Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a well-loved book for children written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault. This book is best read by rapping the words or in a sing-song tune. The rhymes are fun and easy to memorize.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a book about the alphabet that climbed up the coconut tree. When all of them were at the top, the letters all fell down. So the big letters came to their rescue because some got hurt.

We had this before on a tape, played on a tape player. The rhythm is catchy, upbeat and like a rap. The new format for DVD was different though but not less fun. The book is being recited like a song, with high notes and a wonderful rhythm that the children and adults too, would really love.

Below is a photo of my students, though they can’t be seen, watching a video of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom in the biggest room in the center where the occupational therapists work.

This room also doubles as a group or class venue because of its size. It also has a big television so it can also be turned into something like an audio-visual room. There are no seats though the children prefer to just stand and/or dance and/or move about when the video is playing songs or just sit on the floor when the video is not for dancing and moving around. They sit on rubber mats though if the center decides to upgrade using a home theater carpet, that would be good too.

Now, this singsong part, which is my favorite part actually, I can’t get it out of my mind now, “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, look there’s a full moon. A is out of bed and this is what he said, “Dare double dare, you can’t catch me, I’ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree, Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom!”

This is the fifth story in our Story Telling group activity this summer: “Grover, Grover, Come On Over” by Katharine Ross. This is a book I bought my daughter Trixie when she was just a few months old.

This story has many aspects or lessons to be learned by the reader.

First, Grover made a kite by using recyclable materials that he got from his friends. Then it also teaches about kite making using step by step sequences. It also teaches about patiently waiting for something to finish to be shared and enjoyed.

And because the lines were repetitive and rhyming, the kids enjoyed reading along with me (those who can already read) or just plainly reciting along with me. We had our oral reading wherein they assumed the role of Grover and I assumed the role of the other characters. Oh what fun we had!

Noel, an occupational therapist who is with me in the group, put up some yarns to some of the fixtures on the ceiling. Then the children were asked to get a hold of one and pretend to be flying kites. They had so much fun!

Then the children settled down to design their own kites. One of them had high hopes of flying the kite when he gets home. If it rains, he said he will use a fan

Here is heart-warming story about a girl who learned to read this story.

Our fourth story for the Story Telling Narrative was about Franklin the Turtle, of that famous animated TV show. I didn’t really know that this has been turned into an animated show because we don’t have cable tv. Franklin is a character i have loved even before, when my daughter Trixie was a preschooler, learning to play with computer games.

The story Franklin is Lost talks about having fun with friends and not forgetting what your parents have asked you to do: follow what they told to do, or not to do. The story talks about friendship and the love of parents to their children. Warm feelings about loving and caring.

Yeah, i did manage to tell the story and go on with this activity after being harangued by this incident. Professionalism rules the day, not rants and false accusations. But I digress, I better save my breath on more important matters . Oh, I’m so loving this, I hope she would be able to read this.

This is the book:

Franklin is Lost by Paulette Bourgeois book

The children doing their design-your-Franklin activity. Yes, I drew them turtles

We did a diorama. The children helped put up the trees which were made of rolled brown construction papers and crumpled green Japanese papers. We used a box top cover for the setting. Good thing we have a lot of plastic toy turtles in the center so each child got to choose a Franklin to play with. They had their turns playing their Franklins in the diorama.

UPDATE: one of the speech pathologists in the center used our diorama for her session yesterday I feel good.

A Fine Mouse Band is a wonderful story about a family of mice. This story talks about doing chores, helping one another and developing the potentials and talents of the family members.

The Plot: This story is about a family doing different chores at home. Each family member has his/her own task to do. Then they enjoyed playing music with the instruments that they made.

Of course we had to make music using our own improvised pom-poms, cymbals made of empty lotion plastic containers (these are being used for massages by the occupational therapists), musical instruments toys and even the baby rattles used by the smaller children for therapy.

Here the children are watching a “Mommy And Me” DVD while they sing their hearts out and use the “musical instruments”. What fun they we had!

This story was written by Cyndy Szekeres who also wrote a lot of books and you can view the titles here: Cyndy Szekeres (1933-) Biography - Personal, Career, Writings, Work in Progress, Sidelights

I can’t wait for December 12, 2008.

Here is why: When you can live forever, what do you live for? - Twilight

Must.Click.That -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9JgLtq_z5k

The second story we discussed in the Storytelling/Narrative Group was “Little Witch’s Big Night” by Deborah Hautzig.

Little Witch lives in a house with her Mother and her two witch aunts, Nasty Witch and Grouchy Witch. On Halloween Night, Mother Witch checked to see Little Witch’s room. She was surprised to see that she made her bed and she cleared the cobwebs. Little Witch is a good little witch who loves to do things that witches don’t do like cleaning their rooms.

So on that Halloween night, Little Witch stayed at home and did not go flying with her Mother and aunts. She was very sad.

Suddenly, their dog barked and three children in different costumes, an astronaut, a devil and a pirate, came. They each had a basket of candies and thy came for some more. Little Witch had no candies so she decided to give them a different kind of treat.

She told them that she can give them a ride on her broomstick. The boy in a devil costume went to ride with Little Witch first. They flew over houses. The boy wearing the astronaut came next and he and Little Witch flew over the ocean and even saw a real pirate ship. The boy in the astronaut costume went to ride with Little Witch last and they flew over the city, over the tall buildings.

Soon Little Witch said goodbye to her friends and her mother and aunts arrived home. Mother Witch said she missed Little Witch and next year, she will go with them. Little Witch asked if she can take her friends with them and Mother Witch said yes.

Little Witch was happy when she went to sleep. She dreamt about having the best Halloween next year.

Julian, J and G posing as pirates just before the role-playing activity after the story was told.