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Improve Library Efficiency with Student Library Helpers

As school librarians, we juggle so much – circulation, shelving, displays, and helping our students find the perfect book to spark their curiosity. It’s a lot to handle and, some days, it can feel like you need an extra set of hands (or five). That’s where library helpers come in! They’re the secret to keeping your library running smoothly while giving students a sense of ownership and responsibility. Whether it’s shelving books or organizing supplies, library helpers can transform your space into a more efficient and welcoming environment. Today, I’m sharing some tips and guidance for how to get library helpers started in your library! Why Library Helpers Are a Game-Changer Having library helpers has completely changed how I manage my library. They don’t just take a load off my plate. They also make the library feel like a shared space where everyone contributes. These student volunteers bring so

Teaching Types of Genres to Elementary Students

If you’ve ever watched your kiddos light up when they connect with a story, you know how powerful books can be. When I introduce different types of genres in the school library, it’s a chance to open the door to new worlds, big ideas, and unforgettable adventures. Picture and chapter books are great for lessons because they’re perfect for breaking down genre elements while keeping children engaged. Whether you’re working with primary students or upper elementary readers, there’s something magical about finding just the right book to bring a genre to life. Today, I’m sharing some favorites that I use when teaching the different types of genres to my students. Breaking Down the Types of Genres Before diving into book recommendations, let’s take a moment to break down what makes up each genre. Understanding the key features of each genre helps our students recognize patterns and appreciate the storytelling

Graphic Organizers Spark Clarity and Comprehension for Students

Navigating the writing process can be a common challenge, both for me personally and for my students. From deciding where to start to organizing thoughts, the struggle is real. Whether assisting my students in their writing journeys or diving deep into reading comprehension, helping students work through all the thoughts and ideas can be challenging. That’s where the magic of graphic organizers comes in! Today, I’ll walk you through why graphic organizers are a must-have in your toolbox, what exactly they are, and throw in a few examples that you can use with your students! What Are Graphic Organizers? Have you ever been lost? Maybe you’ve been lost literally in a new place, or maybe you have felt lost in a school subject. Both scenarios create an icky feeling of being overwhelmed and hopeless. When students feel like this they have racing thoughts overpowering each other in their heads,

The Ultimate School Librarian Survival Kit

While sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle everything on our to-do list, being an elementary or middle school librarian is such a rewarding gig! From cataloging new books to organizing reading programs and helping students find their next favorite read, there’s a lot of variety in this job! If you love what you do, but need some systems to help make it more efficient, I’ve got your back! Let’s talk about my school librarian survival kit and how it will be a total game-changer for you. What’s Included in This School Librarian Survival Kit My school librarian survival kit has EVERYTHING you need to rock the new school year. It includes lesson plans, activity ideas, library management tips, and even some fun decorations to brighten up your space. With these resources, you’ll have all the tools to keep your library running smoothly

5 Best FREE Websites for Digital Read Alouds

Are you teaching virtually this school year or sometimes just feel as if your students are more engaged by a digital read aloud story? Well I feel your pain and I’ve got you covered! I have compiled a list of the 5 best websites for digital read aloud stories. Do you want to know what the greatest part is?! They are all FREE websites! Anyone that is in the world of education loves free things, am I right?! Please enjoy and leave some feedback on which websites you like to use the most for digital read aloud stories. Storyline Online Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners. Storyline Online is a program of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation (SAG). This means that

5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd – 5th Graders That Really Work

It’s getting to be that long stretch in the year in which students start to become unmotivated after winter break. Summer break seems so close, everyone can almost smell it, yet it’s still pretty far away. Keeping students motivated at this time of the year can be difficult. Keeping students motivated to read can be hard during any time of the school year, but the second semester always seems more difficult to keep that incentive to read going, in my opinion. What can we do about this? Do you use any reading incentives with your students? I find that motivating students to read by doing different unique reading activities and offering them some choices will often get them more excited to engage in a book. All students have a different love for reading and that’s okay. However, all students need to be reading as we know-even if it’s not

How to Plan the Perfect Interactive Read Aloud

I began my career many years ago and have worked with all grade levels at the elementary level now. I love what I do, especially my time reading aloud to students, no matter their age. Read alouds bring us together as a family and provide opportunities for all students to participate. It wasn’t always that way. When I first started I thought of read alouds as simply a time to read a book to kids. But over the years I have realized it is so much more! As I journeyed to find the perfect combination to make a quality read aloud I tried many different things. I must say that I made my share of mistakes along the way: too many questions, low-level questions, and covering too much in one book, just to name a few. Since then, I have reflected a lot and now have a much better

Why You Should Be Using the Picture Book Choice Boards for February

Have you tried using choice boards with your students yet when doing interactive read alouds? If you aren’t sure what an interactive read aloud is, I discuss it in great detail in this blog post. This Picture Book Digital and Print Choice Boards February BUNDLE are perfect to help accompany all of your February read alouds! The Picture Book Digital Choice Boards February BUNDLE is great for ages K-2 to accompany 4 different read aloud stories (Affiliate links below) Click, Clack, Moo I Love You! Love, Splat I Am Abraham Lincoln Whistle for Willie Due to copywriting issues, I could not read the stories aloud and include them in the product. So you can purchase the books yourself and read aloud in person or make a loom video or live stream version of your reading if you are teaching virtually. You could also check on Youtube or with your

The Best Read Alouds to Celebrate Black History Month

February is National Black History Month. There are some great books for read-alouds that I love to use in February and some fun activities to go with them to help celebrate Black History Month that I would love to share with you today. Here are the best read alouds to celebrate Black History Month. *This post contains affiliate links. It just means that if you purchase the products that I recommend, I receive a small commission. Thanks! HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX: A TRUE STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD By: Ellen Levin Book Description: A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom. Henry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows

Caldecott Medal 2021 Predictions

The 2021 Caldecott award ceremony is quickly approaching. Which means it’s time for me to give my prediction for who will win the coveted medal. The ALA awards will be given out sometime in mid-January. Members of the Caldecott committee have been working all year to choose the book they think is worthy of this prestigious award. Members of the committee read thousands of picture books throughout the year. Then they must narrow their choices down to 7 titles each. Once they have this much smaller list, they spend hours debating about which book should receive the top honor. Every year I always come up with my own list of titles that I believe will be contenders. This year I have come up with 15 books that I believe should be on the list (although I have not read nearly as many as the committee members do). Read my

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