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I love the theme of opposites, because it involves math skills and language/literacy skills (supporting Common Core curriculum goals). And, just like the classic lap sit game, "SO BIG" that we often play with infants and toddlers, it's so much fun, we don't even realize we're building math skills along the way!
As I explained previously, my aim with this series of blog posts is to build each lesson plan in a pick-and-choose/modular format, meaning that you can apply the elements that work for your environment, age group(s) and personal interests, and skip the rest.
Each lesson plan incorporates ideas that are suitable for infant/toddler, preschool and/or school age audiences, and each program incorporates activities that promote literacy/early literacy and one or more of the six keys skills recommended by the National Research Council for preparing children to become readers when they enter school. Programs can last from 20 - 45 minutes, depending on what you include and who your audience is.
I continue to welcome your feedback on these posts, as I will consider and apply your suggestions and ideas into future lesson plans and posts. I hope you will share your additional ideas/experiences after trying out the lesson plans, allowing others to benefit from your input. Here is this week's offering:
OPPOSITES EVERYWHERE: Sign Language for Opposites
Props/Supplies:
*Include one or more of the following to enrich the learning environment:-Large and small balls (or an expandable ball, like this one I found at OMSI several years ago)
-Pairs of large and small stuffed animals (and/or a toy elephant and a smaller toy mouse)
-Toys that fit together and come apart, like these eggs, or cookies
-Books such as Tails by Matthew Van Fleet, that have opposite touch and feel elements, (like rough and smooth), or a collection of supplies that offer this experience
-A blanket and/or a bag for hide and find games
-Different sizes of balls/blocks/scarves for activity props and/or free play
-Black paper and white crayons as well as white paper and art supplies
Sing an Opening Song to Practice/Introduce Signs:
*I Often Sing, "This is the Way We Sign for Small/(Big), Slow/(Fast), Smooth/(Rough), Etc" to the tune of "Here We Go "Round the Mulberry Bush," but any opening song that incorporates words/signs for the opposite words introduced in the book will work.
*I find that it is more fun to introduce the signs by singing vs. simply showing the signs and asking participants to sign along/practice with you. (Click here for links to a series of past posts where I delve into the topic of singing and signing).
*Don't feel obligated to introduce/incorporate all of the opposites signs included in the book the first time you share it for a story time. Let your comfort level be your guide. At a minimum, introduce a few key words that tie into the props and/or extension activities you plan to add. There is a signing glossary at the back of "Opposites Everywhere," or you can download the glossary from my publisher by clicking here (scroll down past the Star Wars Event info and choose the glossary for Set 2). You can also refer to online resources such as ASL University/Lifeprint or Signing Savvy.
Read the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" Story: "Opposites Everywhere" by Dawn Babb Prochovnic, Illustrated by Stephanie Bauer.
*Before you begin reading, invite children (and/or their grown ups) to listen for the words in the story that match the words you practiced in the opening song, and to show the sign when they hear the word. It's also helpful to point out that many of the signs are two-handed signs, and that you will be holding the book, so you will really need helpers to sign two-handed (even if you are signing one-handed).
This YouTube video provides an example of the type of introduction I offer to kids before I start reading.
Sing, Dance, and Sign Along with Some Music:
*Play music that incorporates words for opposites. I like the song, "Opposites," from the Baby Signing Time Songs Volume 4 CD, and another good one is So Big, by Hap Palmer, but any song/music that incorporates some of the opposites words that you've featured in your story time will work. (Click here for a post all about music made for signers.)
*Invite kids and their grown-ups to get up and dance to the music and do the signs for the opposite words they hear in the lyrics (and when they see you signing).
Round Out the Remainder of Your Story Time by Adding Some Quieter/Listening Activities and Some Active/Movement Activities:
*Choose one or several of the options below to fit your participant age/attention span and program time available.
*In classroom or homeschool settings, these learning activities can be incorporated at different times during the day or even over several days.
*In library settings, different activities can be incorporated for different age groups of participants (i.e. All groups start with the basics above, but for the infant/toddler group, add another song or two and wrap it up; for the preschool group, add another story, some songs and/or music, and a game or a craft; for the school aged group, add a couple more stories, some songs and/or music, a game or two, some fun facts, and a craft).
Invite a Retelling of "Opposites Everywhere":
*Retell "Opposites Everywhere" using a toy elephant and a smaller toy mouse. I let the kids help me retell the story (and I encourage the addition of opposites that are not in the original story, such as "inside" / "outside" /// "up" / "down" and "yes" / "no"). To encourage signing, if kids want a turn handling the toys I'm using as props (or if they want a turn suggesting a set of opposite ideas that I will "enact" with the props), my rule is that helpers have to be signers!Read and Sign Along with Additional Stories:
*Two good (and very familiar) stories for incorporating the opposites signs are:
Opposites, by Sandra Boynton and The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss.
Sing Songs:
*"If You're Hungry and You Know Ask for More" sung to tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It." (i.e. "If you're hungry and you know it ask for more. If you're hungry and you know it ask for more. If you're hungry and you know it, make the sign for more to show it. If you're hungry and you know it ask for more.). This song can be paired with words such as hungry/full, more/all done, hurt/fine, awake/asleep, happy/sad, hot/cold.
*"Do You Know the Sign For Smooth?" sung to the tune of "London Bridge." (i.e. "Do you know the sign for smooth, sign for smooth, sign for smooth? Do you know the sign for smooth? Show me smooth."). Sing this song, alternating between different opposites such as smooth/rough, sweet/sour, slow/fast, old/new, tall/short, open/closed, inside/outside, up/down, etc. You can enrich this activity with pictures or props (such as a smooth block (or rock) paired with a rough rock or a piece of sandpaper) or with books that have opposite touch and feel elements, (like rough and smooth), such as Tails by Matthew Van Fleet.
*"The Blocks are in the Bag" sung to the tune of "the Farmer and the Dell." For this song you'll need a bag of props such as blocks, balls, scarves or even board books. Begin the activity with the props inside the bag. Sing, "The blocks are in the bag. The blocks are in the bag. Hi Ho the Derry-O. The blocks are in the bag." Now sing, "Now we'll dump them out. Now we'll dump them out. Hi Ho the Derry-O. Now we'll dump them out."
Play Signing Games:
*Sign Language Wiggle Buster: Have participants stand up. Call out for participants to engage in different opposite movements. For example, "Stomp like a BIG elephant" / "Tip-toe like a small mouse" /// "Stand tall like a giraffe" / "Be short like a little mouse" /// "Walk-walk-walk" / "Run-run-run" /// "Move" (I use the sign for "dance" for this one) / "Stop"/// "Be loud!" / "Be quiet" /// "Stand up" / "Sit down." Once the wiggles are out, you can read another story about opposites!
*Together/Apart. For this game I use toy eggs and/or cookies. Allow every child to have a matching pair, then say and sign together / apart. After several rounds of success you can say and sign other opposites such as high/low, over/under, inside/outside (and model for children how to interact with their props to demonstrate the words you are saying/signing. After children have completed several rounds of together/apart with their original prop, you can instruct them to pass their prop to the right / left and play some more!NOTE: Instructions for a wide variety signing games are included in each book in the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" series. Instructions for "Opposites Attract," and "Sign Language Concentration" are offered on page 31 of "Opposites Everywhere."
Fun Facts:
*There are fun facts about ASL included on page 30 in each "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" book. Older kids particularly enjoy the fun facts, but even preschoolers, and the parents of infants/toddlers enjoy learning about ASL and/or Deaf Culture in addition to learning key signs.
*A fun fact I like to point out during the "opposites" theme is that signs to convey the degree of something are often not used. For example, to communicate that you want someone to walk slowly, you do not need to sign "walk" and 'slow." Most signers would simply sign "walk," but they would sign it more slowly than usual.
Craft Activities:
*One craft activity I enjoy for this theme is to hand out black construction paper and white crayons. The youngest of participants can use the white crayon to draw pictures and words on the black paper. Encourage older participants to write the words for opposites included in the books you've read or activities you've facilitated, and the oldest participants can be encouraged to add illustrations or word art to convey the opposites. For example, the word "BIG" can written in big letters and the word "small" can be written in small letters; the word "fast" can be written with lines coming out of it, to imply speed, and the word "slow" can be written with the letters spaced farther apart to imply lethargy.
*Another fun activity is for participants to make their own page of opposites. Give each participant a piece of paper and art supplies and provide instructions to create drawings or collages to illustrate five different types of opposites.
Free Play Activities:
*Put out different sizes of blocks or balls or put out a selection of rocks with different textures, and allow children to do what they do best; play. Encourage parents/caregivers to engage children with questions that invite the use of opposite signs in the conversation (i.e. "Can you roll me the big ball?" "Let's put all the smooth rocks together." "Which stack of blocks is taller? Which stack of blocks is shorter?")
Closing Song:
*I typically close each story time with a song that reviews the opposites we've learned during the program. I usually sing this song AFTER I've given instructions for the craft and/or free play activities (if I have these elements planned for the program), but BEFORE I let participants transition to the craft and/or free play activities. I often sing the same song that I opened the program with (for example, "This is the Way We Sign for Small/(Big), Slow/(Fast), Smooth/(Rough), Etc" to the tune of "Here We Go "Round the Mulberry Bush," but any closing song that incorporates words/signs for the opposite words introduced in the book will work.
That wraps up this week's "Start to Finish Story Time." I hope this has been helpful, and I look forward to your input and ideas, which I will incorporate into future posts. If you are planning your own Sign Language Story Time event, be sure to check out the great resources my publisher has developed to help you plan your own event (scroll down past the Star Wars Event Info).
If you love the ideas I've shared, but would prefer that I deliver the Sign Language Story Time to your students or patrons, invite me to your school or library, or ask me about Skype visits!
Happy Signing! Dawn
