Make your library the center of your school
Teaching research skills in second and third grades is fun when you remember a few important guidelines. The key is looking at the big picture. What have your students learned up until this point? And what will your students need as they progress though school? Research skills for second and third grade students build upon an early foundation and lay the groundwork for future learning
When I think of Spring, I think of Earth Day. April brings us outside to enjoy all that our earth has to offer. Earth Day falls at the perfect time to motivate our students to take care of our beloved planet. It’s a great time for a fun school wide event, some engaging lessons, or a special library storytime. These fun Earth Day activities will
April is National Poetry Month, so of course it’s a great time for some poetry activities in your school library. I really love to take advantage of these types of themes to create fun events in the library. Many classroom teachers do poetry units in April, so that makes it a collaboration opportunity too. Using Poetry Month activities in your school library is a win-win
Have you heard about Boom Cards? They are no-prep, digital, interactive task cards that are super easy to use! They are just the ticket to add some fun to the learning in your virtual or in-person library classes! Follow these tips to get started using Boom Cards in the school library. What are Boom Cards? Boom Cards are self-grading exercises that are gamified for students
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 judges from the blogging community read nominated titles to choose an outstanding winner in 12 categories. Round 1 judges read through large lists of nominated titles to narrow each category for the
You probably know that I LOVE to create special storytime sessions for my primary grade library lessons. Leprechaun Storytime is always a big hit! Engaging picture books, music, movement and fun lead to high levels of engagement. Since we’re coming up on the one year anniversary of school closures due to the pandemic, I’ve been reflecting on how I was unable to do my traditional
Is it possible to teach research skills in the primary grades? Of course the answer is a resounding “YES!” The key is looking at the big picture – what will your students need as they progress though school? Research skills for kindergarten and first grade students lay the groundwork for future learning and success. Think of these skills in the primary grades as building a
Strong characters inspire us! Andrea Beaty’s picture book series, The Questioneers, gives our students strong characters to study and to emulate. By diving deep into examining the character traits of Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck, Ada Twist, and Sofia Valdez, we can help our kids make connections to their own lives. This can lead to perseverance, following passions, taking risks (good ones!), and higher self-esteem. All
The Questioneers Books by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts, are inspirational picture books that can encourage growth mindset in your students. Each book centers on a different second grader from Miss Lila Greer’s class at Blue River Creek School. Each of the characters has a different passion: engineering, architecture, science experiments, and community activism. And because of this, each book can be an effective
I realize that many educators don’t see the importance of library catalog practice for our elementary students. Is it really that important for our students to know how to use this online version of the old-fashioned card catalog? I believe that mastery of these important library catalog skills contributes to strong lifelong learning and independent thinking. Consider the following scenario… How can we best help
