Workshop in the Library: Literacy and Making Collide

Students from Primary through Grade 5 are connecting their learning from Readers and Writers Workshop with their experiences in the library. We are practicing the habits and routines of growing readers and writers including reading aloud together, selecting just-right books, reading independently, conferencing with a partner or teacher and thinking critically about our reading.

A typical library visit for elementary students is 60 to 90 minutes. During this time, we plan our agenda, which may look something like this:

1. Read aloud with partner thinking (15 minutes)

2. Select and check out books (15 minutes)

3. Independent reading with one-on-one teacher conferences (15-30 minutes)

4. Choice Maker Time (15-30 minutes)

During our read aloud time, we read with a particular lens. It may be practising Reading Workshop strategies, turning and talking with a partner, writing about our reading or using a book as a mentor text for our writing. For example, students may be jotting down questions, connections, predictions or important lessons as we read aloud. We then turn and talk with a partner and deepen our thinking before sharing our ideas with the larger group. 

Our next step is to apply what we practiced in our own independent reading. As students select books, the librarian and teacher confer with students and may read with them to check for understanding and application of reading strategies.

Our final block of time together is dedicated to personal choice. We weave in tinkering, playing, building, designing and collaboration. Students are invited to tell stories with their building or take on a challenge. Some students work together over several class periods to construct a multi-step plan, others try out a new way of tinkering, and some keep diving into their reading.

In our FISW Library, literacy and making are colliding in meaningful and exciting ways. Students are connecting their learning across disciplines, applying skills to new contexts and pursuing areas of personal interest.

Library Resources and Choice Boards

Our FISW Library Media Center strives to provide learners with access to relevant information through dynamic virtual AND physical spaces. Our resources support both curricular and personal learning for our community. Our digital library resources are accessible through our FISW Library Media Center home page found below (Click the images to follow the link.)

 

Students, teachers and parents can access our library catalog, our subscription databases and our choice boards. Students know that the library home page is a great place to find age appropriate, readable, or audio video, content for learning. It is a starting point for exploration and research. Ask your child to show you some favourite resources on our page.

Within the home page, students will discover our choice boards. We began to interact with our choice boards during our time in distance learning, however, family students and families requested updates all year. Here is our September Choice Board below. The concept is that students can experience a virtual "visit to the library" by reading, building, playing, making and researching.

As a special celebration this month, students read the books The Dot and Be Who You Are, both by Peter H. Reynolds. Around the world, children and adults celebrate International Dot Day or Week. Here are a few dot suggestions to try:

All resources mentioned above are available directly on FISW student devices. From home, you may choose to bookmark these for easy family access. All links can be found on the FISW Library Media Center PowerSchool Learning page.

A new year at FISW Library

We are back in full swing for new learning, new beginnings and new books at our FISW Library! Students have jumped right into to our library routines and have made our new students welcome and familiar with our beautiful library space. 

We have over 600 new books spread out through our library. Student love browsing the new book displays and finding the gold star stickers which show the book is brand new! 

Our young learners love using their imaginations to bring building, tinkering, designing and reading together in the library. The series of photos above captures the art of playful building with a purpose - a place to read (and slide)!

Our students in Primary through Grade 5 are connecting learning in Readers Workshop with our library class time. Students are practicing finding just right books, reading with partners, turning and talking with a partner about reading. We are flexing our reading muscles together!

 

As we build and re-establish our routines and practices around IB learner profile and attributes of learning. Our students are collaborating, inquiring, communicating and pushing their thinking. Below our middle schoolers are engaged in our new Divergent Thinking class. Each week we meet to get "meta" -  to explore the ways in which we learn and thinking critically about our thinking. Students are also setting independent goals around their personal reading.

Khamsa the Reading Dog Visits the Library

We had a special visitor at our FISW Library last week! Khamsa, the reading dog, spent the day enjoying some relaxing reading time with our students in the library. 

With the Grade 2/3 class, Khamsa enjoyed hearing some Elephant and Piggie stories as well as talking about the wordless book A Ball for Daisy. She got some good belly rubs while listing to We are Growing! 

Grade 1 asked so many good questions about Khamsa! They learned about her special skills and traits. As a Portuguese Water Dog, she loves people, she has hair, not fur (which makes her hypoallergenic), and is a fantastic swimmer with her webbed feet and strong tail. 

Khamsa also visited First Steps and Pre-Primary in their classrooms, made her way to the Outdoor Learning Area to greet Grade 3 and Grade 6, and made her rounds to all the Grade 7 students during their English class. She also loved meeting lots of other students, teachers and staff in the hallways. Her day ended with some good snuggles with Grade 8.

Thanks to our Change Makers student group who organised our spirit week, including Pet Day! It made for a great occasion for Khamsa to try out her first visit to the library. We hope that Khamsa will visit the library more often next school year!

Research is growing on the benefits of dogs and pets in schools. Check out this article about some of the positive outcomes of dogs interacting with students in the classroom: Dogs in the Classroom Improve SEL, Cognitive, and Even Reading Skills.

Build Your Own Summer Reading Challenge 2021

Build up your reading strength this summer! Summer is the perfect time to read and enjoy books of your choice. FISW Library invites our students to participate in the "Build Your Own Summer Reading Challenge 2021."

Students can create their own unique challenge by reading a variety of books. Choose from the attached list or design your own challenge entirely! The goal is simply to read and enjoy.

We ask students to please turn their record into the library by Friday, August 27 to receive a certificate of recognition. 

Students should feel free to use the form provided, design their own, use a paper copy or digital Google Doc copy. Write the name of the books your read, take photos of the covers, draw pictures - the possibilities are limitless!

Students are invited to set a goal to reach one of the following building levels:

• Brilliant Builder: Read 10 books / categories

• Dynamic Designer: Read 15 books / categories

• Creative Constructor: Read 25 or more books / categories

Click on the images below to access the Google Doc to print or make a copy:

Spotlight on Student Research

Our students are building research skills through their units of inquiry. Across all grade levels students ask questions, explore resources and gather information at developmentally appropriate levels. Students engage and navigate with a variety of print and electronic resources available in both our physical and virtual libraries.

Pictured below, Primary and Grade 1 students investigate worms. After encountering worms in the playground and Outdoor Learning Area, students had many questions about worms' habitat, life cycle, diet and bodies. 

Students worked collaboratively to collect and share information from books and databases. Our youngest researchers love tools such as PebbleGo that read aloud to them, allowing our emerging access to sophisticated Science content.

 

Students used graphic organisers to gather information about worms by drawing and labelling picture and/or writing words.

Our Grade 2 and 3 students can be seen below researching insects and plants as they ask questions about how our ecosystems are connected. Students considered what information was important, what was surprising, what new words they encountered and what they wondered as they explored nonfiction print resources.

A highlight for our Grade 2-3 learners was investigating land forms and bodies of water. Students discovered a variety of databases such as PowerKnowledge Science, which allowed them to research in their home language. Students gathered and synthesised information from multiple sources and presented their research findings on through models and video presentations.

Our students are learning to formulate questions, identify reliable sources of information, gather research and share their findings. Research skills are essential transdisciplinary skills for students as they grow and develop along their learning journey. We can't wait to discover what our budding researchers will wonder and discover next.

Library Choice Boards for May

As we move into another (hopefully short this time) round of DLP, please explore the options in the new Library Choice Boards. The April/May Choice Board features readings around the theme of earth and working together. Poetry activities include the awesome "Poetry Machine" and a drag and build "Digital Magnetic Poetry" builder. Several art, puzzle and game choices are also included.

Click the image below to start your adventures:

Don't forget that all of our community resources are available through our FISW Library Media Center virtual space. Click on the image below to explore:

All students have a shortcut on their iPad home screens or a bookmark in their browser on their laptops. The link has also been shared on SeeSaw (First Steps - Grade 5) and Google Classroom (Grades 6-8).

Many students were excited to discover a special choice board to celebrate Star Wars Day: May the 4th Be With You: