Looking for new ways to do your library orientation for your elementary school students? I am going to give you some of my favorite resources that won’t leave you or your students bored. As related arts or specials teachers, the beginning of the year and setting up rules and procedures looks a little bit different than it does in the classroom.
We have the same students every year, so for the most part they know how many books they can check out each week. They know what they should do if they cannot find a book. They know what to do after they check out or if they can’t check out that week. How many times can you tell the same students the same rules and procedures?
But it is also hard to come up with engaging and creative ways to teach library rules and procedures and orient the students to the library every single year. The worst part is that you can’t reuse the lessons from year to year because you teach the same kids!
Here are some of my favorite Library Orientation Resources and lessons for grades K-5.
Teaching Book Care
This is actually one of the lessons I really don’t like teaching. It has the potential to be great and engaging, but I found that I was always just reading a book like Mr. Wiggles and giving them a worksheet that in some way illustrated how you should or shouldn’t treat your book. Now, there is nothing wrong with these lessons, but because I didn’t like teaching them, they also weren’t engaging for the students. And if the students weren’t engaged then I didn’t think they were actually understanding or caring why it is so important that they take care of their books.
So my favorite resource for book care for grades K-2 is a youtube video that was created by a school Library Media Specialist, who used humor to engage students in an important (but sometimes dry) topic. The video is timely, it is funny and engaging and the students learn how to take care of their books without being bored to death by me!
Mr. Ginger: How to Take Care of Library Books
I feel like this video is pretty popular among Media Specialists everywhere, but if you haven’t watched it, you should definitely check it out. After watching the video, we have a great class discussion about what we learned from Mr. Ginger. The students still complete a worksheet where they have to draw a picture showing how to take care of a library book, but it leads to students forming their own ideas and great discussion!
Reviewing Library Rules and Procedures
When reviewing rules and procedures, my favorite resource to use is a jeopardy game. You can download your own template or download mine below and edit them. I use this for grades 2-5. It’s fun, engaging and it gives you a chance to review all of your rules without it being repetitive. Remember, for the most part you have the same students every year. Make it apparent that you value their time, and the short time that you have together each week and give them a chance to remember and review the rules on their own.
Below, I have uploaded my library orientation games. These games are run on PowerPoint and completely editable. I promise your students will love them. Enjoy :o)
Library Rules Jeopardy 2nd and 3rd
Library Rules Jeopardy 4th and 5th
How to Use a Shelf Marker
I have to admit I have a REALLY hard time teaching students (especially kindergarteners) how to use a shelf marker. I have done it all. We have listened to the shelf marker song. I have created videos using older students to teach the younger ones. I have had a shelf marker “boot camp,” where we have read a story, sang the song, practiced as a class then practiced individually. However, I have still yet to come up with the BEST way to teach these young ones. So at the start of my 6th year as an elementary Library Media Specialist, I am going to yet again come up with a new way to teach it. That post is yet to come, but in the mean time, I am going to share with you some of my favorite resources for teaching shelf markers.
The Shelf Elf: (Not to be confused with the Christmas Shelf Elf). This book is great for teaching students about why shelf markers are
important, but I find it to be a little long for Kindergarten, so I don’t tend to introduce this book until 1st grade. For this shelf elf book to work in terms of keep students using their shelf markers correctly and every time they book check out, you do have to create some buy in with this book. The great thing is that this book lends itself to so many ways to get your students to buy into using their shelf markers.
You can create or buy a shelf elf and hide him somewhere different in the library every week. Students will love finding him. You can create a shelf elf award that you will award to the class that uses their shelf markers every week and keeps the book organized. There are endless, creative ways to get your students to buy in. However, it is a lot for you to stay on top of as a media specialist with a million things to do. I find that even just moving the shelf elf each week can get to be a tedious job so enlist the help of your older students on this task to keep it going throughout the year!
The Shelf Marker Song: Another problem I have with library procedures and rules is that I don’t like to sing. The thing is the little ones LOVE singing and they love songs telling them what to do! So sometimes, you just have to suck it up and sing. Teaching shelf markers is one of the few times I just suck it up and sing! I use the one that goes to the tune of the hokey pokey. If you really don’t like to sing, have your older students record a video of them singing the song and doing the movements to play for your little ones!
You can download the song lyrics here!
Create your own Shelf Marker Videos With Your Students: One of the best ways for students to learn is to have them teach! So why not have your Kindergartners create their own videos about how to use a shelf marker? This is what I will be working on this year. We will spend one day learning and practicing. During the next class, I will put students in pairs and film them teaching others how to use a shelf marker! I will absolutely be writing a post about how this all goes so stay tuned!
I hope you were able to get some useful lesson ideas out of this post!! Sign up for my email list for more lessons and freebies! And please comment with any great lesson ideas you have for teaching library rules and routines in your library!
