Back in Preschool: Storytelling at the CSC Miriam College

I was the guest storyteller in Miriam College's Child Study Center (CSC) yesterday. The library of CSC has a new librarian. He is young and a fresh graduate from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He is none other than Mr. Nino Angelo Fernandez. In the CSC, he is fondly called as Teacher Gelo by students and teachers.

Teacher Gelo took over the CSC library last year and he continues on the tradition of early literacy development through library services and programs at the CSC. When he sent the invitation for me to tell stories to the Nursery classes, I immediately remembered the warm reception of CSC's faculty and staff in years past when I was their visiting storyteller. Despite my busy schedule, I said yes to the invitation  because I know I will be rekindling ties with old friends in CSC. Besides, Teacher Gelo is a PCScian like myself. The ties that bind are pretty tight.

With Teacher Gelo
holding a library copy
of My Daddy! My One and Only (Lampara Books)

As expected, I enjoyed my whole day storytelling with the Nursery students. The children loved listening to the stories I told! One student frankly said, "Ms. Zarah, you are funny!" My heart soared.

I started out with a read aloud of my book, My Daddy! My One and Only! As a pre-reading activity, I introduced the song Hi-ho Library-oh!

The song can be sung to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell

The author writes the book (2x)
Hi-ho Library-oh! The author writes the book

The illustrator draws (2x)
Hi-ho Library-oh! The illustrator draws

The publisher puts it together (2x)\
Hi-ho Library-oh! The publisher puts it together

After the read aloud, I reminded the Nursery students that books are available in the library. I moved on to a draw-and-tell story of Bingo the Dog. As a goodbye story, I ended with a cut-and-tell story of Mama Bird Laid an Egg. The students took home baby bird hats/sun visors as their souvenir.

But, before each class left the activity center, Teacher Gelo had a five minute library tour with each class. How practical of Teacher Gelo to introduce three basic library rules for the preschoolers.

Keep it simple and sweet!

I sure would like to visit the CSC of Miriam College again. I am inspired to spin new stories for their preschoolers. I started out as a preschool teacher and moved on to Xavier School as the librarian for its preschool department. I am now a High School librarian concentrating on Young Adult library services. But preschool education beckons to me like magic, once in a while. I submit myself to its enchanting spell.