I’m so happy to be the new K-8 Lincoln School librarian! In all grades, our beginning of the year focus has been on building community and allowing students to find their favorite cozy reading spaces in our redesigned library space. Ask your children in grades one and up what they like about the new library design and to share their favorite spot in the library. We have also been focused on library routines and structures that empower all children to be successful in the library, including a song that is used in all K-8 grades to signal the end of class and prompt a line-up routine. Play this song and ask your child to tell you what it means when they are in the library! 

All K-5 library classes follow a similar class structure: a greeting, a read aloud, a library connection and/or lesson, and book checkout time. Ask your child to share their favorite library greeting so far and a read aloud book they’ve enjoyed. 

Here are a few more details about what we’ve been learning in our K-4 library classes:

Kindergarten: We have been focused on library routines and read alouds sometimes followed by a simple book-related craft. Until this week, kindergarten students were independently selecting fiction or nonfiction books from curated bins. They are now learning how to browse the fiction stacks to make additional choices. Please help your child remember to return their library books on their library class day: KD- Tuesday, KJ- Thursday, KM- Friday.

First & Second Grade: First and second graders began their library/technology rotation with technology for the first 7 weeks of school. During that interval, they came to the library once a week for a brief book checkout time. I am so happy they are now in their library rotation so I can get to know them better during their library class! Our focus during this rotation will be on library routines, learning how to navigate the various sections of the library and exploring differences between fiction and nonfiction. Please help your child remember to return their library books on their library class day: 1L- Monday, 1S- Tuesday, 1C-Thursday, 2N- Tuesday, 2W-Wednesday, 2M-Thursday.

Third Grade: Third graders recently ended their library class rotation and will now be in technology class until after the November Recess. During their library rotation, we focused on library routines and learning how to use the library catalog. We also worked on our alphabetical order skills to support finding books on shelves, and started to learn how to navigate Sora to access eBooks. Third grade students will continue to come to the library once a week for a brief book checkout time while they have their technology rotation. Please help your child remember to return their library books on their library book checkout day: 3H, 3K, 3S- All on Friday.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders began their library/technology rotation with technology for the first seven weeks of school. During that interval they came to the library once a week for a brief book checkout time. I am so happy that they are now in their library rotation so I can get to know them better!  Our focus during this rotation will be on library routines, learning how to use our library catalog to locate books of interest on the library shelves, fine-tuning our alphabetical order skills to the third letter to support finding books on shelves, and navigating Sora to access eBooks. Please help your child remember to return their library books on their library class day: 4R- Monday, 4O- Tuesday, 4N- Thursday.

Happy Reading! 

Gwen Blumberg

Lincoln School Librarian