Getting Started

We start the year off in the library by reading two great beginning-of-the-year-books! They are:
Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig

and What Happened to Marion's Book? by Brook Berg.

The students love both books and we discuss how to take care of our books. They share ideas of what to keep their library books away from and we come up with the 4 biggies:

1. Pets

2. Babies and Toddlers

3. Food

4. Liquid

 

The students don't have to bring their books home, it is their choice, but if they do...

 

We also talk about great places they can keep their books if they bring them home:

1. High enough to keep away from babies and pets

2. Out in the open, so they don't forget about it (maybe on a shelf or dresser)

 

We also discuss how a backpack is a great place to store a library book! Then if you are home you have your book, and if you are at school you have your book. They do have to be careful of what else if in their backpack. Last year we had books ruined in a backpack that also had a banana in it and others were ruined when they got put in a backpack that had an open carton of chocolate milk in it! (I never understood that one!)

They are great learners and understand how important it is to take care of their books! They got this bookmark as their reward after we read the Marion book.

Happy Reading!!

First things first!

We have learned lots of library procedures already this year in the library. These procedures help our time in the library to run smoothly! This is the "quiet zone" where they line up when they first enter with their class and where they end up again at the end of their class time.

 

The "quiet zone" is where everyone gets their library stick and green felt dot. Green dot is good, red dot is not good. Green equals a small reward (like a sticker) at the end of the class time, red - no reward.

Everyone has an assigned seat at the table area. Each chair has a seat pocket with two pockets, one for the green dot and one for the stick. Making these was one of the best things I've done. No more tapping on the table with their sticks during the lesson!

 

We also have procedures at the end of our time together. Ask your child what they do after I ring the bell.

 

Happy reading!

Library Sticks - Part 2

In the last post I talked about our awesome library sticks. Part of what makes them so awesome is that we use the "good ones" that are generously donated to us by Home Depot. Please don't everyone go ask for paint sticks from them, because they might get tired of giving out free stuff and not give me anymore for my library. (I am kidding!) But really, go and buy things at the Home Depot nearest you, they are nice people.

Today I presented  a Thank You paint stick to the lady in the paint department.

U

Library Sticks

The library card at our school in on a paint stick. When I got my job several years ago I gave lots of thought to the library card. I knew that even laminated paper doesn't last, so I had the idea of a paint stick, that could also be a shelf marker. It is fairy labor intensive on the front end, but well worth it. The students have their same stick for the two years that they are at our school and I only have to remake maybe 3 or 4 lost or broken ones a year.

The sticks stay in the classrooms in a paint can, of course. And I paint the ends, just for fun, since they are paint sticks.

If you plan to pass on this idea I have two disclaimers:

1. You do have to preach teach a really good lesson on what the library stick is NOT: it is not a fairy wand, not a sword, not a drumstick, not a Harry Potter wand, not a light saber - they always wonder how I know what that is:), not a baseball bat, etc,  At this point they start joining in with all kinds of ideas of what it is not!

2. Sand the sticks first. It is not worth anyone getting a splinter:)

These are my sweet parents who are great help. I promise they did this willingly! We get started on the library sticks in the summer. We (I promise I helped!) are painting each classroom group a different color.

After this step I add the student's name, the teacher's name, their barcode, their reading level with color dots (stickers) for the appropriate reading level. I put glue over their barcode and sticker dots. You could add passwords.

 

A library stick in action! (You can see a paint can in this picture.)

 

Welcome to my library blog!

Well, I have gotten the blog banner to fit correctly and have no extra white space. I have taken some pictures, so here I go! This is my first post about the library where I work. It is a K-2 school, and I absolutely LOVE my job! There is nothing sweeter than kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders in a library! They are so excited and interested in everything we do! Here are some pictures of the library to get us started. I prefer "library" over "media center". I think it is more cozy and inviting:)

 Welcome!