Transforming Preschool Storytime (book)

Diamant-Cohen, B. & Hetrick, M.A. (2013). Transforming Preschool Storytime: A Modern Vision and a Year of Programs. Chicago, IL: Neal-Schuman.

*Betsy and Melanie provide excellent and brief overviews of the school readiness domains, life skills, early brain development related to young children's need to repeat things, Piaget's constructivism learning theory explaining how children learn through their experiences, Vygotsky theory of scaffolded learning explaining how to build on learning by providing experiences at the appropriate level for each child,Gardner's theory that there are multiple ways (or intelligences) people learn, and Every Child Ready to Read's five early literacy practices. ALL of these things are reviewed in 10 just pages--extremely well worth the 15 minutes or so it would take to read them. (Katie's review)

According to recent research, the best way to make new connections in a child’s brain is by building on something already known. A child who loves a book will listen to it repeatedly, maintaining interest. Using a selected book in a number of consecutive preschool storytimes, but presenting it differently each time, can help children learn new skill sets. This book presents a new approach to storytime, one that employs repetition with variety to create an experience which helps children connect and engage with the story on a higher level. Diamant-Cohen, recently awarded the 2013 ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, and Hetrick offer a year’s worth of activities specifically designed to address multiple intelligences through a repetition-based process. Incorporating recent theories on developmental learning, this book includes

• Scripts for 8 different books, with enough activities to repeat each one for six weeks, along with lists of optional alternative books
• Planning aids such as outlines of storytime sessions, a fill-in-the-blanks planning sheet, questions for evaluation, and tips for enhanced storytimes using props and crafts 
• Detailed but straightforward explanations of theory and research that will help readers communicate effectively with parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders

From setup to execution, here’s everything you need to create and implement a successful, elevated storytime.

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