A few months ago,
I finally decided to attempt going to
story time with the kids again. I tried when Ethan was one, but it was just too overwhelming for me and made the experience ...well, not what it should be. I knew it was an environment that would be good for them both though, so a few months ago we gave it another try. I brought them to the one for 3 and 4 year
olds knowing that it would probably help Ethan to see the older ones setting examples. And it really did. Both kids learned a lot through the past few months. Madeline has learned (for the most part) the
appropriate times to speak and for how long. I think she also learned how to enjoy a setting not just for the opportunities to be around other people ("friends" as she'd say), but as an opportunity to learn. Ethan learned that if he wanted to do the craft at the end of
story time, he had to sit quietly through the entire
story time :) He got to do the last 3 crafts :) I brought my camera this day since it was the last
story time until next school year starts. Ethan is in the stripes next to his buddy, Aidan and Madeline is saying "Hi" to the girl next to her...surprising, I know.
How they always begin
story time:
After a story or two (depending on how the kids are acting), all the kids "get their wiggles out." Naturally, it's Madeline's favorite part. In fact, on this day when the librarian asked "Do you know what we're doing today?" Expecting the kids to say "read about animals," Madeline
responded, "get our wiggles out!!!"
Yay!! He made it to craft time! After each story he'll say "Go do craft now?!?!!" He actually amazed me at how he listened to the directions and then completed the whole craft, correctly, in record time:
Madeline, on the other hand, is
always the last kid done. She
definitely pays a lot of attention to detail. I think she was starting to understand that there is a point at which we just have to go
because she just glued down her pieces and said "I'll just finish it at home."
We LOVE the
story time at the Columbia County Library and can't wait for it to start up again!!
A few months ago, I finally decided to attempt going to story time with the kids again. I tried when Ethan was one, but it was just too overwhelming for me and made the experience ...well, not what it should be. I knew it was an environment that would be good for them both though, so a few months ago we gave it another try. I brought them to the one for 3 and 4 year olds knowing that it would probably help Ethan to see the older ones setting examples. And it really did. Both kids learned a lot through the past few months. Madeline has learned (for the most part) the appropriate times to speak and for how long. I think she also learned how to enjoy a setting not just for the opportunities to be around other people ("friends" as she'd say), but as an opportunity to learn. Ethan learned that if he wanted to do the craft at the end of story time, he had to sit quietly through the entire story time :) He got to do the last 3 crafts :) I brought my camera this day since it was the last story time until next school year starts. Ethan is in the stripes next to his buddy, Aidan and Madeline is saying "Hi" to the girl next to her...surprising, I know. 
How they always begin story time: 
After a story or two (depending on how the kids are acting), all the kids "get their wiggles out." Naturally, it's Madeline's favorite part. In fact, on this day when the librarian asked "Do you know what we're doing today?" Expecting the kids to say "read about animals," Madeline responded, "get our wiggles out!!!" 
Yay!! He made it to craft time! After each story he'll say "Go do craft now?!?!!" He actually amazed me at how he listened to the directions and then completed the whole craft, correctly, in record time: 
Madeline, on the other hand, is always the last kid done. She definitely pays a lot of attention to detail. I think she was starting to understand that there is a point at which we just have to go because she just glued down her pieces and said "I'll just finish it at home." 
We LOVE the story time at the Columbia County Library and can't wait for it to start up again!!