Hour of Code

Every student will have two 30 minute library sessions dedicated to the Hour of Code. Kindergarten students will work together on both Angry Birds and Candy Quest learning the movement choices. Most Primary students have selected to work on Angry Birds. A few who have completed that series have chosen to try Bit by Bit. Intermediate students have been given the previous choices plus animating their names in Scratch or creating a Flappy Bird game.

I chose to limit their choices to the code lessons I have completed so I could answer questions. Additionally the Hour of Code website now has close to 200 choices. Seems like it could take an hour just to choose a tutorial.

If your child would like to spend more time on this site click HERE. 
To access the library catalog with the choices indicated above, click HERE.

Library Volunteers Needed!

Hi All,

The start to this school year has been wonderful. I love seeing the students' excitement at checking out books. We could certainly use some help with keeping the library running and organized. If you would ever like to help with check out time, shelving, book repair, or general organization of the library, please contact me or Miss Rica.

Here's a game that lets you practice putting books in library order. If you'd like to practice this skill take a look HERE. 

Thank you,
Mrs. Bolivar  

Is my child the old enough to see this movie?

Wondering if your child is old enough for a certain book, video game or movie. You can get age rated reviews at Common Sense Media. Type in the title of what you're curious about and you'll receive an age appropriate review. Better yet the review tells you why they've given the age recommendation. Then you, as the parent, can decide if you agree or not. Content is rated on language, sexuality, violence, message, commercialism.

Here's what the beginning of a review looks like. 

I found this site helpful until my son was about 14 years old.

Comparing Australian Animals in 2nd Grade

Today the 2nd graders had the chance to compare different Australian Animals using WorldBook Kids Online which is provided by the school district for all students to use.  Feel free to try it at home. Here are the directions they were given.

      If you would like the password information to MackinVia, you can contact me.

Search Engines

Google just released a kid friendly search engine called Kiddle. 

This site limits searches to safe site and reduces the number of "hits" significantly.

Even better for student use is WebPath Express which is linked to our school's library catalog.

 After searching the catalog on a topic, click on the Web Sites tab and then set the search buttons to the grade level, language, format of your choice.

I'm back

It's been a great year in the library so far filled with author studies, author visits, research, and learning. But it's been so long since I've posted that I can't get myself posting again because nothing seems flashy enough to be the post after so long a hiatus. So here's the first post. Nothing fascinating but a way to break the fear of starting again. Look for more posts with real library news in the near future.
 

Thank you Dav Pilkey

Wow! Dav Pilkey donated $1000 to our library! He presented at the University Bookstore on Friday, September 11th and left behind gift cards for two libraries. Our school was chosen on a very random basis- The mom of a woman who works at the store once tutored at our school! Yeah Dearborn Park International School, and thank you Dav Pilkey! The money will be used for books to support classroom curriculum.

 

The Power of Reading Choice

At the start of summer I was contacted by a friend who was concerned that her to-be first grader didn't want to do his summer reading homework. His homework was to read small "books" at his tested reading level. Early books intended for instructional purposes are boring. I suggested she not have him do his homework and instead take him to the library to select books he wanted to have read to him.

I suggested he curl up with her reading all his chosen books to make reading something to love. I did ask his reading level expecting it to be a very early stage level, but she answered "F". So I suggested she have him read Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems which are at that level and engaging and downright funny.

She sent this picture titled "Victory" from the library the next day.

 He started reading all the books they chose and quickly moved on to reading Frog and Toad books which are an even higher reading level.

Remember the if children find joy in reading they will choose to read. So come to the library with your child, check out a pile of books and read together.

I am happy to recommend some of my favorites. 

Free books for your child thanks to Dolly Parton

I just came across this article about an organization Dolly Parton founded that will send your child a book a month for 5 years. That's 60 free books for your child. 

She does this because there were 0 books in her house when she was growing up. In fact her father couldn't read and 

"Research shows that kids who just have books in their house (regardless of nationality, level of education, or socioeconomic status of the parents) reach a higher level of education than kids who grew up in homes without books."

Read the article here.  

I do not have a young child to sign up, but this is where you'd do it. Let me know if it works and if there are age requirements.

Happy Reading!

What to read next?

Looking for what to read next? Know that your child loves some books but won't last a page in another one?

Your Next Read.Com to the rescue. From this link you can click on the tab that interests you the most i.e. "Children" or simply type in the title of a well loved book. Some links work better than others, so try a few and see how it works for you.

Award Winners 2015

While most of the city was down and sad about the Seahawks' loss in the Superbowl, I was quickly distracted by the announcement of the Youth Media Awards. This is the equivalent of the Oscars for children's book lovers.
Here are the winners that we will soon have in our library.

The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
The winner plus two honor titles.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Plus 5 honor titles!

 

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and Illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.

Writer- the winner and one honor title: 

 

 

 Illustrator- the winner and two honor titles.

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino Cultural experience.
The winner and three honor titles

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children.  

The winner and four honor titles.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader book.
One winner and two honor titles.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody and artistic expression of the disability experience.

 If you'd like to see the complete list, click HERE.

Awards for our 4th and 5th Graders

Dearborn's 4th and 5th graders have been invited to participate in choosing two award winners this spring. Both the Sasquatch Reading Award and the Young Readers Choice award work the same way. A list of fabulous books is chosen by Washington State librarians in the spring of each year. Students then have the year to read all the titles that interest them. If they read at least two books on the list, the students are invited to vote for the winner.

Here are the lists for each award. Students will vote at the end of March.

Sasquatch Reading Award

Author	Title
Angelberger, Tom	Fake Mustache
Berlin, Eric	Puzzler’s Mansion, The
Harkrader, Lisa	Adventures of Beanboy
McMullan, Kate	Have a Hot Time, Hades!
Noe, Katherine Schlick	Something to hold
Palacio, R. J.	Wonder
Peacock, Carol Antionette	Red Thread Sisters
Preus, Margi	Shadow on the Mountain
Rodkey, Geoff	Deadweather and Sunrise
Sheinkin, Steve	Lincoln’s Grave Robbers
Stratton, Allan	Grave Robber’s Apprentice, The
Turnage, Sheila	Three Times Lucky

Young Readers Choice Award

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski

Please note that both lists include Wonder and Three Times Lucky. If a child reads both of these book, he or she can vote for both lists.

 

Towner Award for Informational Text

The Washington State Student Award for Informational Text

Third graders choose two books each week and their teachers insist one book is an informational non-fiction book. Non-fiction is a tricky term in the library. In class, teachers use it mean stories that are true or informational, but in the library non-fiction refers to any book that does not have a narrative form and a known author. This definition relegates fairy tales, poetry, and joke books to non-fiction. Clearly, these are not what teachers want when they tell their students to choose a non-fiction book. What they want their students reading is informational text.

Fortunately for all of us their is now a fine selection of new informational text titles to choose from. The Towner Award, now in its second year, provides students  with a list of ten fabulous information texts to read. Students in grades 2 -6 can vote in the spring for their favorite book. 

The first time winner was

.

I wonder which book will win this year? So far we've read...

 

The next title we'll read is also by Elizabeth Rusch.

Look here for the complete list.

CultureGrams and Primary Sources

"When used effectively, primary sources can open a world of possibilities in the classroom. When students have opportunities to approach sources as historians do, history becomes an art and a mystery — rather than a series of lifeless facts" http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5316 

 
The second graders this year are delving into the study of buildings around the world with a focus on a different continent each month. In October they focused on Africa. As an educator and a curious traveler, I don't like how Africa is often spoken of as a country. It was important to me and the teacher, Mrs. MacIsaac, that students walk away with the knowledge that Africa is a diverse nation. During library time the first week in October, I used a lesson in Using Google Earth: Bring the World into your Classroom by Jo Bea Holt  that had students look at Africa and color in the land as it looked from space. This added depth to their conversations about materials used for traditional buildings.


 Many of our students are learning English and at the age of 7 resources for learning about the buildings of Africa were limited. I took at closer look at CultureGrams, the wonderful database I've used with 3 -5 graders for years, and discovered that the photo collections would be perfect for this study. Each country in Africa has a photo collection. With partners, students were able to select a variety of photos and fill the graphic organizer below.

 

We decided to use this graphic organizer over the traditional Library of Congress Primary Document Analysis Tool because we wanted the lesson to connect to their learning in the classroom. As they study about buildings in other continents, I'll teach them specifically about Primary Documents and how we can learn from photos.

The students were wildly engaged in the lessons. They had some deep and meaningful conversations about what types of buildings are a want or a need. Churches and Mosques were given much thought. Students saw skyscrapers, modern cities, traditional villages, dilapidated ghettos. All of those images led students to understand that all buildings in Africa do not look the same.

Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award

Every year twenty picture books are nominated for the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (WCCPBA). Children in grades K - 3 are invited to enjoy the stories and then vote on their favorite title in the spring.

I use these titles primarily with the first graders. They allow me to expose students to current and diverse titles that connect to the library in many ways.
This week first graders enjoyed the story Sophie's Squash which connected perfectly to their science unit on plant growth. It also made them giggle and think.

To take a look at all the nominees for 2015 award, click here.

So far we've read these three titles:

 If the students had to vote today, I'd say the winner would be Nugget and Fang. If teachers were allowed to vote, it might go to Sophie's Squash.

Shop the Book Fair

Our book fair will be in the school the week of October 20th. You can also shop for books online between October 12 and November 1. These purchase will be sent directly to the school once the online sale is closed.

Click here to shop.

September has been busy!

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year. My second year here at Dearborn Park INTERNATIONAL school has gotten off to a great start. Below are some highlights:

Kindergarteners and First Graders are doing a great job at browsing the library and keeping the shelves tidy. I think it was reading:

that has lead to such fabulous library users.

Second graders have recently read

It matches architecture from around the world with similar children's toys. As second graders begin their international study of shelters around the world, this book peaked students' interest and will lead into research using Google Earth and CultureGrams. (More on those projects later, promise.)

Third Graders have jumped right into Non-Fiction and a mini research project on farm animals to support their understanding when they read Charlotte's Web together. Students will be using the PebbleGo animal database on iPads to skim for information and take notes. Thank you Seattle Schools for purchasing PebbleGo Animals this year. You can access PebbleGo at home. 

Ask me how if you need the password.

Fourth Graders have been focusing on reading Realistic Fiction and choosing books to hold their interests' throughout the week. Students in this grade have been checking out the most books in the school. They've upped the number of books they can have checked out from two to three and most mornings, there's at least a half a dozen students wanting to return the books they've read and check out new ones. They've discovered the writers Andrew Clements, Judy Blume, and Kate DiCamillo plus many more.

Fifth Graders have written rules for the library which are posted with their wonderful photos in the library. They've used WorldBook Online to do a little pirate research for International Talk Like a Pirate Day and have been introduced to the Young Readers' Choice Award.

Learn More about the Award Here

I am looking forward to introducing all of our wonderful students to delightful books and teaching them to become efficient and effective users of information. Please contact me with any questions you might have.