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

by Katie Scherrer

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838915448
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	02/03/2017
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.24(d)

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2017
An overview of how to conduct a storytime yoga program for three- to six-year-olds and their parents or caregivers. Scherrer covers the basics of yoga, discusses how yoga and movement impact early learning, and offers 13 basic yoga poses with 35 variations, accompanied by simple line drawings. She provides "movement extensions" for the poses (for instance, ask kids to moo and meow as they move through cow and cat pose) and relevant early learning tie-ins (books, rhymes, etc.). There are 12 themed yoga storytimes, each of which is designed to last roughly 45 minutes, with suggestions for books, songs, movements, and yoga poses. The final chapter includes a list of recommended resources and a bibliography of the materials used in the storytimes. Though the title clearly presents solid information, readers will benefit from hands-on knowledge of yoga to most effectively carry out the programs; librarians who are unfamiliar with the practice may want to take classes. VERDICT Those curious about starting a yoga storytime program will find this slim volume a solid jumping-off point.—Renee McGrath, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY

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