All About Teeth Storytime
posted in picture books, children's literature, storytelling |
Dental Hygiene Storytime
Created by Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (you can add or subtract items as necessary to suit your purposes)
Introduction: Welcome. Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month? Well, it is, and so today we’re going to be talking teeth.
Song: Got my Toothbrush (to the tune of: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Got my toothpaste, got my brush,
I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.
Making sure my teeth are clean,
Front and back and in between.
When I brush for quite a while,
I will have a happy smile!
Books:
For the Truth Ask a Tooth by Dee Coghlan
Here we have the telling of the story from a tooth’s perspective.
Have You Ever Seen a Moose Brushing His Teeth? by Jamie McClaine and April Goodman Willy
Join the Moose in this delightful rhyming tale of his endeavors to care for his grass stained teeth.
Brush Your Teeth Please Pop-Up by Reader’s Digest
Pop open the book and find a chimp brushing its teeth back and forth and a shark that flosses every day. Youngsters will have lots of fun learning about proper dental hygiene in this delightful pop-up book.
Clarabella’s Teeth by An Vrombaut
An amusing story about the importance of daily tooth care and about friendship. The question, “And Clarabella?” encourages engagement and page turning to find the answer.
What Do the Fairies Do With All Those Teeth? by Michel Luppens and Philippe Beha
This story is less about dental hygiene (well, not at all about it really) and more about conjecture. It proffers many amusing answers to the question it poses; make the story interactive by encouraging children to add their own suggestions at the end.
Song (can insert in-between reading the books): A Dentist’s Song (to the tune of: Row, Row, Row your Boat)
Brush, brush brush your teeth.
Keep them clean each day.
then you’ll have a pretty smile,
And healthy teeth all day.
OR
My Wise Dentist (to the tune of: Are you Sleeping?)
My Wise Dentist
Always tells me,
Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth.
Brush them in the morning
And again at bedtime.
Brush your teeth
Brush your teeth.
Conclusion and Departing Song:
Departing Song: It’s time to go home, It’s time to go, home, Wave good-bye to everyone, It’s time to go home.
Additional Verses: We had a happy day, We’ll see you next time
Conclusion: We’ll see you next time. Until then, don’t forget to brush those teeth. Feel free to check out tooth-related or other books on your way out too!
Time Fillers/Substitutions:
Crafts & Activities: Surf the web for Teeth-related activities or check out the offerings at A to Z Teacher Stuff Teeth Theme and the ADA.org Games and puzzles (the first couple of games are online interactive but the last few are handouts (dot-to-dot, maze, crossword) that could be either used in storytime or sent home as takeaway activities). About.com also has a guide with many links to Dental Activities, Fun Facts, and Games for Kids.
OR
Technology Links: If you have access to the Internet and a projector, then you can play the Tooth Family song and video provided by the British Council. In addition to the song and video, kids can play a related game and activity. The song is an educational song in which the Tooth Family are singing a song about looking after one’s teeth.
Other Tooth-Related Picture Books to Display:
Alice and Her Fabulous Teeth by Catherine Myler Fruisen and Robin MacOnie
Arthur’s Tooth (Arthur Adventure Series) by Marc Brown Crocodiles Don’t Brush Their Teeth by Colin Fancy and Ken Wilson-Max
Dear Tooth Fairy by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Marie-louise Fitzpatrick
Does a Lion Brush? (Early Experiences) by Fred Ehrlich
George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora, and Brock Cole
For the Truth Ask a Tooth by Dee Coghlan Franklin
How Many Teeth? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) by Paul Showers
I Spy Funny Teeth (Scholastic Readers) by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick
My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child Nice Try, Tooth Fairy by Mary W Olson and Katherine Tillotson The Night Before The Tooth Fairy (Reading Railroad) by Natasha Wing and Barbara Johansen Newman
Open Wide! by Tom Barber and Lynne Chapman
Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller Sweet
Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms
Tooth by Margie Palatini and Jack E. Davis
The Tooth Fairy (Franklin) by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions Around the World by Selby Beeler
Uncle Farley’s False Teeth by Alice Walsh and Michael Marchenko
You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt and David Slonim
Dental Health Music and Songs were found at Preschool Education Music & Songs: Dental Health. The image used in this post is freely available at Cool Clips.
