Angie and I were invited to visit the Avon Elementary School library, where we were in the capable hands of Cathy Studer and Gayle. They showed us around their very nice library, in between helping their young patrons and teachers in technology distress. (A busy library’s work is never done!) Teaching a class in the computer lab behind the library was Dana Dingmann, and swamped with busy kids working on assorted projects. Dana also helps in the library, and works on devices for the school.
looks good enough to eat!
When you walk in the door you immediately see this great display. It changes monthly, and this month they are focused on food and books. This theme carries over to other displays in the library.
important library supplies
Check out the really cute basket of crayons! This food-themed strategy for putting out crayons for patron is on all the work tables in the library. The library is also available for backup for the school’s technology needs. They have a laptop cart with 30 laptops, and iPad cart with 30 devices, and another cart of 30 Chromebooks. Each classroom works on a 2:1 ratio of tech tools – Chromebooks and iPads – to student. Cathy and Gayle are available to work with everyone to be sure the tech is effective in teaching and learning. And there was a copy of a Magic Tree House series book – one of my favorites! Continue reading A Visit to the Avon Elementary School Library→
Encouraging young reluctant readers is always a topic for thought and conversation, especially among librarians, or even just among parents that want to foster a love of reading in their children. As a new mom, I definitely fit into the second category! What can we do to help young people that can be hesitant to pickup books?
You can read this article or listen to the conversation from MPR News that tackles this challenge in a fun and informative way. See below for some of the tips included in the article, and keep in mind a common theme is persistence!
Show your kids you love reading, too!
– Read in front of your kids, for your own enjoyment, and they will eventually take notice
Make sure books are always available
– Books should always be visible and accessible, whether around the house or at frequent visits to the library or bookstore
Give audio books a try
– They are great options for kids that have trouble concentrating or sitting in one place. They are also great additions to car rides and road trips!
Keep your judgement and expectations in check
– Try to refrain from pushing books that may be too challenging, or critiquing a book choice that you may view as too easy. Allow kids to gain enjoyment from books, at their own pace.
And finally, my personal favorite, when in doubt, get out the Harry Potter!
– Described as “a gateway drug,” in the article, the series “really allowed kids to fall into a world that was so cool. When you give it to a kid at the right time, it unlocks something for them.”
Each month CMLE will highlight three books that have some factor in common. We hope they will give you ideas for your collection, or influence an activity, lesson plan, or display.
This month, we share three different books that focus on people’s different abilities and skills. They can be used in your library or media center to teach about the importance of diversity and creativity.
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin (Author), Rosana Faria(Illustrator), Elisa Amado (Translator) This unique book is created with all-black pages and cover, yet is about the many colors of the world. There are braille words above the text, and the accompanying pictures are raised for texture. In this post from Kids’ Books Review explains “It is the story of a blind boy, who describes colours as he hears, smells, tastes and feels them. Each turn of the page uncovers a beautiful description of a colour; for example, “Thomas says that yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers”.
Take a look at this article that features The Black Book of Colors along with nine other multicultural books from The Positive Classroom
Enjoy this reading of the TheBlack Book of Colors in the video below:
The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock and Mary Grandpre Goodreads gives the book this positive review: “In this exuberant celebration of creativity, Barb Rosenstock and Mary Grandpre tell the fascinating story of Vasily Kandinsky, one of the very first painters of abstract art. Throughout his life, Kandinsky experienced colors as sounds, and sounds as colors–and bold, groundbreaking works burst forth from his noisy paint box.”
Here’s a review from School Library Journal’s Classroom Bookshelf that includes classroom ideas and many related links.
Click here for a lesson plan for the book (for first grade instruction, but has instructions to find plans for other grades) that meets Common Core standards.
Check out popular Twitter and blog personality John Schu’s interview with author Barb Rosenstock. The interview includes two great videos that investigate synesthesia.
Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt The author’s website contains this summary of the novel: Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.
Check out this page which contains many different ways Fish in a Tree has been used in a classroom, and impacted students!
By Jdkoenig (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsEvents that took place in our state this past summer have contributed to a larger discussion of race and privilege in our communities. As we continue to work to promote racial understanding, community, and work through issues, a great resource to utilize is your library.
This article from the Star Tribune discusses how in July, in response to the police shooting of Philando Castile and the Black Lives Matter protests, the Hennepin County Library created two reading lists. One was aimed at teens, the other at children, with the goal of educating, encouraging empathy, and starting conversations about race matters.
The article also describes the important role of libraries throughout the country, specifically in times of crisis. During the violent protests in Ferguson, MO the library stayed open even though most organizations and schools were closed. They offered programs for children and students and promoted community unity. In Dallas, after the shooting deaths of five police officers, the library remained open and offered counselors to the public. For additional examples of the strength of libraries in times of unrest, see this article from American Libraries magazine.
Have you been struggling to get more participants in programs at your library? Do you need more involvement to make the programs worthwhile? Read about this success story that took place at the New Carrollton library in Maryland.
Their program “Boys Read” (created in 2013 to encourage boys ages 8-13 to read aloud from their favorite books) had a dedicated following, but their numbers were small. In order to improve attendance, they took a few different steps that could be adapted and implemented at any library:
Interactivity – brought in an activity related to the books being read. In this case, they taught magic tricks.
Expertise – invited colleagues with different backgrounds and guests (archaeologists, wildlife experts) to lead sessions
Exposure – used a location with lots of foot traffic
Rebranding – recognized when a new name for the program was necessary. For this instance, when girls wanted to join the activities, they altered the name of the program to the more-inclusive “Kids Explore”
Expansion – worked to find ways to improve and grow the program (an ongoing task)
