As I’ve seen and read about storytimes over the years, I’ve taken note of the variety of ways presenters plan. The general structure is fundamentally the same but there are also nuances: recurring characters, trademark songs, themes/no themes, crafts/no crafts, etc. I think it’s all fascinating. Here is my post to throw into the storytime blog ring.

---

Storytime Structure

I’ve found Jbrary‘s Toddler Storytime Planning Sheet to be a helpful template because it covers the basic components I use in my all-ages Family Storytime: books, puppet/flannel activities, songs, and rhymes. But, since I tend to use the same songs and rhymes (with one or two exceptions) in every storytime, I find myself actually looking at my planning sheets less and less.

Why so much repetition? After spending a chunk of time trying to stock my themes with songs and rhymes that fit perfectly, I realized I was doing it more for myself than the kids. Besides, kids love repetition—and their brains do too!

Here are my storytime staples:

• “Let’s Go Riding on an Elevator” (scarf song)
• “Little Mousie Brown” (action rhyme, w/ puppet)
• “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom” (action song)
• “Open, Shut Them” (fingerplay)

I also use a visual schedule in every storytime. This is something I picked up from my year working in early intervention. It sets up expectations about what will happen during storytime but, more importantly, it levels the playing field and creates a welcoming environment for kids who have trouble transitioning.

My schedule, which is placed on my felt board, contains a card with an image and caption (I use Boardmaker‘s icons) for each part of storytime. The cards are arranged in a column.

For Family Storytime, there are eight cards:

1. hello: for the hello song
2. sing: for songs/rhymes
3. read: for a book
4. puppet: for a special puppet guest
5. sing: for songs/rhymes
6. read: for a book
7. goodbye: for the goodbye song
8. play: for open-ended play after storytime

I never stray from the schedule I have put up—though I do adjust it for different programs.

---

Book Selection

After ALA Annual 2017 in Chicago, I experienced a paradigm shift regarding storytime and book selection. The main revelation: storytime is social justice and racial equity work. Storytime presenters have a responsibility to plan their storytimes intentionally. I used to choose a theme and then match books to that theme. Now, after taking a cue from Echo, a guest blogger on Jbrary, I select the book first—a diverse book. From that anchor text, I extrapolate a theme (sometimes a social justice theme) and find another text to pair it with.

I tend to choose books that allow for the most interaction with my audience. Inspired by Megan Dowd Lambert’s Whole Book Approach, I try to engage readers in all aspects of a book. And, since my storytime crowd is classroom-sized, I am able to spend a lot of time letting readers really dig in to what we read.

---

Perhaps my favorite piece of advice comes from Nell Coburn of Multnomah County Library: “Storytime is not a performance; it’s an interactive experience between you and the people in front of you on any particular day.” As a Family Storytime presenter, I have to be flexible and adapt quickly to meet the needs of the audience. It’s a delightful challenge, and I love adjusting my storytime practice as I learn new things.

Do you plan storytime differently? I’d love to hear your process in the comments below.