I love the first week of library lessons!! While it’s often a blur of activity, it’s always fun to see the kids walking into the library, some for the first time, some for the 100th time, but all of them having that look of excitement. I know just how they feel!
By now, my students know that I tend to change things over the summer, so many of them come in trying to spot the changes! This year was no exception, except for the fact that my change was a pretty noticeable one! I have 2 columns in my library that extend up to the ceiling. I always seem to be wrapping them with blue paper during our book fairs, so I got permission to paint them this summer, and boy did they turn out great! It’s funny how adding just a little bit of color can change the whole feel of a space! I also created a little reading nook right when you walked into the library, like I had seen at the high school libraries. I think it makes it look very warm and inviting.
As far as plans go, I was really happy with how things went this year! Here’s the basic breakdown:
Pre-K, Kinder, 1st Grade. & 2nd Grade
After I introduce myself and welcome them to the library, I teach them the Storytime Song. This was a big hit last year, and the kids really seem to enjoy it. Plus it helps get the wiggles and talking out of the way before our story. (*I don’t do this song with 2nd grade.)
Then I introduce our new friend:
- Pre-K & Kinder meet Mr. Wiggles (I made this out of a green neck cushion that I found in the dollar aisle at Target) and then read Mr. Wiggle’s Book.
- First Grade meets Chester the Cat and then I read Chester Visits the Library.
- Second Grade meets the Shelf Elf, and then I read The Shelf Elf by Jackie Mims Hopkins.
In the past, I’ve done a review of how to take care of a library book using small flashcards that I made.
This year, I decided to create a larger poster set to use instead, and then have my smaller set at my game center for the kids to quiz each other and review. I couldn’t find my T-Chart that I had as a teacher, so I made my own and had it blown up at Office Max into a large 24×36 poster. Then I created larger versions of the cards to review with the kids.
(If you’d like these, you can get them here on my website.)
This is how it looked before and after we completed the activity with the kids.
Before the kids left, I told them that Mr. Wiggles/Chester/Shelf Elf wants them all to take care of their books, keep them safe, and return them next week.
**For my Pre-K & Kinder students, I gave them each a practice paperback book to take home today to show that they can keep it safe. (If you’d like to read more about that process, you can go here). Finally we practiced how to leave the library.
1. Cross our arms and hug our book.
2. Put our bubbles in our mouth.
3. Pinky wave goodbye to Mrs. Liptak
Whew! That’s what I did for our first week. I’d love to hear how you started your first week of library lessons this year!
Sandy
Awesome blog! 🙂
Thanks Miss B! 😉
Thanks for sharing! This is my first year as a librarian and I have no prior experience in this area. I'll be using many of your ideas!
Good luck!! It's crazy your first year but it's a wonderful job to get to go to everyday!! I absolutely LOVE what I do!!
Hi Sandy,
May I ask, do you do all of this in one 40-minute block?
Also, and I'm sorry to be such a pain, but do you check out books on the first day?
Aliya,
I don't check out books with Kinder the first week, they get a "practice book" which is a paperback book instead. (You can read about that here at http://thebookfairygoddess.blogspot.com/2013/08/practice-books-with-pre-k.html) Otherwise, yes I do let 1st and 2nd grade check out if there's time. (This also becomes a lesson to each class that IF we have too many interruptions or issues during the lesson, we may cut into their checkout time.) This year, I'm super excited because the library will be a part of the specials rotations, which means I'll get 50 minutes with each class!!! That'll be a whole lot easier to get this all in AND give them time to check out books. 🙂
Aliya,
We had 30 minute blocks with each class, and this lesson was really pushing the limits on that time. This year, though, we will have 50 minutes so I'm super excited to have some "calmer and not so rushed" conversations about this! 🙂
Thanks Sandy! I really appreciate your help and suggestions!
Such a big help! 🙂 do you have a learning guide for this lesson? Thank you 🙂
I'm not sure what you mean by a "learning guide". If you give me more information, I'd be happy to try and help you! 😉
Do you know of any collaborative boards on Pinterest for librarians to post Teachers Pay Teachers products? I have been pinning products from the Sellers' Forum (for those I have that are more ELA related, or Kindergarten skills), but I don't see anyone beating down the door for library products. I have a few boards of my own, but I don't think they are trampled for traffic either. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Ann,
I'm not sure of any boards on Pinterest that are specifically for TpT products, but there are quite a few Librarian boards that have a large variety of ideas (including TpT). I also have several boards where I post things for Library Ideas, Library Centers, Library Videos, etc. Here are a couple I look at:
https://www.pinterest.com/mrsjinthelib/k-6-library-lessons-and-materials/https://www.pinterest.com/publib/
https://www.pinterest.com/librarydoctor/advocacy-library-marketing/
I hope this helps!
Sandy
Hello, I am planning for my next week with K and 1st and was wondering if you would mind if I used these materials? They are exactly what I had in mind.
Thanks,
Sarah Manley
Hi Sarah,
By all means, you are welcome to use these ideas! I hope it works out with your kiddos! 🙂
Sandy
Hi Sandy!
LOVE all the stuff you have created! Your library is so colorful! Can you tell me where you got the letters for the word ‘FICTION’ that is on your wall? I REALLY need to do something like that at both of my schools. I’ve thought about buying the wooden letters you see at craft stores (like Michael’s), but I’m wondering if there is a better material to use. I saw yours and I really like them!
Hi Tracie,
Thanks! 😉 I actually got the 9 1/2 inch wood letters from Hobby Lobby. Here’s the link http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Wood-Crafting/Unfinished-Wood/9-1/2%22-Wood-Letter—A/p/23552 where you can buy them online as well. I painted them using “American Acrylic Paint”. I hope this helps! 🙂
Sandy
https://www.pinterest.com/mrsjinthelib/k-6-library-lessons-and-materials/https://www.pinterest.com/publib/ is not working. Do you know if Mrs. J changed her site?
Thank you Sandy!
Hi Tracie,
I’m not sure what happened, but I was able to find the link again:
1) Her Pinterest board
https://www.pinterest.com/mrsjinthelib/?etslf=3747&eq=mrs.%20j%20in%20the%20
2) Her K-6 Library Lessons board:
https://www.pinterest.com/mrsjinthelib/k-6-library-lessons-and-materials/
I hope this helps !:)
Sandy
THANK YOU!!!
I am completely new to the media center as a specialist, in fact just started classes for my degree so this has come in VERY handy!!! I am looking forward to trying this!
You’re welcome, Monica! Good luck with your classes! 🙂
Hi. Wondering if you have any great ideas on making things virtual? Every year I read Library Lion, Mr. Wiggles, and Shelf Elf. It seems difficult to do my “normal” lesson virtually without losing the kids attention. I am looking for interactive lessons they can follow at home. We are all virtual for now.
Hi Tara,
I don’t know if it’s a “great idea” but what has been saving me is creating Choice Boards for my lessons…that way I can reach my virtual students as well as my in person students. I use the same choice board for both lessons…I just don’t always get to all the activities with my in person kiddos. I also always put certain things on my choice boards….for the younger kids, I put Cosmic Kids Yoga and Art For Kids, for the older kids I put in Typing practice, and Coding. I also try to add a STEAM activity as well that connects to the book or lesson. I’ve also been using Google Slides to create my lessons so I can easily link them from one to another.
I hope this helps! 🙂
Sandy