CH is for Chicken: Storytime Plan

Opening Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It" [standing up] with whispered added verse "If it's storytime and you know it, say Shhhh..."

Letters of the Day: Discuss how C and H sound alone, and how they sound when put together (with the C first!). Mention that words can start with CH: Chew, Choose--or end with CH: Touch, Hatch. Have wall prepped with AT, C, and H. Hold first the C up to the AT, then the H, then C and H together. Explain that not all combinations of two letters make a new sound--most don't! Show that "HC" doesn't.

Talk: Before our first story, I'd like to hear you...
make a noise like a rooster (Cock-a-doodle-doo!).
Make a noise like a hen (Cluck, cluck, cluck).
Make a noise like a chick (Peep, peep, peep).
Make a noise like an egg that hasn't hatched yet (quiet)...

Book: The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza OR 

Action Rhyme: "Five Eggs and Five Eggs"
Five eggs and five eggs--that makes ten.
Sitting on top is the mother hen.
Crackle, crackle, crackle--what do I see?
Ten fluffy chicks, as cute as can be.

Song:  Dance, Freeze, Melt by The Learning Groove from their album Rockin' Red

Talk/Sing:
Before our next story, let's sing a classic nursery rhyme about chickens:
Mary had a little chicken, little chicken, little chicken--what? That's not right? What did Mary have? Ohhh, now I remember.
How about...
Hickory dickory dock
the chicken ran up the clock--that's not right either? Who ran up the clock?
Huh. I guess we'd better sing this then. It's definitely about chickens, and it uses the same melody as "The Wheels on the Bus."


Action Song: "The Chickens in the Yard"
The chickens in the yard go cluck, cluck, cluck...all day long.
The chickens' feathered wings go up and down...
The chickens' pointy beaks go peck, peck, peck...
The chickens' clawed feet go scratch, scratch, scratch... [make claw shape with hands]
[whispered verse] The eggs in the nest go crack, crack, crack...
the new baby chicks go peep, peep, peep...all day long.

Book: Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting [have group repeat each word; mention print awareness]

OR

Book: One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read



















Song with Shaker Eggs: "I Know a Chicken" by Laurie Berkner

Book: Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

Closing Song: Laurie Berkner's "These Are My Glasses" a cappella. "Today, everything we find in our book will begin with "CH". Possibles before opening to kids for suggestions: Chimpanzee! [Ooh, ooh, ahh, ahh] Chocolate chip cookie [CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP]!

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Alternatives to swap in:
Book: Chicken Chicken Duck
Book: Chickens to the Rescue
Book: Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!
Book: Hungry Hen by Richard Waring

Song: "There's a Little Chicken"
From Anna at Future Librarian Superhero: 
"(To the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know it"). I do this song with whatever little stuffed animal or fingerpuppet fits my theme or transition best. It's a good way to build body part vocabulary. "There's a little chicken sitting on my...nose! OH NO! I don't know what to say and then he runs away. Now there's no little chicken on my nose." After each verse I have the little chicken pop out from behind my back and pretend that I'm nervous about where he'll go next, which makes the kids laugh and join in."