Monday, October 26, 2009

October 19-23, 2009 RABs

Kindergarten: Amos' Sweater by Janet Lunn.

Grade 2: Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman.

Grade 3: Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis.

Grade 5: In Jesse's Shoes by Beverly Lewis. A bit long but good.

October 12-16, 2009 RABs

Kindergarten: Tiny goes to the Library by Cari Meister.
A great starting point for a discussion about fantasy vs. realistic fiction.

Grade 1: I took my frog to the Library by Eric A. Kimmel.
A funny depiction of a girl who keeps bringing her pets to the Library with disastrous results.

Library Day by Joy Cowley. This is a book in the series called "Sunshine Books" which are usually found as part of the classroom home reading collection. We happen to have a few of them in our Library collection so I shared this story with the Grade Ones. They absolutely loved it!

This was a short week; some classes just came for a quick book exchange.
(Thanksgiving Holiday Monday.)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Thinking out loud

If we (Library Staff) read a different book to each grade level (K-5 would be 6 levels) for 33 weeks, it works out to 198 book titles that we select.

That's looking at about the Top 200 books.

We look for books that have:
-a good read aloud quality
-age appropriateness
-interesting, engaging topics
-moral to the story, illuminates an issue or resonates with the students in some way
-timeliness (fits in with the season) or timelessness (books that endure through the generations)
-shows a particular style in text or in illustrations

The list of favourite read alouds is continually being refined and may change due to availability and the supercession of previously used titles by new book aquisitions.

October 5-9, 2009 RABs

Kindergarten: Emma at the Fair by Margriet Ruurs www.margrietruurs.com

Grade 1: Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' by Eileen Spinelli

Grade 2: The Can-do Thanksgiving by Marion Hess Pomeranc

Grade 3: A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Grade 4: It's Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky

Grade 5: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Charles M. Schultz

September in the Library

First week of school: Library times are used to sign out texts; Textbook Orientations

Second week of school: First Library Orientation: ANL Ratings explained (Allowable Noise Level); the Library is the Quiet Zone of the school. Students make suggestions for why it is important to be quiet in the Library (many reasons) and if they answer correctly, they can pick up their Library card (game Grades 2-5). Different areas of the Library are outlined. One book is signed out per student K-5. Picture books and fiction books only.

Third week of school: Expanding discussions about ways that students are Library Assistants. Keeping the Library tidy and behaving in a safe manner; emergency procedures in Library are discussed. K-1 Picture books only, 2-5 Picture or chapter book plus a non-fiction book.

Fourth week of school: Book Care

Fifth week of school: K-1 First story time; Picture books and non-fiction books.
Grades 2-5: Explaination of different forms to fill out for books (save a book, request a book someone else has out and suggest a book that the Library doesn't have yet), guidelines for use of forms and also cover computer searching tips to find books that students want. Fiction, non-fiction and magazines loaned out.