Week 6

Here is what we were up to in the Lower School Library this week!

The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair by Dotti Enderle

Read to: Pre-K, Kinder, and Primer

Skills: The Texas State Fair

This week I read, The Cotton Candy Catastrophe at the Texas State Fair by Dotti Enderle with our younger students. The Texas State Fair began two weekends ago here in Dallas and I always love sharing fun facts about the fair and then sharing this book. It is quite a silly book as the main character's cotton candy goes way out of control and ends up wrapping the park up in a big cotton candy cacoon, but it is a great example of a fiction book which was last week's lesson with Kinder and Primer. I also love the illustrations and the mentions of Big Tex, the 52 ft. tall talking cowboy, and the famous Texas Star Ferris Wheel. The kids love it too, especially if they have had a chance to actually go to the fair. A fun read aloud and lesson for sure!

How to pick a "Good Fit" book

Taught to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades

With our older kiddos we focused on what it means to choose a "Good Fit" Book, and I modeled what that might look like using library books and a pretend scenario. We want our students to use the I PICK strategy and choose books that are right for them. They can do this by following the acronym of I PICK.  Often times kids are tempted to want to choose books that are really long or books that their friends are reading, but they sometimes forget to check and see if they are really interested in that topic or book, or if it is going to be a book that they will be able to read independently. However, I am also a big advocate for letting kids choose what they want to read even if sometimes that might mean that they choose a book that is too easy or a little challenging for them. My belief is if they are interested in the book or topic then that is what will keep them reading, and in my opinion that is the most important thing.