Infant and Caregiver Program

Tyler Public Library

Amanda Stephen

Target Audience: Infants from birth to 18 months and their caregivers

Goals: To introduce some pre-literacy skills to infants and caregivers, particularly rhyming,
rhythm, singing, and play. To model how caregivers can be doing movement, reading books,
and singing songs with infants in the home.
Promotion: Advertise on library website, library bulletin board, and make half-sheet fliers for
program. Go to apartment complexes near library to post and hand out fliers.
Location: Storyroom in Tyler Public Library
Length of Program: 20 minutes
Theme: Movement
Outline:
Introduction to Infants and Caregivers5 minutes
Song: Dance your fingers 2x through2 minutes
Story: I Love To Dance2 minutes
Song: Duke of York1 minute
Story/Movement: If Youre Happy and You Know It3 minutes
Flannel Story/Puppet Story: Hop Like a Bunny2 minutes
Song: Wheels on the Bus4 minutes
Details:
Introduction: Introduce self and dog puppet to each baby and caregiver so babys are a little more
comfortable, cover expectations for storytime (caregivers participate and hold baby, if babys
crawl around that is ok, just make sure not bothering other babies), Tell about theme and type of
pre-literacy skills we will be practicing, Explain will be doing lots of motions with babies and if
their baby is very young they should modify the motions so they arent bouncing the baby very
hard or holding them very high, also warn them that if baby has just eaten they may want to be
careful with the motions
Dance Your Fingers: Dance your fingers up, (move babys fingers/hands up)
Dance your fingers down (move babys fingers down)
Dance your fingers to the sides (move babys fingers to sides)
Dance them all around (move babys fingers all around)
Dance them on your shoulders (move babys fingers to shoulders)
Dance them on your head, (move babys fingers to head)
Dance them on your tummy (tickle babys tummy)
And put them all to bed. (fold hands in lap)

Adapted from:
http://msl.mt.gov/WhatsYourStory/Campaigns/Ready2Read/pg_rr_ba_song_sheets.pdf
Duke of York: Oh the grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill (hold baby up)
And he marched them down again. (bring baby down)
And when they were up they were up, (hold baby up)
And when they were down they were down, (bring baby down)
And when they were only halfway up, (hold baby a little bit off lap)
They were neither up or down! (hold baby up, then bring down)
Flannel Story/Puppet Story: (This can be adapted to whatever puppets or flannel animals you
have at your library) Animals move in many different ways, we are going to look at and talk
about how different animals move. This is a Pink Bunny. Bunnies HOP. Hop, Hop, Hop. What
is this? This is a White Horse. Horses TROT. Trot, Trot, Trot. What is this? Thats right it is a
Green Snake. Snakes SLITHER. Slither, Slither, Slither. This is a Yellow Duck. Ducks
WADDLE. Waddle, waddle, waddle. This is a Blue Dog. Dogs RUN. Run, run, run. Good job!
Lets now do some movements on our own.
Wheels on the Bus: The wheels on the bus go round and round (move babys hands in circular
motion)
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All around the town.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish. . . (move babys hand back in forth in windshield wiper
motion)
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep. . . (move babys hand to pretend to honk horn)
The driver on the bus says, Move on back! (move babys hand to motion backwards)
The people on the bus go up and down. . . (gently move baby up and down)
The wheels on the bus goes round and round (move babys hands in circular motion)
Books: (* books used in program)
*Cabrera, Jane. If Youre Happy and You Know It! New York: Holiday House, 2003.
Fischer, Scott M. Jump! New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2010.
Morris, Neil. Jump Along: A fun book of movement. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 1991.
Reid, Rob. Wave Goodbye. New York: Lee & Low Books, 1996.
Taylor, Ann. Baby Dance. New York: HarperFestival, 1999.

Thompson, Lauren. Leap Back Home to Me. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011.
Tuxworth, Nicola. Hop, Skip, and Jump. Leicester, UK: Anness Publishing, Ltd., 2002.
*Walker, Anna. I Love to Dance. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers,
2008.
Winburn, William B. Teddy Bears, Teddy Bears. New York: Sterling Publishing Company,
2006.