Hello, and a very Happy New Year! 🎉 I’m so glad you’re here, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to check out my website as we step into another exciting year.  To kick off this new chapter, I’m thrilled to share a change that I believe will make your planning a little easier and a lot more fun!

At the beginning of each month, I’ll post a new “Off the Shelf” blog post in which I’ll highlight important key dates, ideas, and activities  that you can incorporate into your library lesson plans or classroom activities. My goal is to help you stay organized and inspired as you plan your month, making it simpler to bring exciting and meaningful activities to your students.

I’ll also share resources and activities that you might find useful in your teaching. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas or resources to save you time, I hope these posts help make your planning process smoother and more enjoyable.

Thank you again for being part of this community, and I’m excited to share these key dates, ideas, and activities with you. Here’s to a wonderful, productive, and inspiring year ahead!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions!

Warmly,
Sandy

Key dates & Ideas for January:

Jan. 1 = New Year’s Day
Jan. 2 = Last day of Hanukkah
Jan. 4 = Trivia Day
           *Oooohhh…combine this with a Database Bingo game! Check out this one from Pebble Go!
Jan. 5 = National Bird Day
*Can you say bird research??? You can use my Animal Fast Facts as a quick note-taking device.
Jan. 8 = Bubble Bath Day
Jan. 10 = Houseplant Appreciation Day
          *Another good segway to research plants.
Jan. 14 = National Dress Up Your Pet Day
Jan. 17 = Kid Inventors’ Day
          *Turn this into a fun STEM activity…let them use their imagination and create a new invention!
Jan. 19 = Popcorn Day
Jan. 20 = Martin Luther King Jr. Day & Inauguration Day
          *Great opportunity to introduce Biographies.
Jan. 21 = Hugging Day & Squirrel Appreciation Day
          *Let’s learn more about Squirrels! Check out Mark Rober’s Squirrel Obstacle Course Videos!
Jan. 23 = National Pie Day
Jan. 24 = Belly Laugh Day
          *OHHH!  Time to hit the joke books and see who can find the BEST joke to share?!
Jan. 25 = Opposite Day
Jan. 27 = Holocaust Memorial Day
Jan. 29 = Lunar New Year & National Puzzle Day
          *Bring out all kinds of puzzles and put them out on tables for kids to explore.
Jan. 31 = Backwards Day
          *Introduce Reverse Poems! Have kids try writing their own like in this book or this one!  Perfect for this activity!

Activities For January:

Book care is a skill that I tend to review a few times throughout the year, but especially after winter break. I thought it would be fun to combine that review with setting New Year’s Resolutions for my younger students. Just print the pages double-sided like a booklet, and you’re ready to go! I’ve also included an editable version so that you can use this for each new year!

Activity Link:  LessonsBySandy Store   or    TpT Store

This is a great way to introduce new books to your kids and get them excited about reading them!   Place books around the library on tables, and allow students their entire library time to go explore new books. Then hand them a bookmark or booklet so that they can write down titles of new books that they would like to read in the new year. I teach them to also write down the call number so that they can find the book quickly when they want to check it out.

Activity Link:  LessonsBySandy Store   or    TpT Store

Goal-setting is a great way to help students feel in charge of their own learning. These forms will help your students set reading goals and keep track of their own reading.

Activity Link: LessonsBySandy Store   or   TpT Store

If you’re short on time, you can use this bookmark instead to encourage students to reflect more about the “type” of books that they are checking out.  It still provides them with a way to set reading goals for the new year.

Activity Link:  TpT Store

I hope you find this useful!