Transforming PreSchool Storytime

I attended a Preschool Storytime workshop today given by our library system. It was presented by Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, a well seasoned educator  and author in the field of early literacy. She covered different ways to transform a storytime for preschoolers, including using the same book (along with other varied titles) for as many as six weeks in a row. Since repetition is an important method that helps children learn, we discussed different ways to present a picture book besides a straightforward reading of it. These included re-telling the story using the illustrations as prompts, re-creating the environment of the story while children act out the story and a parent videos them for future viewing, using manipulatives (scarves, bells) while re-telling the story, singing songs that pertain to the story, and using a fake microphone to “interview” children’s reactions/emotions regarding characters in the story. These methods all highlight different skill sets and illustrate Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences or competencies.