Tips to Help Plan Your Lapsit Series
- Use a separate room. There are less distractions and the babies are
physically contained and safe.
- Create handouts of fingerplays, rhymes, poetry and songs.
- Write up the order of the program on a large sheet of paper hung on the wall. Parents can see the agenda and you don’t have to remember in what order to do the rhymes.
- Write the words to the rhymes and finderplays on large sheets of paper. The
adults are more likely to participate if they can read along. It can
be a useful memory aide to you, too.
- Pass out library handouts such
as your calendar, booklists, etc. at the end.
- Be brave. Distribute program evaluations after the program to get feedback and suggestions for the next session.
- What if they're late? Getting a baby ready to go somewhere is a lot of
work. Make them welcome by saying hello and move on with the program. You might tell
parents that storytime starts fifteen minutes before the formal part of the
program begins. This gives them time to arrive and talk and get ready.
- What if the parents talk? The social aspect of a baby program is one of its most attractive features. Again, as above, make the space available so you can all chat 15 minutes before the program. This gives parents a social opportunity and helps you find out what they're interested in. This is helpful in planning your programs.
- You're talking too fast and including too much - slow down and repeat. A calm, focused experience is better for everyone.
- What if the baby cries? This will happen. You could sing. That might distract and calm the baby. If the baby remains inconsolable and the parent wants to leave, let them know they're welcome to come back when they feel the baby is ready.
- Use the "interruptions. If a baby cries, sing a lullaby. If a parent stands up to bounce or jiggle a fussy baby, ask the whole group to stand up and sing a circle song like "Shoofly". Work this into your program as if you'd planned it all along. Be responsive and sympathetic to the parents' needs.
- What if the babies are crawling around instead of sitting still? Let them explore as long as they are safe, and reassure the parents that they will come back to play when they are ready. If a book you are reading aloud or any activity loses the group's attention, cut it short and return to play rhymes.
- If you see that a baby has his socks off, play a toe-wiggling rhyme such as "This Little Piggy". If you see that a baby has just begun to point, play a finger pointing rhyme such as "Two Little Dicky Birds." If someone has just learned to clap, play "Pat-a-cake."
- Open and close all your programs with the same rhymes each time. This establishes continuity and is reassuring. Babies and parents know what to expect. Sing it twice.
- How to teach parents who speak English as a second language (ESL). It's a great
idea to bring parents together in a multilingual community. But remember, the
language of intimacy between a parent and a child is going to be the parents'
first language - the language of the heart. We need to teach some of the rhymes
in the parents' first language. If you don't know any, ask the parent to teach
you privately. Then you can teach the group. Be sure to give credit to the
parent! Go slowly for an ESL audience. Use rhymes with concrete or naming
language like "Head, shoulders, knees and toes". Be sure you give these parents take
home handouts!
- Why build your repertoire? The more songs and rhymes you know by heart, the
more fun you will have and the more responsive you will be in your programs.
But do control the number of rhymes you teach the group so parents can
learn them. It's better to learn a few rhymes well than to hear too many and not be able to remember them.
- Why repeat so much? Both parents and babies love repetition and need repetition to learn. Show this through demonstration.
Document Actions
Webmaster
—
last modified
Jan 01, 2009 11:43 PM
