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You are here: Home / Library Lessons / May Library Lessons

May 18, 2022 by: Laura

May Library Lessons

Last Updated on April 9, 2025 by Laura

May Library Activities for your Elementary Library Lessons

It’s May and most of us in the US are in our last full month of school. It can certainly be a challenge to plan May library lessons that are engaging and meaningful. Especially with all the loose ends we need to tie up for the end of the year in the library!

This time of year is good for library review and looking ahead to summer fun. May library lessons can be flexible, low-prep, and multipurpose.

1️⃣   Library Review and Assessment

Ocean Library Catalog Practice for your Elementary Library Lessons

Since a key skill in our library classes is the ability to search for and locate information, our May library lessons can include a review and assessment of student progress in this area.  Make this fun by turning it into a game! Create subject cards with summer topics, then ask students to do a search in the library catalog. Add more fun by challenging them to find the book on the shelf (use shelf markers for easy re-shelving – you don’t want to have to deal with that, especially right now!!).  Students will be moving and communicating, and you’ll get a good idea of how they’re doing with this important library skill.  

2️⃣  Digital May Library Lessons

How to Catch a Mermaid Boom Cards

How to Catch a Mermaid and by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton is the perfect, engaging story leading up to summer.  And, GOOD NEWS! – it’s available on Epic for free with your educator account.  Even if you don’t have a print copy, you can use the story whenever you want this month.  You can also assign this story to your students to read with partners on their devices. I’ve got the perfect no-prep activity to go with it: these adorable and fun Boom Cards! How to Catch a Dinosaur is also free on Epic, and you can get the boom cards here.

Boom Cards are interactive and paperless, and they give students immediate feedback! They will save you time and keep your students engaged in their learning. (New to Boom Cards? START HERE!)

3️⃣  Calming Yoga  

Trapp Yoga Storytime

As we count down the days left in the school year, have you noticed that some of your students have a hard time holding it together? Some students are anxious as they anticipate the loss of the school routine for 3 months.  I like to do Yoga Storytime with my students in an effort to give them some tools to use at home when they want to feel calm and in control.  It’s easy to find a Yoga-themed picture book (there are lots on Epic – my favorite is I Am Yoga).  Pair the book with Emily Arrow’s I Am Yoga song and practice some poses with your kiddos.  You’ll be amazed at the calm atmosphere you can create!

4️⃣ Promote Summer Reading

Summer Reading Bingo Challenge for May library lessons

A recent study showed 3-5th grade students lost about 20% of reading gains over the summer (reported by Scholastic).  Connecting students and families to your public library’s summer reading program is one way to help with this, if your library isn’t open in the summer.  You could also host a Summer Reading Challenge for your school with a fun incentive (My principal used to choose winners to trade places with her for an afternoon!). How about allowing your students to check out some books for the summer?  It seems a shame to have all those books getting lonely on the shelves over the summer!  Let’s keep our students reading!

May Library Lessons at Your Fingertips!

If you’re looking for some activities and lessons to help the month of May go smoothly, grab this May Library Lessons Bundle. Save time AND money while your students are actively learning until the last day of school!

May Library Lessons bundle for your elementary library classes

Save this May Library Lessons article for later! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board:

Here’s to some end of the year fun!

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    thetrappedlibrarian

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

    National Scavenger Hunt Day is May 24.... It's tim National Scavenger Hunt Day is May 24.... It's time to add some adventure to your library or classroom! 🕵️‍♂️
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Perfect after book checkout or anytime you need a quick, meaningful activity!

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𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀: 
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    📚 Do your library books get lonely sitting on t 📚 Do your library books get lonely sitting on the shelves during the summer break?⁣⁣

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🌟 This fun Summer BINGO challenge is included in my Summer Reading Bulletin Board Activity Kit.

🤩 Grab it and promote summer reading in your classes next week!

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💛 You'll find lots of ideas for summer reading, end of the year games, motivating ideas for book returns, and more. 𝗣𝗟𝗨𝗦 20 “𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆” ideas and a yummy recipe for Lunch Lady Brownies! 

This month I'm sharing some of my best ideas for May and June:
☀️ A value-packed 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲
☀️ A fun 𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻-𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 Library Catalog Practice
☀️ My new 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 School Supplies Scavenger Hunt
☀️ 3 forthcoming books to add to your purchase list for next year
☀️ AND a sneak peak into my summer project (𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗗 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿!)

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