Stories, Songs, and Stretches!: Creating Playful Storytimes with Yoga and Movement

ALA Member
$43.20
Price
$48.00
Item Number
978-0-8389-1544-8
Published
2017
Publisher
ALA Editions
Pages
112
Width
8 12"
Height
11"
Format
Softcover
AP Categories
A
C
Samples

Primary tabs

You don't need to be an ALA Member to purchase from the ALA Store, but you'll be asked to create an online account/profile during the checkout to proceed. This Web Account is for both members and non-members.

  • Description
  • Table of Contents
  • About the author
  • Reviews

Young children love to move—and that's a great thing! Because in addition to supporting early learning, storytime can provide young children with opportunities to explore physical movement. The centuries-old contemplative movement practice known as yoga is more than just a passing trend; it can offer physical, emotional, and mental benefits to practitioners of all ages, including young children. And getting started with yoga storytime doesn't require any previous yoga experience. This new book from accomplished library trainer Scherrer shows how to use yoga and movement to create playful, active storytimes. A complete guide for library staff and others serving young children, this resource draws on Scherrer's experience as a children's librarian and a yoga teacher, as well as research from the health and education fields, to

  • introduce yoga, exploring its history while dispelling myths about the practice;
  • demonstrate how yoga and movement can support children's early learning and social-emotional development;
  • explain the differences between children's yoga classes and yoga storytimes;
  • lay out step-by-step directions on how to design and launch a yoga storytime program, including guidance on materials selection, the logistical arrangements of physical space, props, and marketing;
  • provide descriptions of more than 35 basic, child-friendly yoga poses suitable for anyone to use with children;
  • offer 12 ready-to-use yoga storytime plans; and
  • include an extensive bibliography of helpful print and online resources for future program planning.

Readers will find the complete guidance they need to immediately begin incorporating yoga and movement into their storytime programs.

Introduction

Chapter 1    An Introduction to Yoga
Chapter 2    Yoga, Movement, and Early Learning
Chapter 3    Yoga Storytime Fundamentals
Chapter 4    Basic Yoga Poses for Yoga Storytime
Chapter 5    Ready-to-Use Yoga Storytime Plans
Chapter 6    Recommended Resources for Yoga Storytime Programming

Index

Katie Scherrer

Katie Scherrer spends her time in the library and the yoga worlds, and she loves it when the two come together! Formerly a children's librarian, she is known for her consulting and training work helping libraries and educational organizations improve services to Latino immigrant communities through outreach and bilingual programming. She is also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). Since 2013, she has been teaching yoga to children in many settings, including libraries, yoga studios, and schools. Katie graduated summa cum laude from Capital University (Ohio) in 2004, traveled the world, fell in love with yoga and libraries, and received her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree from Kent State University in 2009. She is the coauthor of Once Upon a Cuento: Bilingual Storytimes in English and Spanish, published by ALA Editions. To learn more about Katie's work, or to schedule an online or in-person training session with her, please visit Connected Communites and Katie Scherrer Yoga.

"Scherrer clarifies the issues involved in using yoga in storytime and distills the relevant information to present a guide enabling any librarian to present an authentic yoga movement storytime. For the librarian looking for more mindful use of movement in storytime, this book is a must-have. Written for the public librarian to be used in presenting preschool storytime, this book would be helpful to any early childhood educator, parent, or guardian who wishes to use yoga as a movement tool to support early learning."
— Reference & User Services Quarterly

"A solid jumping-off point."
— School Library Journal

"Resources abound in this text, as the author provides 13 basic poses and instructions for how to explain them to young children. Each pose is supported by early learning tie-ins (such as sounds, letter connections, opposites, etc.) and movement extensions (songs, motion directions, and science). Lesson plans complete this resource, which allows interested professionals to explore this new type of storytime with support before creating their own. Programming professionals will find this a worthwhile resource to enhance their current programs."
— Booklist