BEYOND BOOKS: USING FLANNEL BOARDS & MUSIC
AT PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
WHY USE FLANNEL BOARDS?
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Flannel boards provide a visual focus to a story/song and are appropriate for
presentation to large audiences.
Flannel boards expose children to the sequencing convention of the written
page.
Using a flannel board incorporates several learning styles:
Auditory – the children hear you tell a story or sing a song.
Visual – they see the pictures that go with the story or song.
Kinesthetic – they can put the pieces on the board.
Flannel boards add variety to Storytime.
I use flannel boards as a bridge between the books I read in my Storytime programs.
The format I use for Storytime is:
• Opening song – If you’re happy and you know it.
Using the same song each week helps the children know what is going
to happen and gets them ready to be good listeners.
• Story
• Flannel board
• Story
• Fingerplay
• Story
• Flannel board
• Story
Always practice what you are going to do
• Make sure that you are comfortable with what you are doing
• Confirm that you have all of the necessary parts.
Repeat popular flannel boards -- children love familiar things.
Music is a part of all of our lives and I use music in every Storytime
• Even if you feel that you don’t have a “great” voice, Sing!
• What is important to children is the sharing of the song.
If you enjoy what you are sharing, the children will join in and enjoy it
with you.
• I look for books that can be sung.
• I use many flannel boards which incorporate song.
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BEYOND BOOKS: USING FLANNEL BOARDS & MUSIC
AT PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
FLANNEL BOARD SETS – WHERE DO YOU GET THEM??
Buy ready-made flannel board sets:
• Teacher supply stores and catalogs.
• I’ve included several sites on the Internet in the Sources section of this handout.
Make your own flannel board sets:
• Find a song that you like.
Listen to recordings
From books that you like
Folk songs
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Come up with patterns to use to cut out the shapes that you need.
If you can draw – great!!
Use a pattern from a book -- the Bibliography includes many useful
examples.
Be inventive – use pictures from magazines, books or the internet.
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Make your pieces – Here are several different approaches:
Interfacing (use non-fusible --NOT the iron-on type). Trace the pattern,
color it with markers or permanent fabric paints and then cut the shape
out. This can be purchased at any fabric store.
Felt – cut pieces out of felt and glue or stitch them together.
Photocopy a pattern and color it in with markers
o Laminate it.
o Attach felt pieces to the back of the shape.
• Use felt tape or stick on pieces of felt with double-sided tape;
• I’ve read that you can use sandpaper or self-sticking Velcro
pieces, but I haven’t tried these.
Photocopy a pattern on to construction paper and laminate it.
Cut shapes out with a die cutter.
Stiff felt sheets work really well for this (sold at craft stores near the
regular felt squares).
Notes about laminating:
Contact paper – put on both sides of the shape.
I found a wonderful cold laminator:
o The Xyron 900 or 9” Creative Station (See Sources page)
o I LOVE this tool and use it to laminate all sorts of things.
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BEYOND BOOKS: USING FLANNEL BOARDS & MUSIC
AT PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
HOW TO COME UP WITH SONGS TO USE
Take someone else’s song and make it your own.
• Nancy Stewart writes wonderful music for young children. If you don’t know of
her, check her website at www.nancymusic.com and see all of the free music she
has to share.
• Nancy does songs her way and many of you have seen or heard her perform –
sometimes I play with a song and it evolves into something different.
Use songs that have multiple pieces which you hand out to the children. They place the
pieces on the board at the appropriate time. (Kinesthetic learning from the first part of
my talk).
• This is EXTREMELY popular with children.
• Be sure to have enough pieces for every child in the room (or there will be tears).
Doing the song a few times (handing out the pieces in shifts) works, but not very
well (more tears).
Find ready-made pictures and create a flannel song around them.
• A good place to look is at Teacher Supply stores.
Use folk music:
• The melodies of folk music grew out of the cadences of a spoken language. This
is why English folk music sounds different from French or Hungarian music – the
languages flow and sound different.
• Folk music is a good choice to use with children.
It is important to carry on the oral tradition of our language.
Not only does the melody support their learning, but the rhythm of the
music helps them in their language development.
Some people like to write new words to familiar tunes.
• If this works for you – Fabulous – let your imagination run wild.
Sometimes you’ll make something that just doesn’t work.
• Try to tweak it and make it work better.
• Just set it aside and go on to something else.
GO OUT AND MAKE MUSICAL FLANNEL BOARD SETS AND SHARE THEM!
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: MUSIC
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
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BEYOND BOOKS: BIBLIOGRAPHY
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
BOOKS:
Anderson, Paul S. Storytelling with the flannel board. Book 1. Minneapolis, MN: T.S.
Denison & Co., 1963.
Collection of 40 classic and original stories with patterns.
Baltuck, Naomi. Crazy gibberish: and other story hour stretches from a storyteller’s bag
of tricks. Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1993.
A sourcebook of chants, songs, action stories, riddles, jokes, tongue twisters, and
participation games.
Beall, Pamela Conn and Susan Hagen Nipp. Wee sing: children’s songs and
fingerplays. Los Angeles: Price, Stern, Sloan, 2005.
Collection of 73 traditional songs and fingerplays. Includes music and CD.
Benton, Gail and Trisha Waichulaitis. Ready-to-go storytimes: fingerplays, scripts,
patterns, music, and more. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2003.
Each chapter covers a different theme, and includes a complete outline for a storytime
program, there is an accompanying CD of the original music.
Briggs, Diane. Flannel board fun: a collection of stories, songs, and poems. Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1992.
Includes patterns for 28 folktales, poems, and songs. Directions included for making a
flannel board and story figures and gives simple directions for successful storytelling.
__________. 101 fingerplays, stories, and songs to use with finger puppets. Chicago:
American Library Association, 1999.
Briggs gathers fingerplays to use with finger puppets, which can easily be adapted for
use with stick puppets or flannel-board stories. The author also provides simple,
traceable patterns to make the puppets and relates them to more than 350 books.
Carlson, Ann and Mary Carlson. Flannelboard stories for infants and toddlers.
Chicago: American Library Association, 2005.
This Spanish-English bilingual edition includes thirty-three original stories, chants,
songs, and nursery rhyme. Includes useful instructions for creating figures.
Castellano, Marie. Simply super storytimes: programming ideas for ages 3-6. Fort
Atkinson, WI: Upstart Books, 2003.
Presents ideas for programming twelve themed storytimes with literature-based songs,
games, and activities in various curriculum areas, and includes advice on planning and
promoting storytime.
Chadwick, Roxane. Felt board story times. Fort Atkinson, WI: Alleyside Press, 1997.
Features ten popular themes to use for story time. Each chapter contains an original
story, reproducible patterns & storytelling instructions.
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BEYOND BOOKS: BIBLIOGRAPHY
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
Cobb, Jane. I’m a little teapot!: presenting preschool storytime. Vancouver, BC: Black
Sheep Press, 1996.
Resource guide to picture books, nursery rhymes, nonfiction, fingerplays, action songs
and craft ideas for storytime.
Dailey, Susan M. Sing a song of storytime. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers,
2007.
Provides many songs, fingerplays and chants to share with toddlers through
Kindergarteners.
Diamant-Cohen, Betsy. Mother Goose on the loose: a handbook and CD-ROM kit with
scripts, rhymes, songs, flannel-board patterns and activities for promoting early
childhood development. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2006.
Incorporates books, rhymes, fingerplays, flannelboard stories, music, dance, and childparent interaction into dynamic programs that will bring whole families into the library.
Faurot, Kimberly K. Books in bloom: creative patterns & props that bring stories to life.
Chicago: American Library Association, 2003.
Step-by-step instructions explain how to create a variety of props that can be used to
help children become more involved in the stories they read or hear.
Glazer, Tom. Tom Glazer’s treasury of songs for children. Scarborough, NY: Songs
Music, 1981.
Collection of well-known children's songs which range from nursery rhymes to Christmas
carols. Each song has been arranged for piano and includes the guitar chords with oneand two-line histories given for each song.
Maddigan, Beth. The big book of stories, songs, and sing-alongs: programs for babies,
toddlers, and families. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.
Easy-to-use resource of literature-based library programs for young children.
Marino, Jane. Sing us a story: using music in preschool and family storytimes. [Bronx,
NY]: H.W. Wilson, 1994.
Presents 75 songs with music arrangements to enrich preschool and family story time
programs. Also includes detailed suggestions on planning programs, choosing music,
and integrating it with books, dance and movement.
Marsh, Valerie. Stories that stick: quick & easy storyboard tales. Fort Atkinson, WI:
Upstart, 2002.
Ready-made storytime scripts and patterns for fables, stories, songs, folktales and
poems.
Peterson, Carolyn Sue and Ann D. Fenton. Story programs: a source book of materials,
2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2000.
Provides suggestions for age-appropriate books, other printed resources, and activity
materials that may be used in story programs; arranged by age group.
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BEYOND BOOKS: BIBLIOGRAPHY
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
Phelps, Joan Hilyer. Finger Tales. Fort Atkinson, WI: Upstart Books, 2002.
Includes original fingerplays and puppet patterns, activities, flannel board stories, take
home crafts and suggested books on related topics.
Sierra, Judy. The flannel board storytelling book, 2nd ed. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1997.
Engaging rhymes and songs for children. Sierra shares her proven methods for creating
and telling stories with the flannel board.
Tashjian, Virginia, ed. Juba this and juba that: stories to tell, songs to sing, rhymes to
chant, riddles to guess & more!, 2nd ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1995.
A classic story-hour collection of more than fifty favorite stories, songs, rhymes, riddles,
and verses for reading aloud and group sharing.
Wilmes, Liz and Dick Wilmes. Felt board fingerplays. Elgin, IL: Building Blocks, 1997.
Fingerplays, poems and songs, with patterns and activities, for use with a flannel board.
__________. Felt board fun. Elgin, IL: Building Blocks, 1984.
Includes over 600 full-size patterns for basic concepts, seasons and holidays.
__________. 2’s experience felt board fun. Elgin, IL: Building Blocks. 1994.
Felt board patterns, stories and songs for 2-year-olds.
__________. 2’s experience fingerplays. Elgin, IL: Building Blocks, 1994.
Fingerplays, patterns and songs for 2-year-olds.
RECORDINGS:
Stewart, Nancy. Plant a little seed. Mercer Island, WA: Friends Street Music, 1995.
Recording with book of lyrics. Includes: “When ducks get up in the morning”.
__________. Little songs for little me: activity songs for 0-5 years. Mercer Island, WA:
Friends Street Music, 1992.
Thirty-two songs for one- to five-year-olds includes some flannel board pieces.
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BEYOND BOOKS: SOURCES
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
W EB SOURCES FOR FLANNEL BOARD FIGURES:
Artfelt Puppet System: www.artfelt.net
Various finger puppets and hand puppets made from felt.
Felt Board Stories.com : www.feltboardstories.com
Sets include Fairy tales, nursery rhymes and classic stories.
FeltSongs: www.feltsongs.com
They sell felt kits accompanied by music CD.
The Felt Source: www.thefeltsource.com
They offer 250+ flannelboard sets: early learning activities, song sets, colors & shapes
and more.
Genesis Arts: www.genesisartsfeltstory.com
They sell complete sets for felt board stories: children’s classics, popular children’s
books, nursery rhymes and more.
Sisters In Stitches: www.sisters-in-stitches.com
They sell ready to use felt board sets: traditional stories, nursery rhymes, fingerplays,
science and math sets.
Story Time Felts: www.funfelt.com
Carries an extensive line of educational felt board story sets.
OTHER W EB SOURCES:
Nancy Stewart: www.nancymusic.com
Children’s singer-songwriter in Seattle whose website is dedicated to providing free
songs, resources and information for people working with children.
EQUIPMENT SUGGESTION
Laminator – Xyron 900 or 9” Creative Station: www.xyron.com.
Available to purchase from craft stores:
Michaels: www.michaels.com
JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores: www.joann.com
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BEYOND BOOKS: SUPPLEMENT
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
LITTLE DUCKLING LEARNS TO USE HIS VOICE
adapted from Storytelling with the flannel board, Book 1 by Paul S. Anderson
One day, a little duckling started to walk around the barnyard because he didn’t know
how to use his voice. He met a cat.
“Meow! said the cat.
“Oh, my goodness,” said the little duckling. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever
heard. I’m going to Meow just like a cat.”
Now, do you think that the little duckling could meow like a cat? He tried:
“Me-ee-ack! Me –ee-ack!” And that wasn’t very pretty.
So, the little duckling kept walking. After a while, he met a dog.
“Woof! Woof!” barked the dog.
“Oh, my goodness,” said the little duckling. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever
heard. I’m going to bark just like a dog.”
Now, do you think that the little duckling could bark like a dog? He tried:
“Woo-ack! Woo-ack!” And that wasn’t very pretty.
So, the little duckling kept walking. After a while, he met a bird.
“Tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet!” sang the bird.
“Oh, my goodness,” said the little duckling. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever
heard. I’m going to tweet just like a bird.”
Now, do you think that the little duckling could tweet like a bird? He tried:
“Twoo-ack! Twoo-ack!” And that wasn’t very pretty.
So, the little duckling kept walking. After a while, he met a cow.
“Moo!” said the cow.
“Oh, my goodness,” said the little duckling. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever
heard. I’m going to moo just like a cow.”
Now, do you think that the little duckling could moo like a cow? He tried:
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BEYOND BOOKS: SUPPLEMENT
Presenter: Lorraine Burdick [email protected]
“Moo-ack! Moo-ack!” And that wasn’t very pretty.
The little duckling was very sad. He couldn’t meow like a cat. He couldn’t bark like a
dog. He couldn’t tweet like a bird. He couldn’t moo like a cow.
But he continued walking until he met a duck.
“Quack! Quack!” said the duck.
“Oh, my goodness,” said the little duckling. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever
heard. I’m going to quack just like a duck.”
Now, do you think that the little duckling could quack like a duck? He tried:
“Qua-ack! Qua-ack! Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack!:
And that’s how the little duckling learned to use his voice.
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