Yesterday Saroj Ghoting wrote to the PUBYAC listserv about a new feature on her website (www.earlylit.net). This feature is called Storytime Share and its purpose is to collect and share ideas for books and activities that promote early literacy in storytime. You can find craft ideas, storytime activities, and (of course) great ideas for readalouds. Anyone may submit an idea and Saroj will post it on the blog. Tags make it easy to search for what you're looking for and there's a feed you can subscribe to.
Speaking of sites to help with your storytime, I stumbled across the Storytime Source Page a few weeks ago when I was stumped and it really gave me some inspiration! It's not updated very frequently, but the entries contain very extensive lists of books (separated into different age groups - very helpful!), songs, rhymes, and other alternate formats.
I'm gonna put in another plug for the Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange (ELSIE) at the Hennepin County Library in Minneapolis. You can search for books, songs, rhymes, and fingerplays by entering keywords or searching for a certain early literacy skill. It's a great resource for storytime materials!
So, the next time you're feeling uninspired for storytime, check out one of these great sites and you're sure to find some great suggestions! What other sites are great for storytime ideas?
