Top-of-the-Year Toolbox
By Sandy Meagher

If you're a school librarian, being open to continuous change is a must. This year our elementary library moved to a new primary facility with grades K-2. I'm sure the primary center teachers in my new building will love using some of these "back to school" read alouds.

First-day jitters
Just as in Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse, (Peachtree, 2004, ISBN: 1-561-45-320-X), many children will want to take their favorite toy to school. Hopefully they will feel the same way Little Rabbit did, and leave the toy at home on the second day!

Another preschool primary book that teachers like to use is Bernard Goes to School by Joan Goodman (Boyds Mills Press, 2001, ISBN: 1-563-97958-6). Of course, Nancy Carlson's, Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! will help kindergarten children to help dispel their fears. (In English and Spanish. Penguin, 2001, ISBN: 0-140-56838-7).

Looking in the mirror
I want the children to know I'm interested in them so, at the beginning of the year, each child fills out a form telling me about him- or herself: favorite food, color, book, subject in school, thing to do after school, sport, etc.

The K-1 students draw pictures to answer and all other grades fill out a form at their age level. I read them all and give them back at the end of the school year. It's fun to hear the kids say, "Wow, my favorite food was tacos and now it's pizza; I loved fairy tales, but now I love mysteries."

One book to help kids get ready to answer questions about favorites is When I Grow Up by Charise Mericle Harper (Chronicle, 2001, ISBN: 0-811-82905-7). The format of the book could be used by students at any age to tell about themselves.

Since, along with many jobs not included in our teacher manuals, we have the very important job of increasing every child's self esteem, a very easy-to-read book with hilarious illustrations is I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont (Harcourt, 2004, ISBN: 0-152-02013-6). Children will have fun using this rhyming book to write why they like their friend, teacher, themselves.

Grace Lin's Fortune Cookie Fortunes can spark discussions about everything from Asian-American culture to favorite desserts!

Our small world
Many times, teachers are the first people in a child's life who share the important message of treating people of all cultures with respect. One book to help with this task is Fortune Cookie Fortunes by Grace Lin (Knopf, 2004, ISBN: 0-375-81521-X). This book tells of an Asian-American custom that could be a great writing or discussion starter for children of any age. Just give out the fortune cookies and begin to read, write and discuss. Primary students could discuss the meanings of the words, middle grade students could write about the fortunes and see if they come true.

Add some audiobooks
Recently I've been impressed by statistics that prove audiobooks accelerate reading gains. (Check www.recordedbooks.com for statistics.) One of the cd and book combinations that I know our middle grade students will enjoy is The Field of the Dogs by Katherine Paterson (HarperCollins, 2001, ISBN: 1-4025-0471-3). Good animal stories are always in demand.

One book that will be an excellent group discussion book is Surviving Brick Johnson by Laurie Myers (Clarion, 2000, ISBN: 0-395-980313). The story includes dealing with a bully and also not judging people by the way they look.

New teaching method
Collaborating with teachers and studying the curriculum for the entire school becomes more and more challenging, especially because it continues to change. Librarians are finding that primary teachers begin research very early and that it's a whole-classroom approach combined with the librarian/ media specialist.

Something I plan to implement this year is Research in the Real Classroom: The Independent Investigation Method for Primary Students by Virginia Morse and Cindy Nottage (Maupin House, 2003, ISBN: 0-929-89555-X). The Independent Investigation Method's seven steps include 1. Topic, 2. Goal Setting, 3. Research, 4. Organizing, 5. Goal Evaluation, 6. Product, 7. Presentation. Theme books to support the IIM are Remarkable Rainforest, Meet the Presidents, Our Spectacular Solar System, Plant Power, Intriguing Insects and Mysterious Magnets. These are all for grades K-2. Maupin House plans to extend the series to the middle grades; check out www.maupinhouse.com

Read-alouds for older kids
One of the first questions teachers of grades three through eight ask is, "What about read-alouds?" I've found a book, Teaching Language Arts Through Literature, by Nancy J. Keane (Linworth Publishing, 2002, ISBN: 1-586-83106-2) that promotes fiction reading that will encourage discussion and go further into real-life activities.

The chapters are divided into topics such as fractured fairy tales, heroes, ghosts, honesty, humorous stories, mysteries and more. Each topic includes a sample book talk, reading list, and excellent activities.

The author's award winning website is www.nancykeane.com/booktalks This database has more than 1,000 ready-to-use booktalks.

SPECIAL SECTION
Getting parents involved
Parents are such an important part of the child-school experience. So many times, I'm asked, "How can I help my child be ready for school? How can I help my child with homework? With leisure reading choices? With loving to read?"

I immediately think of the book by Mem Fox, titled Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (Harcourt, 2001, ISBN: 0-156-01155-7). Mem claims, with solid evidence from many years of working with children, that reading aloud to children early in life sets the foundations for learning to read. Many tips and strategies for parents are included.

For example, Mem mentions that when a child reads a book and gets many of the words incorrect, it's best not to spend a great deal of time repeating the words correctly. Instead, have the parent read the whole story correctly and then to have the child read it.

Literacy expert Mem Fox shows teachers and parents how to work Reading Magic.

Mem's game
Sometimes she incorporates a game to gently correct the child. The one I liked was, "You choose a word in the book, any word, and I'll tell you what letter it starts with. Then I'll choose a word and you can tell me what letter it starts with. But there's a trick. We can't use the same letter twice, so you'd better keep a list of the letters we use. If anyone uses the same letter twice, they lose."

This game has the child writing the individual letters of the alphabet for a real reason. The parent reads aloud every word that is chosen, whether it's the parent's turn or the child's and the parent praises the child for every attempt. Also – the parent makes sure to lose the game by being the one to choose the same letter twice. Of course, none of these strategies are to be forced, and the book includes other ways to involve one's child in reading.

Reading together
I have a little friend who recently asked his mother, "When is reading going to be fun?" A book like You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman (Little, Brown, 2004, ISBN: 0-316-14611-0) provides a perfect opportunity for a parent or teacher to read aloud with a child. If you have an advanced reader, try reading a paragraph and letting your child read the next paragraph. This makes a chapter book fly by!

Family day at the library
One of the easiest, least expensive ways for a parent to promote reading and to help with a child's homework is to get that child a library card. Parents, grandparents, friends, even neighbors can accompany children to the library to explore books, books on tape, use the computer, do research and get to know the friendly librarians who will help them. Going once a week is a guarantee that children will begin to realize that reading is fun, that their parents are involved with them – and with the lifelong process of learning.

Parents and homework help
For research and report-writing, it's important for parents to understand that, while they should guide their children's work, they shouldn't do the work for the children. I try to talk with parents about the best ways to help: Assist the child in reading the information. Encourage the child to write the relevant information in brief sentences, and then parent and child can talk about how it sounds.

Some excellent websites for parents are www.libraryspot.com, www.refdesk.com and www.ed.gov/parents

Change is a great part of the library. This year we'll have new books, new technology, new research methods and – best of all – new students and staff to work with. Have a great beginning!

Sandy Meagher is the Library Department Chairperson and School Librarian in the Wayne Highlands School District, Honesdale, PA.