This weekend I presented at the Hawaii Library Association's Annual Conference. And it went great! I talked about how I make AR positive and effective at school, and I was nervous about being nervous, but I think my enthusiasm came out while presenting. Thank you to the attending librarians who asked lots of questions! Here is my slide show and related AR files...
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3rd grade is studying genres, which goes right along with Book Genre Bingo (I'll post about this soon), and their first genre is fantasy. I used to give students a list of fantasy books we carry in the library, but I wasn't convinced that they were learning anything besides library organization. So, as a class, we built a bubble map using the Inspiration app. This helped review what students know about fantasy, and added a few new elements.
All but 3 of the 3rd grade students were able to find a fantasy book and explain what made it fantasy. One student did not use his time wisely. Another student was just plain confused. And, another student found a fantasy book, but couldn't quite explain what made it fantasy. He said that the cover looked like a fantasy book, which was true. I asked him what looks like fantasy. He could not explain. I pointed to a dragon on the cover, and said, "What about the dragon?" He still couldn't connect it to fantasy. I said, "Are dragons real?", and he paused, and thought, and looked confused, and said, "I'm not sure." I think that, like the belief in the tooth fairy mentioned above, this an example of young minds that cannot quite grasp "impossible".
The most encouraging thing about this whole lesson was from the 2nd graders! They all visited the library 2 days after the fantasy lesson. When one students saw the fancy bookmarks, he asked how he could get one. And the girl next to him said, "You have to find a fantasy book and then tell her why it is fantasy." I was shocked. She told me that her friend showed her bookmark to everyone after school and told them how she earned it. And then another student jumped in and said, "My sister filled out the whooollleee list on her fantasy bookmark." Holy meow! I was so surprised to find that students were talking about the lesson! It was so simple, but it was a success, and so much more meaningful than just giving kids a list of fantasy books. Two boxes of Scholastic books arrived while a 5th grade class was in the library. I was excited, so I opened the boxes right away. It turns out that the kids were just as excited as I was... maybe more! I held up each book one-by-one as I took it out of the box, and the kids ooohed and ahhahed and cheered and even waved their arms in the air! I couldn't stop laughing at them, and I felt like a proud mom, thinking, "How did I get so lucky to get such great kids?" It was an amazing librarian moment. I wish I had taken pictures of the kids with the books and their excitement, but I was too busy laughing. Instead, here are some of the books that got them roaring: I got a few pity cheers for pictures books like Click, Clack, PEEP!, because the 5th graders are just too old for that now. But it was a nice gesture. Thanks, kids!
Also, thanks to Scholastic Book Fairs. The money we make at the book fairs is the primary source of book funds for the library. I know that Accelerated Reader, more commonly called "AR", is reeeealllly disliked among library professionals. It's a leveled reading program that labels students. I have issues with the program myself. But, AR is used by schools across the country, and it's not going away anytime soon. So, here are a few of my AR tricks Book SelectionMy biggest concern about implementing AR is that it limits students' book choices. I get around this by having a very generous circulation policy. Students are expected to check out at least 1 or 2 books in their AR level at each library visit, but they are also allowed to pick out many free-choice books. This policy supports teachers, who are expected to implement AR with their students. This supports students, who are expected to meet their AR goals. And, this supports students by still giving them freedom to read whatever they like. Color CodingI was very, very, very against color-coding reading levels. I'll save you the list of reasons. But, I've realized that color-coding is the most practical way to implement AR for young students. To the left is a picture of the AR color poster that I hang in the library. The spine of the books are labeled with a colored sticker based on their AR level. It stops at 6.0 because I try to wean the students off of using color for choosing books by about 3rd grade. Color coding books does not solve all the problems that young students have with selecting AR reading. When you tell a 6-year-old that their reading level is 1.4 to 2.4, they often scour the library for books that are level 1.4 or 2.4. They struggle to understand all of the in-between numbers, especially because the books levels use decimals. So, for the young students, I make labels that go on students' shelf markers or ID cards. I color the numbers that are part of the student's ZPD. This way, students can find a book with the right color, check the level, and see if the level is colored in on their label. This really gets them started, and after a few weeks, they hardly need the label.
Searching for Books
Sharing AR with ParentsAt the beginning of the school year, I give parents a presentation (click on the link to see the presentation) about the AR program. It's a very quick overview, but the parents catch on quickly. I give them the directions to search for AR books on DestinyQuest, just like I give the students. I also show them how their students can log into AR and check on their quarterly progress (available above to the right with the other files). This helps parents support their students, and helps parents feel informed. This entry is feeling awfully long, but AR implementation can be complicated. Please let me know if any of these ideas are helpful. And share any ideas you have for implementing AR at your school!
(Or, the time my friend and I forced ourselves on Judy Blume)I cleaned out an old file cabinet in the library office this week and found this gem. (The "gem" is in the picture to the left.) It's a pamphlet about Judy Blume and her books. The title, Meet Judy Blume, made me respond, "I DID! I DID meet Judy Blume!" to myself. So, I'm feeling excited about meeting Judy Blume all over again. And I want to tell the world all about it! The story isn't too exciting, I admit, but I MET JUDY BLUME! She's a legend! Meeting a legend is always a good story. My grad school bestie, Amy, and I went to the Newbery and Caldecott award dinner at the ALA annual conference in Las Vegas this summer, and we both say that it was one of the best nights of our lives! Amy's mentor, Susan, showed us around and pointed out a lot of the authors and showed us around. But, she also reminded us that this is a night of fun for the authors and illustrators, and to give them space and to be polite. We did our best.... But, when Judy Blume ended up chatting with friends at the cocktail table next to us, Amy and I could hardly keep ourselves together. We decided to go over and introduce ourselves, but she was saying her goodbyes for the night. It was late, I'm sure she was ready to go to bed. As she said goodnight to a friend, we stood right behind the friend, and I kept making awkward eye contact with her. I was probably pretty creepy. When she turned and walked toward the door, we jumped right in front of her. It was a bold, classless move. In return, Judy Blume was so polite and gracious. She shook our hands, and gave us her attention for a few moments while we gushed at her. It really made our night. We were so excited, that the moment she left, we took an "OMG! We met Judy Blume!" selfie: Letting go... of materials.When I started my library position last year, a 2-book per student policy had been in place for years. After the first quarter, I realized that this just was not enough for some students. So, I told them that they could check out as many books as they could read before their next library visit, which was always in one week. Was there chaos? Nope! Did I lose a zillion books? Nope! In fact, I ended the year with less than $60 in unpaid lost book fines.
As the school year begins, I am putting my new circulation policy into writing. I did a quick google search to find out what other elementary libraries have for collection policies. I found that many schools only allow kindergarteners and first graders to check out one book a week. Higher grades are limited to two or three books a week. In my searching, I also found an article Reading by Grade Three: How Well do Library Circulation Policies Support Early Reading by Linda Johnson and Jean Dunham. I learned that what I found in my informal google search was a good picture of circulation practices nation-wide. I also learned that more access to books leads to higher rates of reading proficiency by third grade. Johnson and Dunham asked why school librarians restrict circulation, and their biggest concern is lost materials. How do we, as librarians, cope with the idea of letting go? At least once a day I circulate a book that's brand new, or a book I love, to a child who has a history of lost books, and I cringe and my heart aches to let it go. But, this is our job. I believe that our responsibility to provide materials to students is greater than our responsibility to protect our collections. So, this year, the circulation policy will allow students to "check-out as many books as they need to read until the next library visit, with the guidance of the library staff." Because, there's always a kid who comes up with all seven Harry Potter books, and I'll tell him, "How about just one or two for this visit, and if you finish early you can come at recess to get the next one?" What about lost books? I protect my collection with persistence! I send notes home. Repeatedly. I call home. Repeatedly. Most of the time, the books appear under a bed or in the back of a desk after a little searching. If not, the parents eventually send a check. He's in West Portal, San Francisco!I was waiting for my drink at Peet's West Portal when I spotted Waldo!
In short, 25 Waldos are hidden in West Portal shops. You can get a Waldo passport at any of the 25 shops, and then you get a signature from a shop when you find Waldo. When you get 10 signatures, you get a pin and a $1 coupon. If you get 20 signatures, you are entered to win a $100 gift card, a Where's Waldo prize pack, and more!
While this idea puts life into my favorite San Francisco neighborhoods, I am now thinking about ways a similar idea could be used in the library or to promote the library. What do you think? Are there any ways you could modify this idea for your library? |
AuthorDebby Vandersande is a school librarian. Archives
December 2015
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