Books on explaining death to young children

 We had a rough week last week. Family friends of ours lost their young daughter at the age of 14 month. The young mother said that her youngest son who is about 3  years old didn't have a clue what was going on.

So I was trying to remember what books on death of a family member or pet would be good for that age group.

1. I miss you/ Pat Thomas. This book explains that  death is natural and that feeling  grief and loss are feelings that  you may have. As a counselor and psychotherapist, Thomas  brings a simple story line  for ages 3-6 that is easy to understand.

2. Ida Always/ Carson Levine. A story of two polar bears, Gus and Ida. Ida becomes sick with an illness.

She can't seem to get well, and she later dies. Again told in simple language that is easy to understand.

3. Badgers Parting Gifts/Varely .  This is another outstanding book that can be used for a death in the family, both human or animal. The woodland animals are all sad when their friend  Badger dies. They loved him, Then they talk about different memories they had with him and of him , and they all feel better.

        4. I'll always love you/ Wihelm. Elfie , a dachshund, has a special boy who loves him and spends a lot of time with him. But one morning  Elfie does not wake up. Again a simple story designed too help young ones understand death of someone you love.

National Literacy Month- September

 September is National Literacy Month. You can challenge your  students and  patrons , young and old,  to go to the library and pick a great book to read.

 Parents, teachers, and librarian  can encourage making  reading part of daily life. You can also tell stories, talk to students about their favorite books, take them to the library or book store to get books. Every ordering online will encourage students 

 Some other ideas:  Read to you children/ students. Volunteer to read to grand kids, school kids, or neighbors.

  You can donate books that you have already read.

   Here is a website that you might checkout. 

     https://www.theliteracybug.com/

Free Library Lesson- Moe Willems

 Moe Willems gas been a delightful contributor to the world off children's books. He combines  simple drawings , engaging character,s and funny situations to pull children into  reading, We all know the Pigeon books, and they are unique.  series. Again  Moe  uses dialogue and interesting  yet familiar. situations to move the story  along.

  I happen to love The Piggie and Elephant series. Again, Moe uses dialogue and funny situations to move the story along.

Go to Moe's website and  you can find his Bio and some activities to go along with his books.
http://mowillems.com

Two of my Favorites and somethings to do with them.
We are in a Book

  1. Have students make a book with pictures .( drawn or cut out from old magazines). Have students identify each one with word bubbles.

 2. Make a book with two characters telling jokes . This could be a class activities with each student doing one page, illustrating it and writing word bubbles. Put the book together as as class book.

The Thank You Book
Students can make a class book or individual book of  what  they are thankful for. They can describe it in word bubbles.(Think November)

Making your teaching more student centered-2

  Here are a couple of more ideas for creating more student centered learning. This is not an easy task but it is so worth while to get the students engaged and involved their learning,

  1- Design more active practice  of skills and lessons that the students need .Provide more opportunities for students  to engage with materials and activities. This will ensure that students retain information  and be able to use then skill/ information a new context. If you use guided practice and provide feedback, this will also lead to student centered learning.

  2-Reveal your practices and processes  when discussing an assignment or project. Talk about your approach and share how you choose a topic. Acknowledge that are many possibilities for solving a problem.

Great read!

  Marie Benedict has done it again. In Lady Clementine,  we learn about Winston Churchill's wife, and right hand ad visor. Benedict brings Clementine to life with her extensive research. We learn about her younger years and the years she was a helpmate to Churchill.
   All the characters come alive , you feel like you belong to the Churchill family. The details about the fashion, food ,and wartime activities are skillfully interwoven to make a wonderful story!  The writing is absolutely fascinating.
  I have also read  The Other Einstein and  Carnegie's Maid which were  equally  entertaining and  interesting.

Making your teaching more student centered

As you thinking about back to school ( hopefully) , we can be strive to have our classes and lessons more student/learner centered. In my reading, I have come across some ideas that may help,
  1. Explain to students why you are doing things. Share with them why you are asking the students to learn a skill, perform a task,or complete an activity. Emphasize why it is important and worthwhile.

2. Eliminate should or ought. Appeal to the students/ learning. Appeal to the learners autonomy / or inner motivation. Appeal to their interests and passions instead of using controlling language.
Change your language to incorporate the student ideas. This will take time and effort but will result in better communication.

3. Do less in a lesson!  Students can only process a limited amount of information at once. So plan on fewer  learning outcomes. And then provide more active practice on the learning outcome. Give more time to each essential outcome.

Do you know The Fussy Librarian?

  I only just discovered this and I am thinking it will be a great source for eBooks. Best part of this - the eBooks are free ( or very low cost)!!
  If you go to the Fussy Librarian  (  https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/   )   and sign up ,  you can get a daily email with the latest  free eBooks for your Kindle, Nook, Apple or google play reader!
  There are listings for both adult, children/ middle grades and non-fiction categorizes.
Each listing shows the cover and also gives a short summary/ synopsis of the work.,
   You can get the full listing or you can customize it to the genres you like to read. If you don't want daily emails , you can tell it when  and how often you want to receive the listing of free eBooks.
Check this out if you like to do eBooks! The site also as articles for readers and authors that are informative and interesting.

Using Common Sense Media

Check out Common Sense  media for your remote  learning!  Or just to use for your informational /Digital literacy classes!   There is a lot of resources for librarians and tech teachers .

 First of all they have a new guide to Google  Classroom.

 There are Classroom Management   articles:
      How to find great resources.
     Guide to teaching  with Technology
     Classroom Management Tools
      Kick off the school year with interest driven projects

 Under ED Tech
      Using video for Project Based learning
       Using Video to collaborate on Project Based learning

Finally: Basic tools for Virtual and Distance learning

I  hope some of these will be helpful for you!

Brain Pop- site for remote learning/ Google Classroom

  Brain Pop is another tool I have used to add to my Google classroom. There are many activities lessons, videos, games, and quizzes that go along with my 7th grade Information Literacy Curriculum
  If you have this available in your district , I urge you to check it out and see what you can use for your remote learning.
  Some of the lessons I have used are the following:

Tech: Cyber bulling, digital animation, social media

Computer Sciences: 3d printing,computer history, Internet, hackers

Digital Citizenship: I have used most of these units which are excellent
.
English: Famous authors & books, Study & Reading Skills, Writing / Book reports ,Citing sources, copyright , fact & opinion

Each unit has a video,a quiz, related readings, and other activities.

Brain Pop is a very helpful source that will engage students and support teaching and leaning,
There is also a BrainPop Jr for students in grades k- 3.

NSteens.org- add to your Google Classroom for Remote learning

   https://www.nsteens.org/ is another site I use to teach Middle school  internet safety and digital  literacy.There are engaging videos that students will be able to watch and learn  about many facets of internet safety. Six Degrees of Information and Friend or Fake are ones I usually begin with. A few more to consider are cyber bullying and Meeting on line.

  There are games for students to 'play'. I like the Website Warrior one for a beginning lesson
Quizzes are also included-What type of Internet user are you? is always included on my Google Classroom.

  Students also like to look at the comics and the bios of the characters in the videos and games.

Typing.com/ Using Google Classroom for remote learning

  On my Google Classroom platform, I also have some typing lessons, games, and activities  that I assign to the student.  I want them to type correctly and this gives them practice.
  Typing.com is one site that I use. There are  videos, lessons, and typing tests. With three lessons, the students can advance quickly.
   There is keyboarding practice with reinforcement and stories for students to type. You can link this up to your google classroom which makes life really easy.
   There are some new additions that are also exciting.  There is a Tech readiness section  career prep. and Coding Essentials. This brings many great lessons to you already prepped and can be added to Google Classroom.

Common Sense Media/ Using Google Classroom for remote learning

   If you are using Google Classroom for your online learning platform, there are a lot of assignments, activities , and games that you can add for your students.

  For instance, thank about what you want student to do/learn, or what skills you want them to master.  I have used Common Sense Media for digital literacy for middle school because that is what I was asked to concentrate on media literacy and  information skills.

   When   you sign in as an educator you get access to free lessons with lots of options. I have used parts of this and added assignments to the google classroom.  There are videos, games, lesson slides, and work/ thinking sheets. You can them track student use and do grades if you need to.

  Another time I will discuss some other items that I have used in my Google Classroom,
What do you have on your Google classroom? How do  you use yours?

Virtual Library page-Links for your library page!

 Here are few more freebies that you can use on  your library page-


  Capstone interactive- free for students to use during school closures.  PebbleGo is  designed for K-3 students.  This site is packed with informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for all students


https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-access-school-closu

Buncee -  You can get remote access during school closures to Buncee . And there is lots of activities and ideas  for lessons for your students. There are ideas for remote learning- check this out! There are webinars for teachers.



https://www.remotelearning.buncee.com/?utm_source=banner&utm_medium=buncee&utm_campaign=rl2020site

More links to put on your Library page for at home learning!

 Here are a few more  links to consider putting on  your library page for students. You may also want to let your teachers know about some of these also.

   Ranger Rick. org- lots of fun things to read about and things to do!

   https://rangerrick.org/


  Kids Scholastic-  Read, Make Comics, and play games

   https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/home/



 Virtual School Activities-   This has many links to live webcams, virtual tours, and many educational sites.  Check this out and select some great links for your students!

  https://virtualschoolactivities.com/

Library web page:Some sites to pass on/ Put on your web page

World Book :
for research and just fun!
https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/distance-learning/distance-learning.htm?fbclid=IwAR0dL5FMJFubVCswioggreNzrO6ymfaMxtoOZgsCRyBIZmvob6BijnTRL7k

   : Wonderpolis

A variety of exciting things to read and to do!
https://wonderopolis.org/

Story Online
Watch famous actors and actresses read picture books aloud.

https://www.storylineonline.net


Storytime with Ryan & Craig:
These guys read books and they are funny!

https://www.ryanandcraig.com/

Librarians! Ramp up your websites!/ coronavirus

    If your library has been closed  like the ones in my area ( NY/ PA/ CT, )  we need to  keep our  web pages  up to date and  full of resources they can use during this Coronavirus pandemic.  We  really need to ramp up our web sites so that we can continue  services  to out patrons .  I am going to look back at some past posts , library websites that I use, and will continue to search for ideas and sites that can be put on our  pages to help our patrons.
  This will be a good way to show all the resources that librarians and library's provide for students and patrons.  I am praying that this whole pandemic does not last to long , but we won't know til it over until it is over. Keep safe every one, and check back here for some sites and tools for your library pages.
  

All students Need Great School Libraries

All students Need Great School Libraries


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ3b2-9dbb4

  Watch this video!  It has some excellent talking points . And some ideas you can use in defense of school librarians and libraries.  Let me know what you think!

Abby the Librarian

   I keep finding different websites for librarians and just want to share  in case you have not  found then yourselves. Abbythelibraian  is a great site for librarians ( school & Public) who do preschool or Kindergarten lessons or sessions.
    There are routinely Picture book Roundups which I love! She gives us brief summaries and also shows the cover. So if you are looking for  recommendations for new books you will be pleased. Some of the titles are brand new or soon to be released.
   She also gives short reviews of new books for elementary / middle school students . Again a big help for your collection development. She also gives book recommendations for special days and seasons.
   There are several other advantages to this site. Abby gives ideas for programs for preschool/ kindergarten and family reading. So if you need ideas  for story times this is a good place to check out.n There is a link on her site that gives themes    and book lists to go with them.

Read Across America Day/ week

I read this on the Future Ready Librarians Facebook and thought it was a great idea,   I took the main idea and lent some titles that I thought would work. Use these ideas or come up with some of your favoites!

Day 1: Books about Families
         Three days oh a river in a red canoe/ Williams
          In our mother's house/ Polacco
          Tell me again about the night I was born/  Curb

Day 2: Books about taking action
         The Giving Tree/ Silverstein
          Boxes for Katje/ Flemming
           One Plastic bag/ Paul
           Stick & Stone/ Ferry

Day 3: Read a silly story
      Horton Hatches an egg/ Seuss
       Don't let the Pigeon drive the Bus/ Willems
      Any book by Jan Klassen

 Day 4:  Books about different cultures
     Brown Girl dreaming/ Woodson
     Boy who harnessed the wind/ Kamkwamba
     Goal/ Taylor
     House that Baba built/ Young

Day 5: Books about Famous People
      Abe Lincoln the boy who loved books/ Winters
     The story of Ruby Bridges/ Coles
    Let the Children march/ Clark- Robinson
    Inventors who changed the world/ Poelman



Day 5 : Books about famous people.

Library Bulletin Boards for March

March is almost here .  So is Spring!  I can't wait.  
So let's see what we can do to highlight during those days!

 Spring into Reading- Flowers, insects, book jackets with titles of spring like books,

 St. Patrick's Day-  Every Day is a lucky day for reading.
                               Reading is Golden
                               Books to Treasure


Fly high With Reading- kites with book titles blowing in the sky

 Catch the reading Bug!

March- Women's History Month

Dr. Seuss- Read Across America

Bike into Books! Bike scene with book titles around