Custom Library Artwork

Kelsey had this great idea for recycling old books into artwork for her toddler's room. (See Kelsey's blog with art here.) When I saw it, I thought about using the same idea for artwork for the library.  She created her artwork on a canvas but when I priced canvas, I knew I could never afford canvas at the size I needed it to be in order to not be completely swallowed up in the expanse that is my library.  So, I created mine on full sheets of foam core (36" x 48").  Hope they will look great in the library over the story steps.

Monster Madness and Pumpkin Writing

This past Fall, we did Monster writing (2nd grade) and Pumpkin writing (1st grade).

Pumpkin Writing
We read lots of books about pumpkins.  Then, students examined a real pumpkin -- touching it, smelling it, looking at it.  We brainstormed a list of work to describe the pumpkin.  Finally, students used the following model and our list of descriptive words to write about a pumpkin which they drew at the top of their papers. 

Model:  My pumpkin looks like ______________________.  It smells like __________________.  It feels  _______________________________.

Students who were able combined their simple sentences to form more complex sentences.

Monster Madness
We read many books about monsters, including I Need My Monster and Monster Hotel.  We made a list of words that might describe monsters.  Then, students drew their own monsters and wrote their own progressive monster poems.

An example:

My Monster
Scary monster
Sharp-clawed, scary monster
Sharp-clawed, sharp-toothed, scary monster.
Big, sharp-clawed, sharp-toothed, scary monster.



We mixed our pumpkin and monster writings in the hallway in our very own pumpkin patch.

A View of the Library

Thought folks might want to take a peek in my library.  This is what it looked like Fall 2012.  Redecorating for this Fall.  Will post new pictures when it is all done this year.

Looking at door to hallway.

Nonfiction section

Nonfiction and edge of circulation desk



My office door

Everybody books in forefront, Fiction along walls

My teaching area



Our story steps



Looking from teaching area back into library

View as you enter library

Out of This World Reading

Last year we were looking for a way to provide incentives to our kids to read.  So, we borrowed Hollywood Elementary School's Reading Program and adapted it to our particular school's need.  This is the display we used in the hallway to track student progress.

Students received points for completing book reports over books of their choice.  Bonus points were awarded for books from the month's highlighted genres, NYRA nominees, and books that were the librarian or librarian aide's favorite books.  Students started on the Sun and finished on Pluto!  We had a couple of Kindergarteners and 4th graders who travelled the solar system twice during the year.

"Loan"-ly Hearts Club

I borrowed this idea from a retired librarian but it turned out really well.  We have hundreds of books in the library that have not left the shelf since the school opened 13 years ago.  Many of them are really great books, but we have so many books on the shelves, kids just do not find them.  So, I created this welcome sign for the library to grow interest.

Then, I created additional puffy hearts to highlight lonely books in the Everybody, Fiction, and Nonfiction sections of the library.

My aide is so great that when students checked out a lonely book from these sections she secretly put a raffle ticket in a bucket for each loanly book.  At the beginning of March, I drew 30 tickets out and gave out prizes -- discarded books, pencil, and bookmarks!  The kids were surprised to get treats.  

Second graders selected more of the books than anyone else.  They were really drawn to my dramatic story about these poor lonely books that had never seen the light of day in over 10 years.  :-)

Highlighting the Best!

I created two bulletin boards in the library to highlight the best individual readers, best class readers, and the best books in the library.

On this bulletin board, we are going to highlight those great Reading Counts! books that have not left the library shelves in 10 years.  I ran the list yesterday and there are some really good books on the list.  I think the kids just do not know they are in the library.  So, the plan is to scan color copies of the covers, put the covers on the board, add some diecut sheriff's badges with Lexlie level and points, and add diecut boots with call numbers so kids will know where to locate them. 

I ran a list of the bottom 50 books.  Think I might get 10 - 12 on the board so will have some extras prepared enabling us to switch out the book covers in a month or so.  Then, I will rerun the report and see what new books are on the list to include.

I want to highlight the top readers in each grade level and the top participating homerooms.  Here's my idea -- at the end of each month, I will run Reading Counts! reports to determine the top read (words read) in each grade level.  We will take the student's picture and print them off the color printer.  Plan to add their name and grade level on a label attached to the little fence post next to each photo spot.  Will also do the same thing with the homeroom in each grade level that has read the most words.  To keep the recognition open to everyone each month, I am going to run reports only for the month (no accumulation of words from previous months.)  At the end of the following month, These photos will all come off and be moved to the wall above the bulletin board -- going to circle the library with top readers during the year.

Tracking Reading Counts! Progress

I have been working to get the books labeled for our new upcoming Reading Counts! program.  Finally ran out of star stickers to go on the books, so decided it was a great time to work on our wall displays to track student progress.  Last year, I had a solar system display (will post pictures of those later) but I wanted to do something a little different this year with the new program so I have been feverishly working to get my bulletin boards finished for our new Reading Counts program.  Have all "boards" finished but Europe.

 Europe is not finished in the following picture because the Fall supplies have not come in yet and we have no purple paper -- holding out for delivery.

 Students will start on North America and then move from continent to continent until they get to our very special "Wrangler Reader" board when they accumulate 200 points. (Have not completed this latter board, yet -- will probably go on one of the columns.)