The Trapped Librarian

Make your library the center of your school

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Book Love
    • Bulletin Boards and Displays
    • FUN!
    • Helpful Hints
    • Library Advocacy
    • Life
    • Organize It!
    • School Library
    • Technology
    • TPT
  • Shop
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
You are here: Home / School Library / January Library Lessons

December 30, 2021 by: Laura

January Library Lessons

Last Updated on December 30, 2021 by Laura

January Library Lessons

The new year at school brings a fresh start and can help energize your January library lessons. It’s time to help your elementary students get excited about reading again, for one thing. Since the holiday craziness is behind us, it’s a great time to dive deeper into learning without fear of interruption! Here are some topics that I like to cover in my elementary school library right now. As always, your January library lessons can be engaging, rigorous, and fun!

Reading Goals

A natural choice for January library lessons is to set the stage for an exciting new year of reading by helping your students make some “Reading Resolutions!”   Make a display of new books and/or some that may have been forgotten and let your students browse to find titles for their “To-Read” list.  A bright bulletin board can be a fun way for your whole school community to share their reading goals for the new year.

New Year Reading Resolutions Bulletin Board

With very little prep you can get your students thinking about their next “Must-Reads.”  Print these free bookmarks on colorful card stock and students can write down the titles and call numbers of books they want to read this year.  Watch the buzz spread as students talk about the books they plan to read in the new year!

Research

The fresh start in January can be the perfect time to begin more in-depth learning experiences. It’s a great time to consider a research project that spans across the grade levels. I have found that teaching research skills works best when we build upon prior learning year after year. Lay a strong foundation of research skills beginning in kindergarten and first grade. Then you can build upon these skills as your lay the foundation for future learning each year after that.

January Library Lesson Winter Sports

Choose an engaging topic – winter sports is a topic my students really like this time of year. Or try other topics like animals, famous people, or interesting places. Use your library’s online databases and nonfiction book series so your students learn to navigate these valuable resources.

Library Catalog Practice

My January library lessons always include library catalog practice because this is a great time to review prior learning. My students like this Winter Library Catalog Practice unit because it’s seasonal and fun.

Use subject cards with winter topics to review library catalog search and location skills. Partners can practice subject searches, and it feels like a game when you include the challenge of finding the books on the shelves. You can also use this library activity as a mini-assessment to evaluate how well your students can use the catalog to find resources in the library.

Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year

Depending on the date the new year begins (February 2 in 2022), your January library lessons can include read alouds about Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. This is a fun time for our students to learn about the traditions of a culture that may be unfamiliar to them. Since the date is so early in February, you may want to start these activities in January.

Chinese New Year Bulletin Board

Thanks to our creative and enthusiastic music teacher, our school always had an exciting celebration at the start of the Lunar New Year. We had an exciting parade at lunch time that included dragon dancers and drummers. My students enjoyed learning about the animals of the Chinese Zodiac with this fun bulletin board. This could be a fun reason to celebrate in your school!

Book Selection

A winter themed book display is a great way to brighten up your school library. Eye-catching book arrangements will draw the interest of your students and might just hook your readers on a new book. Enhance your January library lessons and start the year off with a rotating monthly book display. Use the top of bookshelves or a large counter to display your books.

Winter Book Display Signs for January Library Lessons

For January you can find all of the books your library has on winter, polar animals, Martin Luther King Jr., and winter sports. Read more about book displays here: School Library Book Displays to Hook Your Readers.  Use eye-catching signs to draw attention to your winter book display and your students and staff will be delighted to find seasonal books to read!

January Library Lessons Can Be FUN!

January library lessons can be engaging, rigorous, and FUN! Get ideas for your January library displays and January bulletin board ideas. Your elementary students will be excited about the new year in your library. New Year Reading Resolutions, Winter Sports Research, Winter Library Catalog Practice and MORE! These January library activities will make your elementary school library the center of your school!

It’s exciting to start the new year in the library! Your students will be excited about coming to the library as they return from winter break when you plan engaging and rigorous activities for them. Wishing you a great start to the new year!

Be the light!

December Library Lessons
Fun Winter Olympics Activities for your Elementary Library

Comments

  1. Kailey says

    April 14, 2022 at 11:13 PM

    Wow! Your webpage is so appealing and easy to follow. I love the January Fresh start theme to get your students starting the new year energized. I love that you remind us to collaborate with staff and students in a fun and engaging way. I am currently doing my TL course and am inspired by all the things you do in the library to engage the staff and students. Do you find that everyone starts to feel more engaged with all the effort you put into these themed lessons? It looks like you use your space well and have built that community space in the school. My goal is to create a welcoming space for all and build that love for literature in a fun and engaging way too. I can see myself referring to your blog for inspiration!

    • Laura says

      April 15, 2022 at 10:25 AM

      Hi Kailey – thank you for your kind words. Yes, these lessons have resulted in higher engagement for my students. The effort is definitely well worth it. Best wishes in your studies.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Past Posts

Categories

Find it Fast

Book Love Bulletin Boards and Displays Classroom Management Collaboration Distance Learning Freebies FUN! Helpful Hints Inspiration Library Advocacy Library Events Life Organize It! Professional Development Remote Learning Research School Library Seasonal Technology Tech Tips Test Prep TPT Uncategorized

TPT Shop

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

thetrappedlibrarian

📚 Elementary School Librarian
🌟 NBCT 2011
👩🏻‍🏫 Teacher Author
Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

Laura Trapp
Did you know that when you purchase a resource on Did you know that when you purchase a resource on TPT, you have access to all future updates of the product at no additional cost? ⁣
⁣
😃 Want to know how to check if a product has been updated? ⁣
⁣
✅ Sign in to TpT and go to your Purchases.⁣
✅ Find the product you’re wondering about.⁣
✅ Check the dates at the bottom of the listing. ⁣
✅ One tells when you last downloaded it and the other tells when it was last updated.⁣
✅ To get the latest update, click the DOWNLOAD button! ⁣
⁣
Did you already know this??? 👍🏼 👎🏼⁣
⁣
#tpt #teacherspayteachers #schoollibrarian #schoollibrary #thetrappedlibrarian #elementarylibrary #elementarylibrarian
⭐ If you own my popular Chapter Book Series List ⭐ If you own my popular Chapter Book Series Lists resource, head back to TpT to download this newest update. ⁣
⁣
✅ And thanks to so many of you for the suggestions of new series to add to make this valuable resource even better! ⁣
⁣
⭐ New in this version is a list of all the new and updated series to help you quickly figure out which pages to print. ⁣
⁣
➡ Get there fast at the Smart.Bio link @thetrappedlibrarian⁣
⁣
#elementarylibrary #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrary #schoollibrarian #librarymediaspecialist #thetrappedlibrarian #teacherlibrarian #elementarylibraryfun #elementarylibrarianlife #tpt #teacherspayteachers
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yasmin the Scientist by Saadia Far ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yasmin the Scientist by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly, published by Picture Window Books, 2021 ⁣
⁣
🌋  Another fun Yasmin adventure!  This time she’s getting ready for the Science Fair.  Her baba (father) wants to help her make a volcano, like he did at her age.  Yasmin, being very independent, wants to do it on her own.  She tries multiple times, but she’s never happy with the result (or the mess!). An accidental discovery leads her to a fun science experiment for the Science Fair. ⁣
⁣
✅  Students will relate to the science fair project (and possibly to getting too much help from a family member!). ⁣
✅  Yasmin models perseverance and creative thinking as well as self confidence. ⁣
✅  Great questions for thinking/discussing and a fun recipe are part of the extensive back matter. ⁣
✅  As in all Yasmin books, Pakistan information and an Urdu glossary are included. ⁣
⁣
⭐  Although I’m not sure if it’s really an easy reader or early chapter book, as I’ve said before, Yasmin is a series you want to include in your elementary library collection! ⁣
⁣
➡  Head to the link in the Smart.Bio @thetrappedlibrarian for more short reviews of early chapter books.⁣
⁣
#booksforkids #kidlit #cybils #earlychapterbooks #elementarylibrary #schoollibrary
☀ HAPPY SUMMER! ☀⁣ ⁣ ☀ It’s the first ☀ HAPPY SUMMER! ☀⁣
⁣
☀ It’s the first official day of summer!⁣
⁣
Time for an Emoji Poll…⁣
⁣
Using only emojis, describe your plans for the summer!⁣
⁣
Mine: 🏞 🚣‍♀️ 🎣 🚶‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️😎 📖⁣
⁣
Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned! 😎⁣
⁣
#teachersonsummerbreak #librariansofinstagram #schoollibrarian #thetrappedlibrarian
⭐ RESOURCE UPDATE! This Book Series List Bundle ⭐ RESOURCE UPDATE!  This Book Series List Bundle just keeps getting better!  It was recently updated with 37 new series and 8 series updates. 

✅ If you own this bundle, you can download this update at no additional charge.  The first page of the “READ FIRST” file contains a list of the new and updated series to make printing easier for you. 

📚 If you don’t already have this helpful library resource, head to the link in my Smart.Bio @thetrappedlibrarian and see why it’s used in over 1,200 libraries and classrooms!

#kidsbooks #elementarylibrary #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrary #schoollibrarian #librarymediaspecialist #thetrappedlibrarian #teacherlibrarian #elementarylibraryfun #elementarylibrarianlife
⭐ I might be late to the party with this one, bu ⭐ I might be late to the party with this one, but I loved Giver of Stars! ⁣
⁣
📚 Have you read it?  I’m curious how it compares to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. ⁣
⁣
📚 What are you reading right now? ⁣
⁣
#summerreading #schoollibrarian #librariansofinstagram
⛰ In the summer, I live steps from one of Montan ⛰ In the summer, I live steps from one of Montana’s best fly-fishing rivers. ⁣
⁣
🐟 So, some people assume that I must catch lots of fish. ⁣
⁣
Let’s just say I’m working on it!  But so far this year, I’ve got nothing to brag about… ⁣
⁣
🐟 For now, here's a photo of the tiny fish I caught in front of my dad’s house last season!⁣
⁣
#teachersonsummerbreak #schoollibrarian ⁣#thetrappedlibrarian #librariansofinstagram #montanamoment #montanateacher
📌 Whenever I’m trying to learn something new, 📌 Whenever I’m trying to learn something new, I have to remind myself that mistakes are part of the process… ⁣
⁣
📌 There are a couple of things I’m trying to learn or get better at right now, and the biggest challenge for me is STICKING WITH IT, 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 when I make mistakes… ⁣
⁣
📌 What’s your mindset when it comes to mistakes?  Are you as graceful with yourself as you are with your students? ⁣
⁣
📌 This is definitely an area where I need to grow and change my mindset! ⁣
⁣
(Grab this and 5 other 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 for your library or classroom in the freebie in my Smart.Bio @thetrappedlibrarian )⁣
⁣
#teachersonsummerbreak #schoollibrarian ⁣
#schoollibrary #thetrappedlibrarian #teacherlibrarian #librariansofinstagram
💙 My sweet friend Julie @thatlibrarygirl has to 💙 My sweet friend Julie @thatlibrarygirl has tons of fantastic book talks over on her account - head over there for some great ideas for your elementary library!⁣
⁣
💚 Sydney & Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World is one of my favorites, too.  It even won the Cybils Award in the Early Chapter Book category!⁣
⁣
#elementarylibrarians #teacherlibrarian #librarymediaspecialist #schoollibrarian #schoollibrary #tpt #elementarylibrary
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • Disclosure

© 2022 // Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by Pretty Darn Cute Design