Make your library the center of your school
Each year I promote the nominated books for the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award in my 4th and 5th grade classes. My students are eligible to vote for their favorite book in the Junior Division, which covers grades 4-6. I use book trailers and a library catalog review activity in my library classes to get the kids familiar with the books and
Recently I collaborated with the music and physical education teachers in my school to provide an interdisciplinary unit around the theme of Native American Culture. (Yes, these are the same friends who had the great idea to team up for an Irish Unit Collaboration around St. Patrick’s Day!) In Montana, we celebrate American Indian Heritage Week the last full week of September. There is a
Fire Prevention Week is the first full week of October. It’s a great time to review fire safety concepts with our young children and to help them learn about firefighters. I’ve been collecting the following books to read with my Kindergarten, first, and second grade classes. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through one of them and make a purchase I may
This year is the 10 year anniversary of International Dot Day and the 15th anniversary of the publication of The Dot. People all around the world celebrate creative expression, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ picture book, The Dot. Every year, Dot Day falls on or near September 15. I’d like to share how I helped my K-2 students explore their own creativity this year for
I don’t read picture books to my upper elementary students very often, but I’ve found a pair of books that hold their attention and teach some valuable lessons about friendship and the role of technology in our lives and friendships. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. I
Earth Day is a day to take action. Children in schools across the country will be setting up recycling stations and picking up garbage. They’ll be making posters and remembering to turn off the lights when they leave a room. Here are seven books to motivate your elementary school learners and inspire them to make a difference for the planet that we love! I borrowed
Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series for early readers is popular with young children for a reason. They are fun, exciting, surprising, and full of genuine emotions! Although the final book in the series was just published in 2016, these engaging stories have already become a classic staple in elementary school libraries and kindergarten and first grade classrooms across the country! At my school, older
We’ve been celebrating “Screen-Free Week” (formerly known as “TV Turnoff Week”) at my school for over 10 years. For this week we challenge the students to consider trying to go the whole week without using a screen for entertainment. Successful students fill out a contract and recording sheet, have it signed by an adult, and get 10 tickets to enter into raffles for fun screen-free
A friend shared a great idea with me for helping my fourth and fifth grade students focus on uplifting messages and positive thoughts using the quotes from the book 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown’s Book of Precepts. She had torn out several pages from the book, let students choose one, and write a reflection on what the precept meant to them. I loved the
I started a Keyboarding Club for 4th and 5th grade students in my library because keyboarding wasn’t being taught at my school in those grades and I wanted to give students the option of sharpening their skills on the keys before they began the Smarter Balanced Tests in the Spring. I used free websites, and didn’t have my students create the free accounts offered,
