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March 2nd is Read Across America Day. In the past, most libraries and schools celebrated this day by reading Dr. Seuss books and organizing Seuss-themed activities. Over the past couple of years, the focus has shifted to emphasize multicultural and diverse literature. I am grateful for this change because it provides the perfect opportunity to share with students and parents a broader selection of children’s books and to create programs and activities that focus on acceptance, kindness, and cultural diversity. In this blog post, I want to share with you some different activities and ideas that you can use in your own schools and libraries that go along with this new focus. These are perfect for Read Across America Day or any time you want to have a reading celebration. 1. Author Studies Choose an author who writes more diverse books or who features multicultural characters. Create a bulletin
Tackling lesson plans for upper elementary students has been an ongoing challenge in my role as a librarian. The task of keeping them engaged has gotten increasingly difficult. The struggle becomes even more real after the holiday break as the 5th graders return feeling more like middle school students than elementary students. So, I’ve put together a list of ideas and activities for engaging upper elementary students to spice things up and keep the excitement alive for learning in the library. Let’s dive into some ideas that can help you transform your upper elementary students from “too cool for school” to “bring on the books!” This post is collaborative in a sense. You see, over in the Staying Cool in the Library private Facebook group were discussing this very topic. If you are not already a member, come join us! Through this discussion, I quickly realized that this issue
Everyone enjoys having a break from school, students and educators alike. And while taking that time off is essential and allows us time to re-charge, it can be difficult to get back on track after an extended break. I believe this can be especially tough in the library or other specials classes. Re-establishing library rules and procedures is always part of my after break plans. Below I am sharing some tips, tricks and ideas that I have found useful in helping to get my classes back on track after a holiday break. Re-teach rules and procedures This is a an absolute must in re-establishing routines, remind students of the library rules, expectations and procedures. Act like it’s the first day of school. What did you teach your classes as they came in the library for the first time? This is what you want to re-teach now. You will not
Christmas is just around the corner, and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s my favorite holiday, and I love everything about it—from decorating and listening to Christmas carols to watching holiday movies and picking out the perfect gifts for everyone on my list. There’s something extra special about seeing the joy and excitement on my students’ faces as they eagerly count down to the big day. As wonderful as this season is, every teacher knows it can also be one of the most exhausting times of the year. Keeping students focused and engaged during the holiday countdown can be a real challenge! If you’re already feeling the pressure of planning lessons for December, you’re in the right place! I’ve put together 12 days of Christmas lesson plans and activities to help you get through those hectic weeks leading up to winter break. Whatever grade you teach, you’re sure to
As we head into the busy holiday season, finding time to write lessons plans can be difficult. Look below for some free Christmas lesson plans and activities that you can use with your students right now! Santa’s Stuck This is a free set of literacy activities to go along with the book Santa’s Stuck by Rhonda Gowler Greene and Henry Cole. Activities included: comprehension questions to use in literacy centers or small groups, writing/drawing activity and a one page mini book. Christmas Traditions – Truth or Fib Scoot Game Your students will love learning about different Christmas traditions with this free Scoot game. This is a set of 16 task cards. On each card is a Christmas or New Year tradition from around the world. The student needs to decide whether the tradition is true or if it is a fib. Can be used as a literacy center or
Thank You Sarah! The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson is a book that I read every year to my third graders. It is a biography about Sarah Hale, the woman many call the “mother of Thanksgiving.” She was a writer and editor who lived in the 1800’s. She began a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She wrote thousands of letters and did not give up until President Abraham Lincoln agreed to make Thanksgiving a holiday in 1863. One reason I enjoy this book so much is that the author turns what could be a rather dry subject into something humorous and entertaining. The illustrations provide extra details to the story and are guaranteed to make your students laugh out loud. The story also provides some historical context including talking about slavery and some of the other issues important during this time. Since I do

Staying Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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