Library Skills Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Staying Cool in the Library

Library Activities to Make Check-Out Time Run Smoothly

It’s library check-out time, and you’re wishing you had six more arms and three sets of eyes. Between checking out books, figuring out overdue books, and managing other students in the library – it can feel like a full-time job for at least three people. And yet, it’s just you. I wanted to share some library activities that can help check-out time run smoothly. These activities are meant to keep other students busy and on task, while you man the check-out counter. I’ll also give some library activities for students with overdue books, who are unable to check out a new book. #1 Keep a Box of Weeded Out Books When you go through and weed out old books, instead of tossing them or leaving them in the hallway, keep them in a box. During check-out time, allow students to search through the box and find a book they

Teaching Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Summarizing and paraphrasing can be difficult skills for students to master. Often they do not understand the differences between the two and when to use them. In the library, I review these skills when I do any type of research project. Teaching a skill in context is always more effective than teaching it in isolation. The Difference Between Summarizing and Paraphrasing Summarizing is retelling the main idea in your own words. A summary should be short and to the point. Only the most important ideas should be included. Whereas paraphrasing is retelling the text in your own words. These two concepts are very similar which leads to the confusion many students have. How I Teach My Students About Summarizing and Paraphrasing This is why I created my Summarizing and Paraphrasing Activity Pack. This activity pack is designed to engage your students in meaningful practice in key reading skills with

Biography Research Projects

Students need to read and learn about many different types of informational texts, including biographies. A biography research project can combine many important skills besides just learning about the life of an important person, such as: note-taking summarizing and paraphrasing information evaluating information finding the best sources for information organizing information the importance of citing your sources practice writing informational text Basics of a Biography Teach students the call number When I teach about biographies in the library, I start by showing students the biography section and pointing out the call number for biographies. I always give my biographies the call number of 92; however, each library is different. What’s the difference between a biography and an autobiography? I then like to discuss the difference between a biography and an autobiography. A biography usually provides facts about a person from their childhood through adulthood and is written by someone

Teaching Genre in the Library

Who else loves to teach genre to your students? Teaching different types of genres opens the door to lifelong reading. It’s about helping our students pick up books that ignite curiosity. It also shows our students the worlds that exist beyond their own. Understanding genres also connects to writing, helping our students move past the traditional narrative and explore creative possibilities. What is a Genre? Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a genre? A genre is a category that helps us group books (or any type of story) based on similar themes, settings, or styles. It guides them to books they’ll love based on what they’re in the mood for. Whether it’s a suspenseful mystery, an adventure, or a heartwarming tale of friendship, genres help us organize stories and make it easier for our students to explore new favorites. In the library, genres go beyond fiction. Nonfiction

Library Orientation Mini Books

As educators we all know the importance of laying a solid foundation in the early weeks of a new school year. Having clear routines and procedures are key to having good classroom management and a smooth year. By taking the time to explicitly and thoroughly teach students your expectations, you are setting yourself and your students up for a successful school year. That’s where library orientation comes into play! Library orientation is a very very busy time of the year. As the librarian, you are solely responsible for ensuring every single student in your school is respecting library time and following the correct procedures. After all, we only have them in the media center for a short time each week! This time at the beginning of the school year is so important to a seamless year! One engaging and fun way I like to teach expectations to my students is

Engaging Upper Elementary Students

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

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Library Activities to Make Check-Out Time Run Smoothly

Teaching Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Biography Research Projects

Teaching Genre in the Library

Library Orientation Mini Books

Engaging Upper Elementary Students

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