Let’s Go to the Library!
Posted by Hope Spencer on 09 Mar 2009 | Posted in: Classroom Management, Grade 1, Grades 2-3, Intermediate, Kindergarten, Life After School, The Mailbox
Many of my students loved to visit the library. You know the type: the kids who couldn’t wait to check out the next book in the Magic Tree House series or another book by Steven Kellogg. Those were the kids who ran to meet me at the door, their faces shining as they proudly held their books up in both hands.
But there were some kids who weren’t as happy to be in the library. Those were the kids who wandered around the shelves without any idea of what they were supposed to be looking for. As the librarian pointed at the clock, reminding them that their time was up, these kids grabbed the closest book and ran to the checkout desk. Or, they just kept the book they already had checked out because that seemed like the easiest thing to do.
Some days, I would stay in the library with these children and try to steer them toward a book that would grab their attention. For some of them, a book of jokes would make their eyes light up. For others, a nonfiction picture book with a little bit of text (maybe one about sports, or one about animals) was a winner. It took some patience, but it was so satisfying when one of those children finally found a book to proudly hold up!
Have you found any secrets to making the most of library time? Maybe your media specialist has some tricks up her sleeve! Come to think of it, are you still lucky enough to have a media specialist at your school? Do share!
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I work in a private preschool. The children’s librarian at the town library visits us once a month. She brings two books and reads them, does a movement activity with the children, a craft and leaves a coloring activity and flyer of library information/activities for that month with the teachers to send home with the children. We love her!
My favorite bulletin board to put up is:
The Cat is out of the bag! I have three bags attached to a bulletin board, one marked purrrfect, one marked meowdiocre and one says I’d rather eat a fur ball! The students enjoy writing down book titles they have read and put them in the appropriate bag. During library time we talk about different books and all of our different interests. The students giggle the most and practice their library skills when they pull the titles from “I’d rather eat a fur ball” and try to find the books in the library to see what they look like.
Every morning I have all students in grades 1-3 in the library to check out new books, along with some from 4-5-6. I usually check in close to 300 books and check out between 300-350. Last year when I no longer had a library aide, I started putting books on the tables until I had time to put them on shelving carts. The kids love this because they can see the titles and friends can recommend books. Many times I hear someone say to another “I just read that book and it’s one of the best. It’s the …best…scariest…coolest.” I have my aide back this year but I still put books on the tables as they are checked in and then I put them on the carts after 1 and 1/2 hours of check out time every morning. The teachers love this as well as students find books much more quickly.
Many students find the sheer volume of books lined up on shelves intimidating. My library serves 4th and 5th graders, many of whom are coming from much smaller facilities. To help them out, we do a number of displays — book jackets on bulletin boards, books on display on top of the shelves and on the ends of shelves, and table displays. We also pull separate groups out for classes, depending on their focus. One of our most popular tools, though, is our computer catalog. In the visual search, I have added a button labeled “Favorites”. Students nominate books, and if they can get two people to agree with them, I add the title to that year’s list. Students who don’t know what to read can always look at that list and find something of interest.
Younger students find the shelves filled with books and can’t really wrap their brains around so many. I find that pulling a few - especially the very primary nonfiction - and setting them on a table helps. We also put the Arthur, Berenstain Bears, new and seasonal titles in bins so the students don’t have to search for them. It is good marketing - they can see the covers easily and the books are much easier to reach.
Jean Schwegler
Library Media Specialist