What a FUN first trimester we have had here in the library!
To begin the school year, all students participated in library orientation Lessons. The activities introduced students to the library and its purpose as well as understanding our library rules, routines and expectations. Part of these orientation lessons included activities to learn how to care for the books students borrow. It is important to establish these library introductions, routines and expectations, to allow us to spend the remainder of the trimester activities and lessons that support our library standards. Please reinforce with your kiddo the importance of keeping their library book in the same safe place at home, making it easy to locate and return on their library day.
Getting to know the layout of the library was also something students worked on this first trimester. Students learned why libraries are organized the way they are, including alphabetical call numbers on fiction books and Dewey Decimal numbers on nonfiction spines. Students have learned where to find fiction versus nonfiction books in our library. Additionally, students have been taught the differences between these types of texts, including the author’s purpose for writing a fiction book (to entertain us) and a nonfiction book (to teach us). Through fun activities such as scavenger hunts and dice rolling games, students have learned where different sections are within the fiction and nonfiction areas of our library. For example, students know where the biographies books are located as well as where the Minecraft and Roblox books are! :)
Another activity for students this trimester included learning the parts of a book. Serving as a quick weekly review and a precursor to reading aloud our featured book for our lesson, we identify the various parts of a book including: front cover, back cover, spine, call number, barcode, title page, author, illustrator, publisher, copyright date and dedication page.
Through stories read aloud, students have been working on their comprehension skills and identifying several story elements in fictional stories including: main characters, setting, problem, solution, events. We are continually working on making predictions and inferences using text clues and supplying evidence from the text to support our statements and ideas. Making connections to other books we have read or personal experiences is another skill we have been working on, also called text-to-text and text-to-self connections. Each week, after students listen to a story and participate in a whole group lesson, students complete a follow up activity that relates to our whole group lesson and comprehension/story skills we are targeting, aligning with our library standards.
Lastly, students have been working on independently making book selection choices that are of interest to them. During this time of class, students are using their knowledge of the library organization, including how fiction (by topic or alphabetical) versus nonfiction (Dewey Decimal System) books are shelved in libraries. It is always exciting to see students becoming more familiar and comfortable with the library and selecting different types of books each week. If your student is opting to select the same style of book each week, that’s ok too!
Be sure to frequently check out our library website. Currently there are many pictures from fall happenings in the library as well as links to read alouds your kiddo can enjoy from home! I am looking forward to continuing to grow your child’s love for reading throughout the rest of the year.