The Todd Elementary School library media center continues to make reading and learning fun for children through a plethora of activities, exercises and interactive resources. Each grade level spends 45 minutes of their day in the library immersed in different activities that inspire a love of reading and inquiry, and help these young readers connect the stories, the research subjects and the authors with everyday life, all of which aligns with the Common Core Learning Standards.
Throughout the year, library media specialist Tara Phethean welcomes guest authors to speak with children and share their insights about writing and the inspiration for their works. Award-winning author Peter Lourie visited with fourth-graders last month and shared some of his journal notes and showed children the equipment he used to visually capture scenes from outdoor journeys, which he then turns into nonfiction books for children. Students prepared for his visit with an online scavenger hunt.
“Gone are the days of simple story times in the elementary library. I teach 21st century skills and support academic achievement and lifelong learning,” noted Phethean. “Over 21 state studies confirm that, regardless of the socio-economic or educational levels of the community, students in schools with certified school librarians and updated school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests.”
Fifth-grade students are taking their learning of authorship to the next level. They created digital posters or ‘glogs’ (visual blogs) containing video, audio, still photos and other graphics in support of their research on specific authors. This entailed learning how the author pursued writing as a career and the experiences that have helped to make that person successful.
First-graders have been using video tools such as Skype to reach out to experts in other fields in support of their research of different topics. In November they reached out to a local turkey farm via Skype to learn if turkeys can be good pets, and other important facts about these feathered friends.
Meanwhile, third-graders recently spent time taking a closer look at themselves by creating their own personal autobiographies entitled “The Chronology of My Life.” They wrote about signature moments in their young lives, honing their descriptive writing, grammar and punctuation, while also differentiating between biographies and autobiographies.
Second-graders have been delving deeper into several different subjects by listening more intently, asking more questions and thinking more critically and independently through “Socractic Seminars.” The seminars are held regularly and allow them to explore written works and accompanying illustrations to connect their meanings, and explore details and broader themes expressed in the books.
Kindergartners are exploring story structure in depth as well through “Circular Stories’ in which they read stories together then plot them out afterwards on a SmartBoard, moving pictures that represent plot points and creating a “circle of moments” from the story.
These and many other Todd library activities are highlighted in Mrs. Phethean’s bimonthly newsletter entitled “Todd Library News: Lifetime Learners; Lifelong Readers” which is emailed home to families and can also be found on the Todd library webpage. She also includes a preview of library studies to come in every edition.
Additionally, there are plenty of online resources for children, teachers and parents on the Todd library webpage, including student research guides, 24/7 access to online databases such as Brain Pop, World Book Online and Enchanted Learning, and tips on the most effective and engaging way to read with your child.