Make your library the center of your school
The beginning of a new school year is always full of excitement! It’s important to start with engaging activities and lessons that will set the stage for a year full of active learning for all students. I choose September library lessons that are fun, foundational, and differentiated/scaffolded. I teach all 4 of these topics with all of my grade levels K-5, so that the concepts
Although I always hate to see summer come to an end, I do find satisfaction and joy in the preparations I make in my school library each year. I love it when it’s time to get organized for back-to-school in the library, but I also want to have some time to squeeze a little more fun out of summer. Here are some organizational tricks to
Picture this: You teach different grade level library classes back to back without a break in between. Although you are working on the same topic with each grade level (maybe library catalog practice), the lesson materials and practice pages are slightly different. After a couple of classes, your teaching area is a mass of white worksheets and you can’t find the materials your need for
Assessment in the school library can be tricky. In my opinion, it’s not strictly a paper-pencil thing. We see our students on a limited basis (for me it was once a week, now it’s once or twice per month). The skills we are teaching in our library classes support lifelong learning – they’re definitely important! Therefore it makes sense that we want to check that
Have you heard of the Cybils Awards? The Cybils Awards aims to recognize the children’s and young adult authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal. http://www.cybils.com/ Volunteer panelists and judges from the blogging community read nominated titles to choose an outstanding winner in 12 categories. Round 1 panelists read through large lists of nominated titles to narrow each category
My son begged me to buy an Oreck XL vacuum when he was in first grade. Let me stop you before you assume that Nick was one of those kids who loved to clean. Nope. He was the kid who would drag his feet on chore day, complaining that it took soooooo long. So he was NOT dying to push a new vacuum around the
I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in my life that I’ve seen so many people ready to kick the current year out the door and welcome a new beginning! 2021, please be awesome!! The new year brings new goals in our professional lives as well as our personal lives. Are you as eager as I am to reimagine your school library in
Seasonal book displays are 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. I’ve got some school library book display ideas for you! Create Monthly Displays The easiest way to get started with book displays in your school library is to start with a monthly
You’ve seen it before. A reluctant reader finds a book series they connect with and they won’t stop until they’ve read them all! It’s like magic – one day a non reader, the next day they’re hooked. The challenge is always to help our elementary students find those kids’ book series they will connect with. I’ve got some ideas for you! First Chapter Fun I’ve
It’s true that Back to School 2020 is starting off like no other year in education. Regardless of our return to school scenario – distance learning, in person, hybrid – at least one thing remains the same. We need great back to school books to read aloud to our students! I recently visited my local public library to check out these titles – all opinions
