MotherReader

This fall I’m introducing a new feature here at MotherReader. It’s a weekly preschool program centered on the letters of the alphabet. I’ve done these programs in my library for years, and now have a full complement of them that I may as well share. Perhaps they’ll be useful to beginning librarians, preschool teachers, day care providers, homeschooling parents, or just plain parents.

At this point, I’m keeping it as short as possible, so I’ll skip the book annotations and the words to some of the songs. I also may have to play around with some of the songs or rhymes if I’m not sure of the copyright issue. Bear me with on this one. As to my book selection, I generally pick books that have the letter of the week featured in the title. For instance, my pick below of Snip, Snap What’s That? for alligator is unusual. Just one of my quirks.

Anyway, on with A is for Arugula. (Kidding.)


Book: Alphabet Rescue, by Audrey Wood and Bruce Wood

Song: “The Alphabet Song”


Book: Snip Snap! What’s That? written by Mara Bergman, illustrated by Nick Maland

Rhyme: “Five Little Monkeys”

Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing Mr. Alligator,
Can’t catch me, you can’t catch me.
Along comes Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
SNAP!!
(Continue with “Four little monkeys…”)

Book: Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple Picking Time, written by Jody Fickes Shapiro, illustrated by Kitty Harvill

Song: “Apples and Bananas”

I like to eat, I like to eat
I like to eat, eat apples and bananas…
(Repeat, substituting a, e, i, o, and u sounds for the vowels all through the song.)

Book: I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track, written by Joshua Prince, illustrated by Macky Pamintuan

Song: “The Ants Go Marching”

The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
The little one stops to have some fun.
And they all go marching
Down to the ground to get out of the rain
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum
(Continue to four, using “The little one stops to say ‘no more!’”)