My students need items that they can use with their hands to help make connections to books, and increase literacy. I am requesting items such as building bricks, crayons, markers, and a play food set.
I am a teacher-librarian in a low-income school district. My students are faced with several challenges both in and out of the classroom. My students visit the school library often, and as a librarian literacy is my focus. Let's be honest though, learning to read is hard. I like to lighten the load by having fun activities to use as an incentive in the library.
The students are in grades Kindergarten through 8th in a city in upstate New York.
I'd like to introduce Makerspace related activities to increase their love of the library and increase the skills they have. If students can tinker and have fun while increasing literacy everyone is successful.
My Project
Combining literacy with fun is an enticing way for students to learn to read, and develop new skills. Being a school librarian is an awesome job, but there are specific challenges that come with working with underprivileged students. Their needs are different than others students and I'm looking for creative ways to make stories and the library more fun.
Makerspaces are all the rage.
The idea is to learn a new skill and then one is able to take something home at the end. I'd like to introduce projects that are hands-on that connect to some of the stories we read in the library.
Pipe cleaners can be used for many things. If we read a story about animals or flowers we can follow that book up by making a flower or animal with a pipe cleaner project. Plus, students get very excited when they can take something home to show their families.
Sometimes it's nice to follow a story up with some coloring or drawing time. They can express ideas from the story in their own way. I teach students in many grades and have noticed that different art supplies are needed. Younger students work best with jumbo crayons and chubby markers, while older students enjoy using colored pencils. Having the right tool for the job is half the battle.
I've tried fitting in Fun Friday this school year, and some activities do not always connect to a book. The building bricks and pretend kitchen items will allow for imagination time. Younger students can be frustrated by learning to read. Urban students can be very overwhelmed. I don't want them to get anxious by coming to the library. When I can mix in fun with books I've noticed students are less anxious in the library.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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