New Sign Language Videos Featuring Yours Truly

A couple of months ago, one of the libraries I work with invited me to visit their studio and film some videos that incorporate sign language. They've now started uploading these videos to their YouTube channel.  The librarian who coordinated the project observed the filming process and assured me that it all went well, but I've been nervous waiting to see how the videos would turn out. I've now watched the first three, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Don't get me wrong. I'm an expert at self-critique. There are all kinds of nitty-picky things I can find to distress about in each video, but when I look at the videos as a whole, I'm happy with the end result. I'm pleased that I have something like this to share with my readers, clients, and other folks who might have an interest in sign language. I'm excited that I have one more tool in my toolbox that might inspire someone to learn and use sign language to help their pre-verbal baby communicate, or to enrich their story time or to incorporate sign language into other learning opportunities at home or in the classroom.

I have a longstanding teaching and consulting business, and I present regularly at schools and libraries. As a result, I've had several of my school visits and other presentations filmed over the years. For some reason, I was more nervous than usual leading up to this particular project. Truth be told, I rarely get nervous before presentations. I thrive on the opportunity to teach and present, but I tossed and turned restlessly the night before we were scheduled to film for this project. The only reason for this that I can come up with is that I love this library (and the librarians who work there) so much. I did not want to disappoint them in any way. They tell me they're pleased. I hope you will be, too.

Please join me in thanking the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District for inviting me to participate in this project as well as ABDO Publishing Group for publishing the books in the Story Time with Signs and Rhymes series featured in the videos. Here are the first three videos:

Sing and Sign with Your Baby:



Play and Sign with Your Baby:



"The Nest Where I Like to Rest:"



As new videos are added, you will be able to find them on the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District's YouTube channel as well as my own YouTube channel.

Happy Signing!

Sign Language Can Be a Communication Tool for Older Kids, Too!

Since my last post, I've heard from a lot of parents/teachers of middle schoolers. Given that sign language is a major focus of my blog, it seems appropriate to share some specific ideas for signing with older kids.

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In my experience, older kids think of sign language as a secret code to unlock. They love learning to sign because it gives them a way to “talk in code” with their friends. Once kids learn how to sign the alphabet, they can have entire conversations by finger-spelling. (Shhh! Don’t tell them signing is also good brain food!).

Signing also offers an opportunity for older kids to express sensitive topics without saying the words out loud. Saying, "I'm sorry" falls into this category. When I was a kid, one of my favorite television shows was "Happy Days." Henry Winkler's character, "The Fonz," was incapable of saying the words, "I'm sorry." I distinctly remember an episode where he could get as far as "s-sah-sor-sor-sorrr," but he could not muster the full phrase, "I'm sorry."

It can be similarly awkward or embarrassing for a young person to say the words, "I apologize" or "I'm sorry" out loud, even when that child is sorry for what they've done. In public places and spaces I've witnessed power struggles erupting when a parent or caregiver insists that a child apologize for something they've just done. ("Say you're sorry. Johnny, you need to apologize to your friend. Look him in the eye and say you're sorry . . . "). Offering a child a choice to apologize with their words or with their signs can give them an opportunity to maintain their dignity (and personal power) while still apologizing for their actions.  

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Signing can also make it easier for older kids to hear some messages. When my daughter was in middle school she would have been horrified if I hollered “I love you” from the audience after her band performance, but her eyes always twinkled when she spotted me signing the same message.

Likewise, when one of my kids has said something particularly sharp and hurtful to me, I've been known to sign "hurt" over my heart, to indicate that their words stung. Somehow this is easier to hear than similar words that are said out loud. There have been times that one of my kids has erupted emotionally, and I've quietly signed "hurt" over my heart, and just as quietly my child has signed "sorry" back to me and then come in for a reconciliatory hug. The emotions needed to be expressed, but the words didn't need to be said out loud for that to happen. Sign language came to the rescue once again, offering a bridge to communication.

Some things are just easier/more convenient to sign than to say out loud. Many teachers I know ask their students to use the sign for "toilet" or "thirsty" to ask permission to leave the classroom to use the restroom or get a drink of water.

One of my favorite classroom management strategies that is useful for all ages is to have kids to raise their hands with an informational sign instead of just raising (waving!) their hand in the air when they have something to say. Here is how it works: Teach students the signs for the letters "Q," "A" and "C." Ask kids to raise their hand by making the sign for "Q" when they have a question, "A" when they have an answer, or "C" when they have a comment. Going forward, when you facilitate a classroom discussion and hands go in the air, you can prioritize who to call on based on the signs they indicate (e.g. by calling on the kids who have answers to your question instead of the ones who still want to provide  comments about the topic . . . or their pet frog). Here is a more in-depth article about this strategy by author/education consultant Rick Morris. NOTE: Morris uses the letter "I" (for "I have a question") instead of the letter "Q to identify questions, but the overall strategy of using sign language to distinguish between students with questions/comments/answers is similar to the approach I use).

Once you've introduced older kids to a little bit of sign language, it's not uncommon that they will be interested in learning more. Lora Heller's, "Sign Language for Kids"and Penny Warner's "Learn to Sign the Fun Way" are great resources with lots of fun signing activity ideas. Older kids are particularly keen on self-guided learning. Students can easily navigate online dictionaries such as www.signing savvy.com  and www.lifeprint.com, and Dr. William Vicor's ASLUniversity offer's a great self-guided learning program that students can explore at their own pace. In addition, my series of blog posts entitled,"Capture that Story," provides a self-directed learning experience that can incorporate sign language.

I particularly like to pair older children with younger children during signing activities.  The Signing Activities in the back of my Story Time with Signs & Rhymes books and linked from ABDO's resources page (scroll down past the Star Wars info to find the sign language links) provide a great opportunity for older children to facilitate learning experiences for younger children through scout troop community service projects, big/little buddy pairings at schools, and in homeschool settings.

And, for those kids who are really interested in signing, I offer complimentary 20-30 minute SKYPE (or FaceTime) Q and A sessions as well as Email Q and A sessions (in addition to traditional school/library visits). For more info, click here, or to schedule a visit, send me a message via the contact form on the left sidebar.

I would love to hear some of your experiences incorporating sign language into your communication and/or learning environment with older children. I look forward to your comments and messages! 

Enrich Your Learning Environment with Sign Language: Post #5

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One of the benefits of using sign language in your learning environment is that it engages multiple senses. I envision taking in new information as a process of dropping little nuggets of knowledge into different bins in our brain. I picture these bins looking a lot like old-style card catalog drawers. When we need to call upon our stored knowledge, I imagine little critters rifling through the file drawers in our brain until they find what we are looking for. I realize that's a crazy image, but that's how I see it! Suffice it to say, sign language gives young learners the opportunity to drop their little nuggets of knowledge into more than one file bin.

Image Credit: ABDO Publishing Group 

Think about the letters b, d, and p. They are all similar in shape and sound, but they are very different signs. When you teach a child to see, say and sign the letter "b," they can clearly distinguish it from the letter "d," and they can store that knowledge in the visual, auditory and kinesthetic bins in their brain.

Those of us who are trained as teachers and/or adult educators are familiar with Kolb's Experiential Learning Model and the importance of designing instructional activities that reach learners with different learning styles. Sign language stimulates multiple senses. When we incorporate signing into classroom routines, we can reach our visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.

Auditory learners are just fine with all of our blah-blah-blahing, but our visual and kinesthetic learners need their other senses stimulated! That's why we usual visual aides and give our learners opportunities to touch, feel and practice. Signing incorporates all of these elements.

This past week I visited a local preschool as part of their annual Dr. Seuss Celebration. One of the stories I read was "Wear a Silly Hat."



Children made hats prior to my visit.


They heard me talk about hats.


They saw me model different hats.

They listened to me read my story about hats. And they learned and practiced the sign for hat. 

  

During the story time, I read, said, and signed the word hat, multiple times. Children heard the word and the melody (because we sang parts of the story), they saw the object, the word and the sign, and they could move their bodies to make the signs themselves. Multiple senses were engaged, and learning occurred. (Oh, and P.S. It was FUN!)

I'm working on getting video footage from this most recent school visit posted up to YouTube, but in the meantime, here is a clip from a previous school visit.  I'll post new video footage here as soon as it's ready.

And, for those of you who would like to lead your own silly hat story time, here are my "Start to Finish Story Time" notes for "Wear a Silly Hat." Happy Signing!

Start to Finish Story Time: Opposites Everywhere

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This week I continue with my "Start to Finish Story Time," series, where I provide a "start to finish" lesson plan for a sign language story time program for each of the themes covered in my "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" books. This week's post provides a lesson plan for the theme, "Opposites," using the book, "Opposites Everywhere."

I love the theme of opposites, because it involves math skills and language/literacy skills (supporting Common Core curriculum goals). And, just like the classic lap sit game, "SO BIG" that we often play with infants and toddlers, it's so much fun, we don't even realize we're building math skills along the way!

As I explained previously, my aim with this series of blog posts is to build each lesson plan in a pick-and-choose/modular format, meaning that you can apply the elements that work for your environment, age group(s) and personal interests, and skip the rest.

Each lesson plan incorporates ideas that are suitable for infant/toddler, preschool and/or school age audiences, and each program incorporates activities that promote literacy/early literacy and one or more of the six keys skills recommended by the National Research Council for preparing children to become readers when they enter school. Programs can last from 20 - 45 minutes, depending on what you include and who your audience is.

I continue to welcome your feedback on these posts, as I will consider and apply your suggestions and ideas into future lesson plans and posts. I hope you will share your additional ideas/experiences after trying out the lesson plans, allowing others to benefit from your input. Here is this week's offering:

OPPOSITES EVERYWHERE: Sign Language for Opposites

Props/Supplies:

*Include one or more of the following to enrich the learning environment:

-Large and small balls (or an expandable ball, like this one I found at OMSI several years ago)
-Pairs of large and small stuffed animals (and/or a toy elephant and a smaller toy mouse)
-Toys that fit together and come apart, like these eggs, or cookies
-Books such as Tails by Matthew Van Fleet, that have opposite touch and feel elements, (like rough and smooth), or a collection of supplies that offer this experience
-A blanket and/or a bag for hide and find games
-Different sizes of balls/blocks/scarves for activity props and/or free play
-Black paper and white crayons as well as white paper and art supplies

Sing an Opening Song to Practice/Introduce Signs:

*I Often Sing, "This is the Way We Sign for Small/(Big), Slow/(Fast), Smooth/(Rough), Etc" to the tune of "Here We Go "Round the Mulberry Bush," but any opening song that incorporates words/signs for the opposite words introduced in the book will work.

*I find that it is more fun to introduce the signs by singing vs. simply showing the signs and asking participants to sign along/practice with you. (Click here for links to a series of past posts where I delve into the topic of singing and signing).

*Don't feel obligated to introduce/incorporate all of the opposites signs included in the book the first time you share it for a story time. Let your comfort level be your guide. At a minimum, introduce a few key words that tie into the props and/or extension activities you plan to add. There is a signing glossary at the back of "Opposites Everywhere," or you can download the glossary from my publisher by clicking here (scroll down past the Star Wars Event info and choose the glossary for Set 2). You can also refer to online resources such as ASL University/Lifeprint or Signing Savvy.

Read the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" Story: "Opposites Everywhere" by Dawn Babb Prochovnic, Illustrated by Stephanie Bauer.

*Before you begin reading, invite children (and/or their grown ups) to listen for the words in the story that match the words you practiced in the opening song, and to show the sign when they hear the word.  It's also helpful to point out that many of the signs are two-handed signs, and that you will be holding the book, so you will really need helpers to sign two-handed (even if you are signing one-handed).

This YouTube video provides an example of the type of introduction I offer to kids before I start reading.

Sing, Dance, and Sign Along with Some Music:

*Play music that incorporates words for opposites. I like the song, "Opposites," from the Baby Signing Time Songs Volume 4 CD, and another good one is So Big, by Hap Palmer, but any song/music that incorporates some of the opposites words that you've featured in your story time will work. (Click here for a post all about music made for signers.)

*Invite kids and their grown-ups to get up and dance to the music and do the signs for the opposite words they hear in the lyrics (and when they see you signing).

Round Out the Remainder of Your Story Time by Adding Some Quieter/Listening Activities and Some Active/Movement Activities: 

*Choose one or several of the options below to fit your participant age/attention span and program time available.

*In classroom or homeschool settings, these learning activities can be incorporated at different times during the day or even over several days.

*In library settings, different activities can be incorporated for different age groups of participants (i.e. All groups start with the basics above, but for the infant/toddler group, add another song or two and wrap it up; for the preschool group, add another story, some songs and/or music, and a game or a craft; for the school aged group, add a couple more stories, some songs and/or music, a game or two, some fun facts, and a craft).

Invite a Retelling of "Opposites Everywhere":

*Retell "Opposites Everywhere" using a toy elephant and a smaller toy mouse.  I let the kids help me retell the story (and I encourage the addition of opposites that are not in the original story, such as "inside" / "outside" /// "up" / "down" and "yes" / "no"). To encourage signing, if kids want a turn handling the toys I'm using as props (or if they want a turn suggesting a set of opposite ideas that I will "enact" with the props), my rule is that helpers have to be signers!

Read and Sign Along with Additional Stories:

*Two good (and very familiar) stories for incorporating the opposites signs are:

Opposites, by Sandra Boynton and The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss.

Sing Songs:

*"If You're Hungry and You Know Ask for More" sung to tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It." (i.e. "If you're hungry and you know it ask for more. If you're hungry and you know it ask for more. If you're hungry and you know it, make the sign for more to show it. If you're hungry and you know it ask for more.). This song can be paired with words such as hungry/full, more/all done, hurt/fine, awake/asleep, happy/sad, hot/cold.

*"Do You Know the Sign For Smooth?" sung to the tune of "London Bridge." (i.e. "Do you know the sign for smooth, sign for smooth, sign for smooth? Do you know the sign for smooth? Show me smooth."). Sing this song, alternating between different opposites such as smooth/rough, sweet/sour, slow/fast, old/new, tall/short, open/closed, inside/outside, up/down, etc. You can enrich this activity  with pictures or props (such as a smooth block (or rock) paired with a rough rock or a piece of sandpaper) or with books that have opposite touch and feel elements, (like rough and smooth), such as Tails by Matthew Van Fleet.

*"The Blocks are in the Bag" sung to the tune of "the Farmer and the Dell." For this song you'll need a  bag of props such as blocks, balls, scarves or even board books. Begin the activity with the props inside the bag. Sing, "The blocks are in the bag. The blocks are in the bag. Hi Ho the Derry-O. The blocks are in the bag."  Now sing, "Now we'll dump them out.   Now we'll dump them out. Hi Ho the Derry-O. Now we'll dump them out."

Play Signing Games:

*Pass the BIG/small expandable ball, (I found mine at my local Science Museum Store several years ago). Have participants sit in a circle. Start the ball moving around the circle and say, "Make the ball BIG" (and show the sign for "big"). Then say, "Make the ball small" (and show the sign for "small"). Encourage the ball to move around the circle until everyone has had at least one chance to touch the ball. Some fun variations include encouraging children to make their bodies and voices BIG or small to go along with the sign and the size of the ball. If you want to incorporate a name game into this activity, you can change the words and process a bit (for example, start by saying, "It's Maddie's turn to make the ball BIG," and then allow Maddie to choose the next participant until all participants have had a turn and had their name called out).

*Sign Language Wiggle Buster: Have participants stand up. Call out for participants to engage in different opposite movements. For example, "Stomp like a BIG elephant" / "Tip-toe like a small mouse" /// "Stand tall like a giraffe" / "Be short like a little mouse" /// "Walk-walk-walk" / "Run-run-run" ///  "Move" (I use the sign for "dance" for this one) / "Stop"/// "Be loud!" / "Be quiet" /// "Stand up" / "Sit down."  Once the wiggles are out, you can read another story about opposites!

*Together/Apart. For this game I use toy eggs and/or cookies. Allow every child to have a matching pair, then say and sign together / apart. After several rounds of success you can say and sign other opposites such as high/low, over/under, inside/outside (and model for children how to interact with their props to demonstrate the words you are saying/signing. After children have completed several rounds of together/apart with their original prop, you can instruct them to pass their prop to the right / left and play some more!

NOTE: Instructions for a wide variety signing games are included in each book in the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" series. Instructions for "Opposites Attract," and "Sign Language Concentration" are offered on page 31 of "Opposites Everywhere."

Fun Facts:

*There are fun facts about ASL included on page 30 in each "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" book.   Older kids particularly enjoy the fun facts, but even preschoolers, and the parents of infants/toddlers enjoy learning about ASL and/or Deaf Culture in addition to learning key signs.

*A fun fact I like to point out during the "opposites" theme is that signs to convey the degree of something are often not used. For example, to communicate that you want someone to walk slowly, you do not need to sign "walk" and 'slow." Most signers would simply sign "walk," but they would sign it more slowly than usual.

Craft Activities:

*One craft activity I enjoy for this theme is to hand out black construction paper and white crayons. The youngest of participants can use the white crayon to draw pictures and words on the black paper.  Encourage older participants to write the words for opposites included in the books you've read or activities you've facilitated, and the oldest participants can be encouraged to add illustrations or word art to convey the opposites. For example, the word "BIG" can written in big letters and the word "small" can be written in small letters; the word "fast" can be written with lines coming out of it, to imply speed, and the word "slow" can be written with the letters spaced farther apart to imply lethargy.

*Another fun activity is for participants to make their own page of opposites. Give each participant a piece of paper and art supplies and provide instructions to create drawings or collages to illustrate five different types of opposites.

Free Play Activities:

*Put out different sizes of blocks or balls or put out a selection of rocks with different textures, and allow children to do what they do best; play. Encourage parents/caregivers to engage children with questions that invite the use of opposite signs in the conversation (i.e. "Can you roll me the big ball?" "Let's put all the smooth rocks together." "Which stack of blocks is taller? Which stack of blocks is shorter?")

Closing Song:

*I typically close each story time with a song that reviews the opposites we've learned during the program. I usually sing this song AFTER I've given instructions for the craft and/or free play activities (if I have these elements planned for the program), but BEFORE I let participants transition to the craft and/or free play activities. I often sing the same song that I opened the program with (for example, "This is the Way We Sign for Small/(Big), Slow/(Fast), Smooth/(Rough), Etc" to the tune of "Here We Go "Round the Mulberry Bush," but any closing song that incorporates words/signs for the opposite words introduced in the book will work.

That wraps up this week's "Start to Finish Story Time." I hope this has been helpful, and I look forward to your input and ideas, which I will incorporate into future posts. If you are planning your own Sign Language Story Time event, be sure to check out the great resources my publisher has developed to help you plan your own event (scroll down past the Star Wars Event Info).

If you love the ideas I've shared, but would prefer that I deliver the Sign Language Story Time to your students or patrons, invite me to your school or library, or ask me about Skype visits!

Happy Signing! Dawn

The Skinny on School Author Visits

Tis the season to get inquiries about author visits! Some of these inquiries come in the form of requests to donate books and/or school visits to annual fund raising auctions. Other inquiries are from folks with a budget, (albeit typically a limited budget!), such as professional development conference coordinators, library media specialists, and/or PTO/PTA volunteers.

I thought it might be helpful to summarize commonly requested information to provide folks with a starting point. Please feel free to ask additional questions in the comments section below, or get in touch with me directly.

My author visits typically fall into one of the following areas:

Young Writer's Workshops

Sign Language Story Times

Family Literacy Nights and/or Parent/Teacher Education/Outreach

I have a more complete listing of program offerings here, and I regularly customize my visits to meet the specific learning targets requested by the school/organization.

For local visits (in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon), my standard consulting rate is $125/hour (or $100/hour for four or more consecutive hours, $600 for a full school-day visit, or $100 for two full school-day visits). If there are additional expenses  associated with visiting your location (e.g. travel expenses, extra fees I will be charged for working in your town, or lots and lots of paperwork required by your grand poo-bahs, then additional fees will be negotiated accordingly).

If your school visit spans more than one classroom or grade level, (e.g. it involves most or all of the school community) and if a school-wide book sale is facilitated/promoted by your school, then I gift a teacher in-service or a family literacy night to supplement my visit.  This "extra" programming does not need to take place on the same date as my visit, but it should be coordinated/packaged as an extension of (or a preview to) the author visit experience.

Whenever pricing is a barrier, I do my best to be flexible and creative. I never want a motivated learning community to miss out on an author visit experience because of budgetary issues. I'm typically able to find a way to work within budgetary constraints to create an author experience that is meaningful and educational for students, teachers, and families. For example, I will waive one hour of instructional fees for every 24 books that are pre-ordered directly from me at the $19.95 school/library price, (and I'll happily autograph those books at no additional charge!).

I'm regularly asked if I can donate my books and/or time to local school/organization auctions. I do honor several such requests a year in the form of classroom author visits. It's important to me that this donation of time and expertise is valued and valuable. By this I mean that I want the school/ organization to benefit financially from my gift (in the form of strong auction bids), and I want the learning community to know about (and even compete for!) the author visit opportunity.

In my experience, the best way to increase interest, bidding, and value is to have one or more teachers, librarians, or key volunteers vocally championing the classroom author visit. When teachers/librarians/ administrators let parents know that they want to "win" a classroom-based writing workshop and/or sign language story time, parents are more inclined to bid on the item(s) at the auction. It can also work to have one or more teachers "co-host" the event (e.g. "Enjoy an After School Story Time and Tea Party with Mrs. Smith and children's author Dawn Babb Prochovnic"), and then families can sign up for a "slot" at the auction as a "Pay-to-Play" type of event).

In addition to auction-based donations, each year I gift several "sign language story times" directly to classroom teachers/school libraries that have actively supported and/or promoted my work. For these visits I do ask that a book order form be sent home with students prior to or directly after my visit, (but I do not have any required minimum orders). I also offer complimentary 20-30 minute SKYPE (or FaceTime) Q and A sessions, as well as Email Q and A sessions.

For the complimentary "E-Visits" I do request that students are familiar with at least one of my books before the visit (which is easy to accomplish, since all 16 of my books in the Story Time Series are widely available in public libraries). I do not "prepare" a presentation for complimentary SKYPE/FaceTime visits. For these visits, I ask teachers (or homeschool groups) to prepare students with questions ahead of time (typically ranging from my writing process, to the names of my pets ; ), and then we engage in a back and forth exchange during our time "together." For Email "visits," I ask that the teacher summarize up to ten questions from the students, and then compile them in one email. I make every effort to respond within two weeks (and generally sooner).

I'm also currently offering free in-person author visits to local groups that are able to provide me a group/subset of students/families that are willing to participate in/assist with a filmed sign language story time (with appropriate photo/video releases signed, so the experience can be posted/shared on YouTube and/or SchoolTube). Here is a video from one such visit.



I've pasted a summary of some of my most popular young writer's workshops below. As I mentioned earlier, I have a more complete listing of overall program offerings here, and I regularly customize my visits to meet the specific learning targets requested by the school/organization. Please get in touch directly (you can use the contact form at the left, or the links at SmallTalk Learning). I hope to visit with you and your students someday soon!

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Young Writers’ Workshops:

Gotcha! How to Find and Capture Great Writing Ideas: In this “how-to” workshop, Dawn discusses how to think like a writer by doing things like reading, remembering, watching and listening to the things going on around you.

Revision Rocks!: A workshop that explores some of the actual revisions Dawn made over time in her picture book, "The Nest Where I Like to Rest," (a 2011 Oregon Book Awards Finalist) and provides participants with an opportunity to suggest revisions to one of Dawn’s current works-in-progress.

Your Pencil is Magic: A hands-on workshop that demonstrates how writing props and prompts can help you unlock the creative ideas hiding inside of you.  This workshop is based on a popular class Dawn teaches at the Oregon Writing Festival.

You’re a Poet and Didn’t Know It: How to Write Poetry When You Think You Can’t: In this workshop, Dawn shares a not-yet-published book about finding inspirations for poetry in nature, and facilitates age-appropriate poetry-writing exercises.

Write On! An Author’s Perspective on Why Writing is (Possibly) the Most Important Thing You’ll

Ever Do”: In this workshop Dawn reads her book, "There's a Story in Your Head" and shares with students why she writes and some of the rich experiences she’s had in her life because she writes. The workshop (like the book) concludes with an invitation for students to get busy writing the stories that are in their own heads.

Anatomy of a Picture Book: An informational workshop that provides a behind-the-scenes look at how picture books are made and the opportunity to have an informal Q & A with a published children's author.

Start to Finish Story Time: Wear a Silly Hat

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This week I continue with my "Start to Finish Story Time," series, where I provide a "start to finish" lesson plan for a sign language story time program for each of the themes covered in my "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" books. This week's post provides a lesson plan for the theme, "Clothing" (and in particular Hats), using the book, "Wear a Silly Hat." 

I chose this topic for this particular week in honor of Dr. Seuss's upcoming birthday. I recently learned that Dr. Seuss himself loved hats. Given that Dr. Seuss was the author who taught me to read and helped shape my love of rhythm and rhyme, I knew of course that hats played a central role in some of his characters' lives (for example, The Cat in the Hat, oddly, not one of my favorite Dr. Seuss characters/stories), but I did not realize he was a silly hat collector himself.  Like me!!

My mother (and children) continue to be horrified that I go out in public wearing this (or other) hats, but I find hats to be a great ice breaker and conversation starter. I recently attended the ALA Midwinter Conference. On the day of my scheduled book signing, I carried my chicken hat around in a bright, red bag. All morning long people asked what was in the bag and/or why I was carrying it around. It provided a great opportunity for me to hand out book marks and let folks know about my book signing scheduled for later that afternoon. Happily my book signing was a great success, in large part, I believe, thanks to my hat! There was quite a line for most of the two-hour time slot we'd planned--and on the two or three occasions we experienced a brief lull, I popped my hat on my head, and viola! curious book lovers surrounded me once again!

Okay, back to the "Start to Finish Story Time." As I explained in an earlier post, my aim is to build each lesson plan in a pick-and-choose/modular format, meaning that you can apply the elements that work for your environment, age group(s) and personal interests, and skip the rest.

Each lesson plan incorporates ideas that are suitable for infant/toddler, preschool and/or school age audiences, and each program incorporates activities that promote literacy/early literacy and one or more of the six keys skills recommended by the National Research Council for preparing children to become readers when they enter school. Programs can last from 20 - 45 minutes, depending on what you include and who your audience is.

I continue to welcome your feedback on these posts, as I will consider and apply your suggestions and ideas into future lesson plans and posts. I hope you will share your additional ideas/experiences after trying out the lesson plans, allowing others to benefit from your input. Here is this week's offering:

WEAR A SILLY HAT: Sign Language for Clothing

Props/Supplies:

*Include one or more of the following to enrich the learning environment:

-Hats (ideally one that goes with each page spread in the story, though this is not necessary)
-Dolls and/or bears (and clothing that will fit them)
-Dress up clothing
-Magnetic and/or wooden dress up interactive toys such as Color Forms or Woodkins.
-Paper dolls
-Newspaper, plain paper, colored markers, stickers and other basic art supplies

Sing an Opening Song to Practice/Introduce Signs:

*I often open by singing, "This is the way we sign for Hat/Shift/Coat/etc," to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush," but any opening song that incorporates the clothing words/signs that are covered in the book will work.

*I find that it is more fun to introduce the signs by singing vs. simply showing the signs and asking participants to sign along/practice with you. (Click here for links to a series of past posts where I delve into the topic of singing and signing).

*Don't feel obligated to introduce/incorporate all of the clothing signs the first time you share this book in a story time. Let your comfort level be your guide.  At a minimum, introduce the sign for hat, and a few other key articles of clothing (shirt, shoes and socks are a fun starting point).  The glossary on pages 31 and 32 of "Wear a Silly Hat" has detailed instructions for how to make each sign, or you can download the glossary from my publisher by clicking here (scroll down past the Star Wars Event info, and choose the glossary for Set 1). You can also refer to an online resource such as ASL University/Lifeprint or Signing Time.

Read (or sing) the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" Story: "Wear a Silly Hat," by Dawn Babb Prochovnic, Illustrated by Stephanie Bauer.

*Before you begin reading, invite children (and/or their grown ups) to:

1) Listen for the clothing words in the story and show the appropriate sign when they hear the appropriate word.
2) Sign "hat" each time they hear the word "hat."
3) Chant along with you on the last line of each page (which is a repeat of the first line on each page).

NOTE: "Wear a Silly Hat" can be sung (loosely) to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It." To accomplish this, you must "adjust" the ordinary song so that you don't repeat the opening line twice. I usually "speak" the first line of each stanza, (i.e. "If your socks are springy, wear a groovy hat"), then I sing the second line to the tune of the "third" line in "If You're Happy and You Know It" (i.e. "If you're springy in the socks, you should wear a hat that rocks"), and I continue singing as I continue into the last line, using the melody of the fourth/final line in "If You're Happy and You Know It," (i.e. "If your socks are springy, wear a groovy hat.")--and I invite story time participants to join me in singing that last line. It's also fairly common that I will have a bag of hats with me (one hat for each page spread), and I will put on each hat as a lead in to each page spread.

Sing, Dance, and Sign Along with Some Music:

*Play music that incorporates clothing words. Some fun options to consider include, "When It's Cold Outside" on the Pick Me Up CD by Sign2Me" and "One Shoe" from Signing Time, but any song/music that incorporates words for clothing will work. (Click here for a post about music made for signers.)

*Invite kids and their grown-ups to get up and dance to the music and do the signs for the clothing words they hear in the lyrics (and when they see you signing).

Round Out the Remainder of Your Story Time by Adding Some Quieter/Listening Activities and Some Active/Movement Activities: 

*Choose one or several of the options below to fit your participant age/attention span and program time available.

*In classroom or homeschool settings, these learning activities can be incorporated at different times during the day or even over several days.

*In library settings, different activities can be incorporated for different age groups of participants (i.e. All groups start with the basics above, but for the infant/toddler group, add another song or two and wrap it up; for the preschool group, add another story, some songs and/or music, and a game or a craft; for the school aged group, add a couple more stories, some songs and/or music, a game or two, some fun facts, and a craft).

Read and Sign Along with Additional Stories:

*Two fun stories for incorporating the signs for clothing :

It's Pajama Time and Blue Hat, Green Hat, both by Sandra Boynton. A full list of great clothing-related titles, can be found on "The Almost Librarian's" blog archive.

Sing Songs:

*"I Am Wearing a Hat/Shirt/Coat/ etc," to the tune of "Happy Birthday" (i.e. "I am wearing a hat. I am wearing a hat. Look at me-e. Look at me-e. I am wearing a hat."). You can also sing this melody and incorporate the names and clothing particulars of the children who are participating (i.e. "Kaitlin's shoes are blue. Kaitlin's shoes are blue. Look at Kaitlin. Look Kaitlin. Kaitlin's shoes are blue.").

*"If You're Ready to Go Out, Get Your Coat/Hat/Shoes, etc" sung to tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It." (i.e. "If you're ready to go out, get your coat. If you're ready to go out, get your coat. If you're ready to go out, then give a little shout. If you're ready to go out, get your coat."  In classroom settings, this song can be used as a line-up song, (i.e.  " . . . Robert's ready to go out. He can give a little shout. If you're ready to go out, get your coat.")

*"Do You Know the Sign For Hat/Coat/Shoes, etc?" sung to the tune of "London Bridge." (i.e. "Do you know the sign for "Hat," sign for "Hat," sign for "Hat?" Do you know the sign for "Hat?" Show me "Hat." This song can also be used as a dismissal song, (i.e. "It's Robin's turn to get her coat. Get her coat. Get her coat. It's Robin's turn to get her coat. Robin's coat is (blue/red/brown, etc).").

*"Where is the Hat?" sung to the tune of "The Farmer and the Dell." This activity is very similar to an  activity I use in the SEE THE COLORS story time. I use either a bag of colorful hats, or a bag of mixed clothing (doll clothing or baby/small kid clothing). If I'm using hats, I put a particular hat on my head, then sing and sign the beginning part of the verse, (i.e. "Where is my red hat? Where is my red hat?).  The kids go crazy and point to my head, and then I sing, "Hi Ho the Derry O, I found my red hat!" I repeat this several times based on time/attention available. If I'm using mixed clothing, an alternative that is fun is to ask the children to close their eyes (they will peek...it's okay), then I "hide" an article of clothing under a blanket or behind my back (or some other obvious place). Preschoolers in particular get a giggle out of being able to predict where the hat is "hidden" again and again. Depending on your group, you can also allow different children to participate in hiding the article of clothing within a set boundary and allowing the rest of the kids to sing and sign as they search for the hat/clothing. 

Play Signing Games:

*Sign Language Memory Game. Have participants stand in a circle. The first person begins by saying, "I'm packing for a big trip, and I'm bringing my ______ (using the sign for the article of clothing they are bringing, such as their "hat"). The second person in the circle continues, "I'm packing for a big trip, and I'm bringing my  ______ and _______" (repeating the sign and word for the first article of clothing and adding a new article of clothing). The third person continues, "I'm packing for a big trip, and I'm bringing my ______, _______, and _______," (repeating the first two articles of clothing and adding a third) and so forth. A new round begins when someone cannot remember the string of clothing words/signs in the correct order.

*Guess the Mystery Person: Use your signs to get kids guessing about who you are thinking about. For example, "I'm thinking of someone who is wearing a blue shirt, brown pants, and green socks. Can you guess who I'm thinking of?" Once someone from the group correctly guesses who the selected mystery person is, the mystery person becomes the new leader.

*Sign Language Wiggle Buster: Have participants stand up. Call out for participants to engage in different movements based on what they are wearing. For example, "If your shoes are blue, put your hand on your head." "If your shirt is white, hop up and down three times." "If you have your coat with you today, spin in a circle." "If you are wearing pants, sit down." Use the signs for the articles of clothing you refer to during the game. This is a great activity to get the wiggles out. This game can be modified into a round of "Simon Says"as an alternative (i.e. "If you're wearing two shoes, Simon Says to jump up and down four times.").

NOTE: Instructions for several other signing games are included in each book in the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" series. Instructions for "Concentration," is offered on page 31 of "Wear a Silly Hat."

Fun Facts:

*There are fun facts about ASL included on page 30 in each "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" book. Older kids particularly enjoy the fun facts, but even preschoolers, and the parents of infants/toddlers enjoy learning about ASL and/or Deaf Culture in addition to learning key signs.

*A fun fact I like to point out during the "Clothing/Hats" theme is that although there are ASL signs for many English words, some words do not have a sign. These words are fingerspelled. Once you learn to sign the alphabet, you can fingerspell any word you want to say in sign language (even if there is an ASL sign for the word). For example, the actual sign for "vest"is V-E-S-T. Also, you can sign V-E-S-T, then sign, "shirt," to let your signing partner know you mean "vest" the next time you sign, "shirt."

Craft Activities:

*Provide appropriate supplies and encourage participants to make their own hat. Here is a wiki on how to make a paper hat like the one pictured here (made by a participant in one of my past story times). Here are similar instructions using a big sheet of regular paper, and a Pinterest board on a plethora of party hats if you really want to go crazy!

*If you want to build a literacy-based learning extension into this activity, you could invite the children to create their own "Wear a Silly Hat" story verse using their hat as the featured hat, and/or you could invite kids to act out a story using their hat as a prop.

Free Play Activities:

*Put out dolls, bears and clothing that fits these "small friends" and let the kids have at it.

*Put out dress-up clothes out that kids can get into themselves. If you're worried about head lice, limit your dress-up props to things that don't need to go over the head, like shoes, gloves, and boots.

*Put out interactive toys that incorporate clothing such as Color Forms,

paper dolls,

or one of my favorites is Woodkins, which is essentially a clothing design toy (that's a little like a puzzle, too).

*You can also put out paper and markers and encourage children to draw their "favorite hat," and then invite them to tell a story about it.

Closing Song:

*I usually close each story time with a song that reviews the clothing signs we've learned during the program. I typically sing this song AFTER I've given instructions for the craft and/or free play activities (if I have these elements planned for the program), but BEFORE I let participants transition to the craft and/or free play activities.  I often sing the same song that I opened the program with, (for example, "We learned the sign for coat/hat/shoes/socks/shirt today" to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush"), but any closing song that incorporates words/signs for the clothing signs introduced in the book will work.

This wraps up another "Start to Finish Story Time." I hope this has been helpful, and I look forward to your input and ideas, which I will incorporate into future posts. If you are planning your own Sign Language Story Time event, be sure to check out the great resources my publisher has developed to help you plan your own event (scroll down past the Star Wars Event Info).

If you love the ideas I've shared, but would prefer that I deliver the Sign Language Story Time to your students or patrons, invite me to your school or library, or ask me about Skype visits!

Happy Signing! Dawn

**************
Update 5/1/2014: Here is a link to a YouTube video of me sharing this story with a group of preschoolers.

Label When You're Able: Let Your Words Be Your Guide

If you've been trying out some of the signing tips and ideas in my earlier posts, you'll see that much of what I've discussed thus far involves signing without regard to context. We've talked about adding signs to the songs you sing with your child, and engaging in signing in the same relaxed and playful way that you engage in familiar finger plays such as "The Wheels on the Bus," or "Patty Cake." This helps you build your own signing vocabulary (and confidence!), and it gets your child into the habit of looking at your hands for meaning.

We've also talked about signing when you read and signing when you play with your child.

These ideas gradually shift us into the idea of signing within a context, or providing sign labels (in addition to verbal labels) for key activities or objects.

Think about how many verbal labels you provide in a day:  "It's time for a diaper change,"Let's put on your socks," "Yum. Yum. You like peas, don't you?" "Let's put some carrots in our grocery cart," "Here's your water," "Where is the ball?" "Look at you dancing!" "It's bath time." The list goes on and on. When we talk to our baby throughout the day, we are labeling the world around them.

To add sign labels, you simply add signs that go along with the words you are saying. In my last post, I discussed the idea of putting your questions about signing to "The Wheels on the Bus Test" when you are singing and playing. When you are labeling, I like to say, "Label when you're able. Let your words be your guide."

What I mean by this is to listen to yourself talk. Notice the words you tend to say over and over again, (such as "It's time for a diaper change, or "Let's put on your socks,"). You don't need to sign every word you say, nor do you need to sign every word you happen to know a sign for in a particular sentence. But as you talk, when you hear yourself saying a particular word that goes along with an activity or object you doing or seeing, add the sign for that activity or object (or make a note to look up the sign, links to online sign language dictionary can be found here), so you can add it the next time you say the same words).

Just like I don't subscribe to the notion that there should be a lot of rules (or shoulds and should-nots) when you sign as you sing and play, likewise, I don't subscribe to the notion that there are necessarily right and wrong ways to sign in context. That said, lots of people have questions about this aspect of signing, and I will aim to address those in my next post. If you have particular questions of your own, note them in the comment section below, and I will include your questions in my discussion!

Sing Me a Story (More Quick Ideas for Getting Started with Signing)

If you've seen me read any of my books, you know I like to sing them to kids, not just read them. Many of my signing stories came to me as songs that grew into stories. It's nearly impossible for me to  just read them!

When I'm invited for guest appearances at conferences and book signings, I'm often asked, "What tune were you singing to when you read us that story?" This post is for those of you who are wondering just that! Beware, some of the tunes are loose fits...you have to be creative and embellish as you read and sing. Here goes:

Series One:

The Best Day in Room A:  The Twelve Days of Christmas. This one works best if you skip the rhythm/pattern change that typically happens in the fifth verse in this song. 

The Big Blue Bowl:  This was originally written to fit to the tune of "The Green Grass Grows All Around," but that tie-in was lost as the story changed during the editorial process. I find that this one works best when I simply read it--but I like to add to the fun by inviting participants to chant along with the "fill it up, fill it up, fill it up" refrain, which kids REALLY get into.

Famous Fenton Has a Farm:  This one fits nicely to "Old MacDonald." Invite participants to chant, "Yee Ha Hee Ha Ho!" with you (instead of the more traditional E-I-E-I-O) and they will have a grand time!

The Nest Where I Like to Rest:  This story fits the structure of "The House That Jack Built," so it does not go with any particular song that I know of.  I invite children to "sniff" like the rat, "honk" with the goose, and say "Hey!" with the boy when I read this one. I also wear my silly chicken hat when I read this story. 

See the Colors:  This one fits beautifully to "Oh My Darlin, Clementine." I CANNOT just read this story. I wrote and revised the verses for this one while my own kids were still small enough to hold in my arms. I have very fond memories of sitting with my then preschool-aged daughter while holding my then infant son, singing various "under construction" verses of this story for nightly tuck-ins.  This book still holds a very special place in my heart. Here is a clip of me singing this story.   

Silly Sue:  This one fits nicely to the tune of "Skip to My Lu." I embellish some of the words when I read it to get into the song (i.e. I tend to chant, "And I say...." right before I read the pages such as "Slide, slide, slide Silly Sue....").  I also invite the kids to chant along and sign "Silly" with the refrain, "That Silly Sue." This one is really fun to sing and sign. Try it! 

Watch Me Go:  This one fits with the tune, "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain."  I invite kids to echo "Watch me Go!" "Don't you know?" and "Here I go!" for extra fun!  I sang this story at my very first book launch event. One of my favorite memories is of my local library's meeting room full of loving friends and supporters, singing and signing along with me.  

Wear a Silly Hat:  This story originally fit loosely to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It" but the text of the story doesn't include the full level of repetition of that song.  I usually read the first line of each page, then I sing the remaining lines to the "Happy and You Know It" tune.  I use hats for props to add to the fun. I love using hats to dress up my stories!

Series Two:

A to Z Sign With Me: I had the tune of the Alphabet Song (aka: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) in my head when I wrote this book. It fits loosely...very loosely. Also, you have to repeat the melody as you proceed through the story, because the story is longer than the song. I find that I don't usually sing this story because I like to read it with a pace that enables me to really emphasize each featured alphabet word. 

Four Season! Five Senses!: This story is a series of four poems. They were not written with a particular melody in mind. (Interesting tidbit: I wrote these poems while sitting in a hotel room near Disneyland. I stayed back in the hotel to tend to my son, who was sick with the flu, while my daughter and husband spent the day at the California Adventure theme park. My son slept most of the day. I stayed by his side and wrote poetry). This continues to be one of my favorite books. I especially adore the artwork. 

Hip, Hip, Hooray! It's Family Day!, Opposites Everywhere, and Shape Detective: These stories do not fit to a particular song, but each have a strong rhythm, and they are fun to chant!  

One Trick for One Treat: This story does not fit to a particular melody, but in the early stages of development, it did. The story originally began, "The first time the bell chimed..." and it fit with the rhythm of the Twelve Days of Christmas. After many, many revisions, the original structure was set aside and the current, chant-able rhythm prevailed.

So Many Feelings: I LOVE to sing this story. You can sing this story to the tune of "On Top of Spaghetti." Kids catch on within a few pages and they start to sing or hum along. FUN!

There's a Story in My Head: This story is all rhythm and no melody. I remember distinctly when the rhythm for this story came to me. I was on the airplane (flying back home from the above mentioned trip to Disneyland). I felt the rhythm of the story tapping out of my fingers before I had the words. 

So there you have it. I hope you have fun singing the singable stories and chanting the chantable stories!  Do you know what I would LOVE? I would love it if readers would capture digital video footage of themselves reading, singing (or chanting) and signing these stories. Any takers? How cool would it be to have a bunch of videos of people reading/singing/chanting my stories on my YouTube channel? Think about it...Give it a try...I can't wait... 

Find Your Feelings

I'm currently sharing the key learning points discussed in my young writers'  workshop entitled, "Gotcha! How to Find and Capture Great Writing Ideas."

This week's post is about Big Idea #1:  Find Your Feelings:  Stronger Feelings = Stronger Story Ideas.

I start this workshop by singing a song (such as "If You're Happy and You Know It" to teach students the ASL signs for the following feelings/emotions: excited, sad, scared, nervous, sorry and hurt. I replace the word "Happy" with the feeling words I want to teach, and make up the verses as I go along (i.e. "If you're sad and you know it cry, boo-boo..." "If you're scared and you know it, close your eyes...")

Story Time with Signs & Rhymes

Next I read related excerpts from my book, "So Many Feelings," and invite students sign along with the story. This story can be sung to the tune of "On Top of Spaghetti," (without the "echo effect"), so I often sing the excerpts rather than just read them.  Next I ask the students to sign each feeling word while they search their memory for a time they felt excited, sad, scared, nervous, sorry and hurt. This leads to a discussion about how each "feeling memory" they've uncovered is a story idea that might be worth exploring more deeply.  I remind students that Stronger Feelings = Stronger Story Ideas. I ask students to sign the feeling word that matches with the feeling memory they are interested in exploring further the next time they have an opportunity to write.

This brings us to Big Idea #2: Stories Hide in Your Head, which I'll discuss in my next post!

Show Me a Sign! (as in a Street Sign)

Over the past few weeks I've been summarizing the National Research Council's six key skills recommended for preparing children to become readers when they enter school.  Today's topic: Print Awareness: Noticing that the printed word is around us everywhere and becoming familiar with how to hold a book and follow the words from left to right. 

As literate grown-ups, we tend to take for granted that the written word surrounds us.  We get the information we need from road signs and building marquees, we pick up the newspaper (or our handheld device) to check a sports score, we look at a menu, we sort through the mail, we read the credits as they scroll up the screen after a movie, we page through magazines, and we read books.  

A thoughtful thank you note from a Class Participant

Building the skill of Print Awareness involves helping our children "notice" all of the distinct printed materials in everyday experiences all around us.  What are some of the ways you can do this?  Involve your child when you check the weather report or when you go through the weekly grocery ads and make your grocery list.  Post reminder notes for yourself, and interact with your child about those notes (i.e. "I'm going to stick this note on the dashboard to help me remember to stop by the post office on our way home from the park today.") Point out building signs that indicate you've arrived at your intended destination (or better yet, engage your child in keeping an eye out for the signage of familiar places, i.e. "Help me look for a gas station"). Invite your child to look for and count stop signs when you drive.  Write love notes and thank you notes to your child and share notes you've received from others. Write postcards when you go on family vacations (and encourage other relatives to do the same!) and show your child how each post card is addressed differently for each person.  (It's also fun to send one post card to your own address so your child can (re)discover the post card in the mail box once you've returned home and then reflect on writing and addressing it during your travels). 

Another important aspect of print awareness is helping a child gain familiarity with handling books.  Books are meant to be handled.  Yes, even by babies.  True, board books will get nibbled (Offer a teething toy as a alternative!). Yes, pages will get torn (Get out the tape and fix the book together. When my daughter was little I would sign hurt when a page ripped.  Once we fixed it, I would sign fine.) If books become objects of worry or fear, reading will not be fun.  Anticipate that some books will get bedraggled in the process. Trust that as children have more opportunities to handle books, they will gain experience and learn how to handle them gently and lovingly. (Case in point:  I am one of those people who sometimes leaves a book open face down to mark the page I left off.  My kids routinely call me out on this and suggest that I mark my book in another way so that the book won't get damaged.  They love it when they can catch me doing something not quite right and can offer a better option!)

Shape Detective

Building Print Awareness also involves helping kids gain an awareness that English print reads from left to right.  When your child sits on your lap to read, make a point to read the title of the book and the name of the author and illustrator on the cover and/or title page of the book. Move your index finger along the words as you read these elements.  Notice I'm encouraging you to not skip this step. Why? Because I want you to learn how to pronounce my last name (Pro Hauv' Nik) and repeat it over and over again.  That's not the real reason of course!  It's because reading the author/illustrator name helps children come to realize that real live people write and illustrate books.  It helps them gain familiarity with an author's body of work ("Hey, this is another book by Dawn Prochovnic!  Cool, I wonder if this one will be as fun to read as The Big Blue Bowl?  Let's find out!"), and this helps children recognize patterns, which ties into building their own Narrative Skills.   

Another way to help children gain familiarity with handling books and decoding the words from left to right is to invite your child to read to a doll (or dog).  Prop a younger sibling and a board book on your lap and prop a doll and a really familiar picture book on your older child's lap.  Read the board book, and model some skills like reading the title and author name and following your finger from left to right under the words.  Now sign your turn and have your older child read to the "baby" on his or her lap.  Often what you'll see happen is your child (who has likely memorized the name and even some passages from the book) will "read' the title by moving their fingers along the printed word from left to right.  As they progress through the book, they may recite familiar passages and/or invent their own re-telling of the story (which is fine!), but they will often move their hands along the words from left to right, modeling what they've seen you do when you read. Some kids will ask you to read the words, and they will move their fingers along the printed areas to model this practice while you read.  Try it out and let me know how it goes!

Okay, so here are a few of specific ideas for how to incorporate Print Awareness when you're reading books from the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series: 

A to Z Sign with Me.  This story is unique alphabet story, in that it doesn’t just have different words and pictures for each letter of the alphabet. Instead, it is a story told in rhyme about going to a carnival.  The story is told so that the words beginning with the letters A to Z are featured in sequential order (i.e. "Talk like the animals. Oink! Peep! Quack.  Cheer when the roller coaster speeds down the track.").  After I've read this story directly from the book, I like to write the story "vertically" on a sheet of paper or easel, so children can see how the alphabet is structured in the story.  For example: 

Lip grows a
Moustache
Nose blows a sneeze.  

I encourage children to sign each letter of the alphabet in order as the story progresses.  It's really fun!

The Big Blue Bowl:  After you read this book, sit down with your child and make a list of all of the different things that you'd like to put in YOUR big blue bowl.  Now get out the art supplies and draw a picture of your bowl and all of the things that you'll put into your bowl.  I like to get out the grocery ads and have children cut out the items they want in their Big Blue Bowl.  This piece of art can go on the wall, and be used later to play an I Spy sort of game to practice the signs for the different items in the bowl, (i.e. "Where is the Milk?" There is the Milk!" ).  A teacher who invited me for a classroom visit sent this beautiful artwork as a thank you note from the children! I love these types of gifts so much.  I post them on my office walls. 

The Nest Where I Like to Rest: I like to wear my crazy chicken hat when I read this story.  After reading, I set the hat on a basket of plastic eggs and post a sign on the basket/nest that reads, "Quiet! This is the Nest Where I Like to Rest." The kids get a kick out of it.

So Many Feelings:  After reading this story, I like to show kids an easel with a list of feeling words with picture clues noted next to each word.  I point to different feeling words and then ask the children to act out that emotion and/or sign that emotion.

Hip, Hip, Hooray! It's Family Day!: After I read this story, I invite children to make a their own book or even just a picture called "My Family" and then read it to someone else or to a doll.  To add enrichment, I encourage children to sign the handshape that goes along with each family members' picture or page.

Okay, it's your turn.  I would really love to hear some of your ideas for building Print Awareness with your children and/or your experiences using some of the ideas I've suggested in this post.  I look forward to your contributions!