Building Library Skills

Primary School students have been busy in the library this month with author studies, mock Caldecott Medal ballots, and biography research projects as they hone their library skills and develop an appreciation for different authors and genres of literature.

Kindergarten students have been doing an author study of Greg Pizzoli, the “Baloney and Friends” series creator and three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award recipient. Students watched a video of Pizzoli talking about his work as an author and illustrator, and Primary Librarian Courtney Lauriat shared a variety of Pizzoli’s books with the class. The Kindergarten students turned their author study into a book of their own. They identified facts about Pizzoli and his career, and each student contributed a page picking their favorite Pizzoli book and sharing what they liked about it. Pizzoli’s name even inspired students to include a page with all the double-Z words they could think of!

First graders have been learning about the mystery genre as they read The Case of the Missing Moose by Lewis B. Montgomery aloud. Along with amateur detectives Milo and Jazz, first graders unraveled the mystery identifying the suspects and clues together as they read. “I like to expose them to new authors and genres to build their appreciation of literature,” says Courtney, who often uses the last few minutes of class to do an impromptu book talk where she shares new authors and books or where students share their own book picks with the class. “That exposure to different authors and illustrators really gets the students excited about the broad expanse of what’s available in the library.” 

First grade students have also been learning about illustrators and the variety of styles, perspectives, viewpoints, and materials they use to support and enrich the narrative. They learned about the Caldecott Medal, awarded each year to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Students have been exploring picture books and previous Caldecott winners and completing mock ballots for their own version of the Caldecott Medal. They ranked books on whether the cover made them want to read the the book and how interesting or exciting they found the illustrations.

Second graders have been introducing classmates to their favorite books by sharing book recommendations with the rest of the Primary School this term. Each second grader picked a favorite book they read recently and wrote up a recommendation to display in the library. Second graders have also been building their library research skills. Each student picked a person they wanted to learn more about, and Courtney showed them how to access Encyclopedia Britannica using iPads. Students researched and identified 10 - 15 biographical facts about people like Jane Goodall, Napoleon, Frida Kahlo, and George Washington.