Quiet Books for an Elementary School Library

It's a whole new, exciting year and I'm so excited for what may come! So to get started for the new year, I have a wonderful new (to me) idea for a young children's library. Quiet books! Here is a link to pinterest with so many links to how to make your own quiet books.  Quiet Book How-To I have seen many different examples of these and think they would be a great addition to a school library. There are many positives for having these in your library.

1. A fantastic table top center that doesn't have loud parts and is designed to be quiet. 2. Fostering a love of books. 3. Ready made activities on many different subjects--i.e. counting, colors, animals, seasons...  4.  Plus a cheap and quiet Mr. Potato Head!



However, along with these there is a downside. While I am sure there is a very artistic person out there that sells these wonderful books, all that I have seen are time intensive creations that you can make at home. While I love this idea, to make enough of these for a library as well as be prepared with spare pieces, because inevitably there will be lost pieces.

A way to combat this is to just do one book but have many pages so students can share or divide and trade through the time, but I don't know how skilled I would be to make these amazing felt creations. The great thing is felt is a very cheap fabric--I found some letter paper size pieces for $.25 per piece at my local Hobby Lobby, but it is a big time commitment. Finding patterns, cutting patterns, gluing and sewing pieces all seems to stretch out in making this project come to life.

 However, through all of this I can see so many fun adventures for students. Plus, it is a way to tie classroom skills into the library. I feel that quiet books could even be made to do sentence elements and big math problems or a fun science topic about bugs. What a great way to show teachers how the library supports their classroom efforts!

What do you think? Are quiet books worth the effort to have for a library activity? What types of pages can you think of that would work in a library?

Until next time, happy quiet book building! :)

iPads and the Library

So this year, I have heard of many more schools bringing iPads into the library for student use.  What a fantastic idea.  There are so many great apps that can read to students, teach students, and entertain students out there.  I hope that I am able to bring these to my school one day.

I also just saw a fantastic way to utilize these tools.  What about an iPad corner in the library--similar to a centers table where students can use and utilize them during their library time.  It can even be decorated with great pictures and these fantastic posters on school age directions for using the iPad--I'm envisioning elementary school with these. :) 

I have heard some rough stories from high schools that give each student an iPad and dealing with breaks and completely destroyed units but I guess part of that comes from the understanding that they are students and accidents will happen.

I have also seen great apps for the iPad that are for students.  They make books interactive and fun in a way that is all new for kids.  I love apps like Touch Press that offer a number of interactive books on education topics such as the periodic table and gemstones.  It lets you explore up close, 3-D images of gemstones and its properties.  It also has music and information that is interesting as well as engaging for students.  I think this is a great way for students to learn without even knowing they are learning.  There are also apps that have weird or strange facts.  What a great way for them to learn something that will stick with them such as "A waterfall in Hawaii flows up instead of down."  It can be a way to start off the day with random information as well as an attention grabber for students. The great part of having an iPad is while it is a large initial expense, many educational and game apps are free or very low cost. The few I highlight here are no more than two dollars and most are completely free. I think iPads are a great way to enhance student learning!

iPads have definitely changed the standard for engaging student learners.  I think it creates a whole new scope of hands on or interactive learning and yet it can be used in so many different ways.  Do you have any apps that you would recommend for a library?  What do kids love to play with that will be great to use everyday?

Finally...A Date.

So this post is not a new idea for my library.  It is instead my moment of celebration for the date I become a librarian.  Yes, in my head I am already feeling that this is what I am but according to many schools that I want to work at, the title needs a great big paper with my name on it to back it up.  Well, the day that becomes my reality is....drum roll....MAY 9, 2013!!!!!  I am thrilled to finally have this recorded in my calendar.



Of course, before this can happen I have the rest of my classes to finish, not to mention a practicum/internship for the semester, two standardized tests, and a comprehensive exam. (Don't forget the partridge in a pear tree!)  But none of this matters because right now, I have an end in sight!

What does this end mean, you ask?  As of now, a world with no job, currently no major prospects, and a lifetime living with my parents and fighting about cleaning my room.  But that is not what I am thinking about right now.  Instead, I am dreaming of my ideal library, great students that I get to show the wonder of books, and fantastic ideas of how to pull it off thanks to a wonderful blog that holds them as my idea repository.  And I will find that library!...the next chapter begins MAY 9 (in case you missed it earlier).

Until that great evening, I will continue working on interesting and long school assignments, enjoy my few remaining days at my current job with kids and keep finding new ideas for this great library I will one day have.

Until next time...Happy Reading!!