Spanish, French, or sign language.

Elephants Story Time - February 19, 2013

Books:
Elmer by David McKee *
Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco
How to Catch an Elephant by Amy Schwartz *
I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger *
Little Nelly's Big Book by Pippa Goodhart
Mr. Elephanter by Lark Pien
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet
The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard *
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems

Craft:
Paper Plate Elephant - Cut two small rectangles (legs), one long, skinny rectangle (tail), one ear shape, and one trunk shape from card stock.  Color small paper plate (body) and pieces before gluing pieces to plate to assemble into an elephant.  http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/paper_plate_elephant_craft.htm

Literacy Expanders:
- Come up with synonyms for "big" with your child (i.e. - huge, gigantic, etc.). Put the words in order from smallest to largest.
- Discuss ways in which we show our anger - How to Catch an Elephant

Dinosaurs Story Time - February 4-5, 2013

Books:
Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton
T Is for Terrible by Peter McCarty
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Strickland *
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems *
Dinosuar vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea *

Craft: Stegosaurus
I used the image above as a template for a stegosaurus body and spikes.  The spikes were cut out separately from the body.  Children colored the body and spikes and then glued them together to make their dinosaur.

Literacy Expanders:
- Learn about the different dinosaurs.  Discuss why you like one more than another.
- See if you can retell other fairy tales using dinosaurs as creatures such as Mo Willems did in Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.