2. NOTICE print all around you:
Children who enjoy books will want to learn to read, help your child pick a book they want to check out from the library.

3. TALK, TALK, TALK:
Talk about the meaning of new words. Children who are read to often have a larger vocabulary and better language and comprehension skills when they enter kindergarten making it easier to recognize words as they begin to read.

4. TELL STORIES about everything:
Listen to a young boy tells the story of “Michael and the Fairies”:

5. LOOK FOR LETTERS everywhere:
L is for leprechaun. You can find fun activities for the letter L at the DLTK’s Letter L Craft Site.

6. TAKE TIME TO RHYME, sing and play word games:
Say the rhymes and sing the songs from Toddler Time at home.
~ Rhymes help children hear the sounds that make up words, a skill that helps children sound out words as they begin to read.
~ In most songs each syllable in a word gets a different note.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leprechaun Dancing [Tune:Skip to My Lou]
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the right.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the right.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the right.
Dance to the right, my green friend.

Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the left.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the left.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance to the left.
Dance to the left, my green friend.

Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance all around.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance all around.
Leprechaun, leprechaun, dance all around.
Dance all around, my green friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leprechaun, Where Are You? [Tune:Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star]
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, where are you?
I tried to catch you, but away you flew.
I’m going to get you just wait and see!
Then all your gold will belong to me!
Leprechaun, Leptrechaun, where are you?
I tired to catch you and away you flew!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five Little Leprechauns
Five little leprechauns digging for some gold.
One slipped upon some mud and fell into a hole.
The others called a fairy and too them she told,
“No more leprechauns digging for gold!” etc till all are gone.

All the five are in the hole.
Above them the fairy scolds,
“I told you to stop digging for that gold!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wee Little Patrick [Tune: Yankee Doodle]
Patrick is a leprechaun.
He has a sack of gold.
He hides it in a special place,
Between two stumps, I’m told.

I think I once saw Patrick.
Out in the woods at play.
He smiled and laughed and winked his eye.
And then he ran away.

Don’t try to follow Patrick.
To find his treasure sack.
He’ll twist and jump and run away
and he never will come back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
St. Patrick’s Day [Tune: Skip to my Lou]
Let’s wear green and dance a jig,
Let’s wear green and dance a jig,
On St. Patrick’s Day.

Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
Let’s find a clover with four leaves,
On St. Patrick’s Day.

Let’s look for leprechauns on the way,
Let’s look for leprechauns on the way,
Let’s look for leprechauns on the way,
On St. Patrick’s Day.

Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
Let’s search for gold at the rainbow’s end,
On St. Patrick’s Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m a Little Leprechaun
[tune: I’m a Little Teapot]
I’m a little leprechaun dressed in green.
The tiniest man that you have ever seen.
If you ever catch me, so it’s told
I’ll give you my big ol’ pot of gold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leprechaun, Leprechaun
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Reach up high.
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Touch the sky.
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Turn around.
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Touch the ground.
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Show your shoe.
Leprechaun, Leprechaun, That will do.

ER = Easy Reader
Controlled vocabulary & repetition for beginning readers.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, Dear Dragon by Margaret Hillert c2008
The Luck of the Irish by Margaret McNamara
It’s St. Patrick’s Day! by Rebecca Gomez c2004
Fluffy’s Lucky Day by Kate McMullan c2002

E with a number = Easy Non-fiction
Uses Dewey Decimal Subject classification numbers to shelve books on the same subject matter together.
St. Patrick’s Day by Janet Riehecky c1994 [E 394.262 Riehecky]
St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons c1994 [E 394.262 Gibbons]
St. Patrick and the Peddler by Margaret Hodges c1993
Tim O’Toole and the wee folk : an Irish tale by Gerald McDermott c1990

2. NOTICE print all around you:
Point out signs and printed words wherever you go! Book orientation is also part of print awareness. Children need hands-on experiences to understand that we read from left to right, front to back, top to bottom - not all cultures do.

3. TALK, TALK, TALK:
Talk about the meaning of new words. Children who are read to often have a larger vocabulary and better language and comprehension skills when they enter kindergarten making it easier to recognize words as they begin to read.

4. TELL STORIES about everything:
Watch the story of “Monkey and Alligator”, an Afro-Caribbean folk tale.

5. LOOK FOR LETTERS everywhere:
You can find fun activities for the letter A at the DLTK’s Letter A Craft Site and the letter C at DLTK’s Letter C Craft Site.

6. TAKE TIME TO RHYME, sing and play word games:
Say the rhymes and sing the songs from Toddler Time at home.
~ Rhymes help children hear the sounds that make up words, a skill that helps children sound out words as they begin to read.
~ In most songs each syllable in a word gets a different note.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crocodile, Crocodile Turn Around
Crocodile, crocodile, turn around.
Crocodile, crocodile, touch the ground.
Crocodile, crocodile, dance on your toes.
Crocodile, crocodile, touch your nose.
Crocodile, crocodile, jump up now.
Crocodile, crocodile, take a bow.
Crocodile, crocodile, stomp your feet.
Crocodile, crocodile, take a seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys, swinging on a tree.
Teasing Mr. Alligator “Can’t catch me! Can’t catch me!”
Along comes Mr. Alligator, ugly as can be…. SNAP!
Four little monkeys, swinging on a tree…. etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Crocodiles
One little, two little, three little crocodiles,
Four little, five little, six little crocodiles,
Seven little, eight little, nine little crocodiles,
Ten little crocodiles hatch from eggs.

Ten little, nine little, eight little crocodiles,
Seven little, six little, five little crocodiles,
Four little, three little, two little crocodiles,
One little crocodile swims away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crocodile [Tune: I’m a Little Teapot]
I’m a crocodile, long and green.
With the pointiest teeth that you have ever seen.
When you see me swim by like a log,
Out of the water it’s time to jog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a Crocodile
There was a crocodile who lived in the glade. [Open & close hands as a mouth]
He swam in the swamp, [Pretend to swim]
and napped in the shade. [Pretend to sleep]
He snapped at a bird. [Open and close hands]
He snapped at a bee. [Open and close hands]
He snapped at a frog. [Open and close hands]
and he snapped at me. [Open and close hands]
He caught the bird. [Pretend to catch with hands]
He caught the bee. [Pretend to catch with hands]
He caught the frog. [Pretend to catch with hands]
But, he didn’t catch me! [Shake head “no”]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alligator Stomp from http://www.songsforteaching.com/jackgrunsky/alligatorstomp.htm
One alligator in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
Found a partner, saying, “How do you do?”
They danced together, now they are two.

Two alligators in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
Up came a gator, saying, “pardon me”
and danced along… now there were three.

Three alligators in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
Up stepped a gator on the floor,
and danced along… now there were four.

Four alligators in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
One took a slip and bumped her knee,
Sat back down… now there were three.

Three alligators in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
One got dizzy cause he had the flu,
Sat back down… now there were two.

Two alligators in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
One said, “later! I got to run!”
Went straight home… now there was one.

One alligator in the swamp, doing the alligator stomp.
Ended just as she (he) had begun,
Said, “goodbye” now there was none.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Baby Gator
Little baby gator swimming through the swamp
(hands together, swim gator-like)
Eating logs of fish with a CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP!
(chomp hands open and closed)
Along came a hunter with a great big net,
(pretend to raise net)
Gator went SPLASH!
(splash loudly and enthusiastically)
And the hunter got wet! (shake hands and self)
So he went home an put on dry underwear!
(hands on hips, then shake finger)

EF = Easy Fiction
Picture books with a longer story.
Underground Gators by Tina Casey c2009
Melrose and Croc: An Adventure to Remember by Emma Chichester Clark c2008
Crocs! by David Greenberg c2008
I’d Really Want to Eat a Child by Sylviane Donnio c2007
Rainy Day by Patricia Lakin c2007

ER = Easy Reader
Controlled vocabulary & repetition for beginning readers.
Mr. Croc Rocks by Frank Rodgers c2009
Gator or Croc by Allan Fowler c1996
May I Please Have a Cookie? by J.E. Morris c2005
Alligators: Life in the Wild by Monica Kulling c2000

E with a number = Easy Non-fiction
Uses Dewey Decimal Subject classification numbers to shelve books on the same subject matter together.
Alligators and Crocodiles by Trudi Trueit c2003 [E 597.98 Trueit]
Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile by Won-Ldy Paye c2003 [E 398.2 Paye]
Crocodile Listens by April Sayre c2001 [E 597.98 Sayre]

2. NOTICE print all around you:
Point out signs and printed words wherever you go!

3. TALK, TALK, TALK:
Have you ever seen a bullfrog? What do you think it would be like to hold a bullfrog?

4. TELL STORIES about everything:
When you read with your child, point to some of the words as you say them, especially words that are repeated.

5. LOOK FOR LETTERS everywhere:
You can find fun activities for the letter F at the DLTK’s Letter F Craft Site. Learn about frogs at http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/

6. TAKE TIME TO RHYME, sing and play word games:
Say the rhymes and sing the songs from Toddler Time at home.
~ Rhymes help children hear the sounds that make up words, a skill that helps children sound out words as they begin to read.
~ In most songs each syllable in a word gets a different note.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Toad
I am a little toad.
Hopping down the road. [hop up and down]
Just listen to my song. [make ribbit noises]
I sleep all winter long [palms together on check]
When spring comes, I peep out, [peep behind hands]
and then I jump about [jump around]
and now I catch a fly [clap hands]
and now I wink my eye. [wink]
and now and then I hop. [hop]
and now and then I stop [sit down]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Tadpole
tune: “Frere Jacques”
Little tadpole, little tadpole
Lost his tail, lost his tail.
First he had just two feet
Now he has four feet
Look a frog, look a frog!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Froggies on the Well
Five little froggies sitting on a well.
One looked in, and down he fell.
Froggies jumped high, froggies jumped low.
Four little froggies sitting on a well. etc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Froggy [Tune: I’m a Little Teapot]
See the little froggy swimming in the pool.
The water’s great, it’s nice and cool.
When he gets all cleaned up, out he’ll hop.
Squeaky cleam from bottom to top.

See the little froggy, on the lily pad.
Trying to catch flies, she’s getting sad.
When she catches one, she’ll gobble it up
Back in the water she’ll go , Kerplop!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five Little Speckled Frogs
Five little speckled frogs
sitting on a speckled log [5 fingers on bent arm]
eating the MOST delicious bugs, yum! yum!
[pick bugs out of air, rub tummy]

One jumped into the pool, [finger hops in pool]
where it was nice and cool,
Then there were four speckled frogs!
[Continue with four frogs, then three, etc]
Then there were NO more speckled frogs!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I Have a Little Frog
I have a little frog, his name is Tiny Tim,
I put him in the bathtub, to see if he would swim,
He drank up all the water, and gobbled up the soap!
and when he tried to talk
He had a bubble in his throat!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bloop Bloop
Bloop bloop went the little green frogs one day,
Bloop bloop went the little green frogs,
Bloop bloop went the little green frogs one day,
and they all went bloop, bloop, bloop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Had a Little Frog
[tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb]
Mary had a little frog, little frog, little frog
Mary had a little frog, it’s skin was green as grass.
And everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went,
the frog would jump and splash.

EF = Easy Fiction
Picture books with a longer story.
Green Wilma Frog in Space by Tedd Arnold c2009
Beware of the Frog by William Bee c2008
Bradley McGogg The Very Fine Frog by Tim Beiser c2008
Froggie Goes to Camp by Jonathan London c2008
The Frog Who Wanted to See the Sea by Guy Billout c2007
Little Quack’s New Friend by Lauren Thompson c2006
Excuse Me! by Lisa Kopelke c2003
The Hoppameleon by Paul Geraghty c2001
Marsh Music by Marianne Berkes c2000

ER = Easy Reader
Controlled vocabulary & repetition for beginning readers.
Frogs by Kathyrn Hoffman Satterfield c2006
A Tadpole Grows Up by Pam Zollman c2005
Frog’s Best Friend by Marion Dane Bauer c2002
Let’s Clean Up by Peggy Perry Anderson c2002

E with a number = Easy Non-fiction
Uses Dewey Decimal Subject classification numbers to shelve books on the same subject matter together.
Frogs by Nic Bishop c2008 [E 597.89 Bishop]
How a Tadpole Grows into a Frog David Stewart c2008 [E 597.89 Stewart]
Slippery, Slimy Baby Frogs by Sandra Markle c2006 [E 597.8 Markle]
Polliwog by Tammy Bronson c2004 [E 597.8 Bronson]
All About Frogs by Jim Arnosky c2002 [E 597.89 Arnosky]

2. NOTICE print all around you:
Children who enjoy books will want to learn to read, help your child pick a book they want to check out from the library.

3. TALK, TALK, TALK:
Hearing lots of language is linked to vocabulary development. Children with caregivers that have a high level of verbal interaction have a much larger vocabulary when they start school. Children hear about three times more rare words when listening to books than in ordinary conversations. Try cooking something with your child’s help. There are many unusual words used in recipes. i.e. Colander, Saute, Dice, Al dente, Baste

4. TELL STORIES about everything:
Tell your child a story of about a time that something you cooked turned out really great… or really bad. Ask them to tell you about their favorite kind of food.

5. LOOK FOR LETTERS everywhere:
You can find fun activities for the letter S at the DLTK’s Letter S Craft Site.

6. TAKE TIME TO RHYME, sing and play word games:
Say the rhymes and sing the songs from Toddler Time at home.
~ Rhymes help children hear the sounds that make up words, a skill that helps children sound out words as they begin to read.
~ In most songs each syllable in a word gets a different note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make the Soup
[tune:”This is the way we wash”]
Come and help me make the soup,
make the soup, make the soup,
Come and help me make the soup,
One cold and frosty evening.

First you put the pot on the stove,
pot on the stove, pot on the stove.
First you put the pot on the stove,
one cold and frosty evening.

Then you pour the water in ,
the water in, the water in ,
Then you pour the water in,
One cold and frosty evening.

This is the way we add some veges,
add some veges, add some veges,
This is the way we add some veges,
on a cold and frosty evening.

This is the way we stir the pot,
stir the pot, stir the pot
This is the way we stir the pot,
on a cold and frosty evening.

Now it’s time to take a sip,
take a sip, take a sip.
Now it’s time to take a sip,
of our perfect soupy supper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Animal Crackers
Animal crackers in my soup,
monkies and rabbits loop the loop,
Gosh, oh gee, but I have fun,
swallowin’ animals one by one.
In every bowl of soup I see,
lions and tigers watching me,
I make’em jump right thru a hoop,
those animal crackers in my soup.
Shirley Temple singing Animal Crackers in my Soup on YouTube.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alphabet Soup
Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”
Letters in my soup, Letters in my soup,
Hi ho the derry-O, there’s letters in my soup.

Let’s spell out some words, Let’s spell out some words,
Hi ho the derry-o, let’s spell out some words.

The C takes the A, the A takes the T
Hi ho the derry-o, let’s spell out some words.

The D takes the O, the O takes the G
Hi ho the derry-o, let’s spell out some words.

The B takes the U, the U takes the S
Hi ho the derry-o, let’s spell out some words.

Letters in my soup, letters in my soup.
With letters we can spell out words,
There’s letters in my soup.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Stew
[Tune: Twinkle, twinkle]
Have the children stand in a circle (the stew pot).
Rainbow stew, rainbow stew
try a spoonful, maybe two!
What goes into rainbow stew?
Listen now while I tell you.

Put in green beans, put in green beans.
Put the green beans in the pot.
(children wearing green enter the circle)

Put in red beets, put in red beets.
Put the red beets in the stew.
(children wearing red enter the circle)

Put in ‘tators, put in ‘tators.
Put in chunks of brown potatoes.
(children wearing brown enter the circle)

Put in squash, put in squash,
Put in rounds of yellow squash.
(children wearing yellow enter the circle)
Then stir! (everyone turns around)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lunchtime
I’ll have a yummy bowl of soup
and a sandwich too.
I’ll nibble, nibble, slurp, slurp
and chew, chew, chew.
I’ll drink my milk and wipe my face
and put my napkin in my lap.
Then after such a tasty lunch,
I think I’ll take a nap.
From Ring a Ring o’Roses by Tina Birkholz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stir the Soup (act out the motions)
Stir the soup in the pot
Boy it’s really hot
Stir it fast, really fast
Stir it really, really slow.
Stir it high, stir it low
It’s still hot, let’s blow
Stir it fast like you should
I think it’s done!
Mmmmmmmm! It’s good!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chocolate Soup
[Tune: Twinkle Twinkle]
Dip some ice cream in a bowl,
Then add chocolate while it’s cold.
Let it melt till it gets soft.
Lick your sticky fingers off.
Stir it, stir it, till it’s goop.
Now you’ve made a chocolate soup!