Make your library the center of your school
As we get closer to the Super Bowl, more and more students are discussing football and their favorite teams. They come to school on Mondays talking about what happened at the latest playoff games. Excitement builds with each passing week. This is the perfect time to hook students with a great lesson focusing on media literacy skills. I’ve got a fun and engaging lesson using
Library catalog instruction can be dull and boring. It can be difficult to motivate students to care about library search and location skills when they’d rather be playing a game. Why not make your library catalog search and location practice into a game with additional activities just as fun as playing a game?! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. This means that
Since the newest Star Wars movie was coming out right before our winter break, it was the perfect time to build excitement in our library around a new theme. This year, my music and physical education colleagues wanted to tap into the latest movie buzz with Star Wars themed activities throughout our school. (You can read about our previous collaborations: Irish Culture, Native American Culture,
I love to have holiday themed storytime classes for my kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. The right combination of fiction and nonfiction books, along with a song and a fun activity builds enthusiasm and positive connections for my students. One of my favorites is Halloween Storytime! I’d like to share my favorite Halloween books to use in the primary grades in your elementary
October brings an interest in spooky stories, mysterious tales, and disguises. A Halloween Storytime is a fun way to bring all of this together for our young learners. We had a great time in Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade singing songs and listening to fun read alouds. With a little bit of creativity and planning, you can have an engaging Halloween Storytime in your
In the spring of 2019, I was chosen by the teachers in my school district as the educator of the year. It was a tremendous honor that came with a great opportunity and responsibility. I was to speak in front of all of the members of our school district at our opening convocation in August. As I considered what I would say, I decided I
March is definitely the time for a fun Leprechaun Storytime in your elementary library or classroom! I’d like to share some fun picture books and lively songs to help you plan your own St. Patrick’s Day storytime session for your kindergarten and first grade students. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I
A couple of weeks before Halloween, our school library was transformed into Hogwarts as our whole school celebrated Harry Potter Week! Over the past couple of years, I’ve teamed up with the music and physical education teachers in my building to integrate our subject areas around a theme for a week or so. Our Harry Potter Week has been our most exciting so far! This
Chinese New Year is a fun time for our students to learn about the traditions of a culture that may be unfamiliar to them. It can be a bright spot in the middle of winter, a reason to celebrate in your classroom or school library. I’d like to share my favorite read alouds for Chinese New Year. I recommend pairing an informational text with a
February is “I Love to Read Month!” It’s the perfect time for you to celebrate reading in your school! Start with an “I Love to Read” bulletin board and a book recommendation center and you will help your students and staff spread the love of reading throughout the school. Interactive Bulletin Board Display a “WE LOVE TO READ” bulletin board in a prominent place in
