Hit->Big Six in Kindergarten

[Barbara Jansen <bjansen@TENET.EDU>]

Actually, the subject line should read: "Miss-> Big Six in Kindergarten,"
because I received *no* responses on ways librarians are implementing the
Eisenberg/Berkowitz Big Six model of information problem solving in the
Kindergarten classrooms. The only responses I received were from those folks
who wanted me to send them what I received from my inquiry.
  So, I collaboratively planned with our four Kinder teachers, and we came
up with some fun ways to team teach, implementing the Big Six. In a
nutshell: I come into the classroom to introduce the Big Six. Actually,
the puppets I bring with me introduce the big Six and process through
dialog and song. I have a poster that I bring for the first session and
after that it  stays in the classroom. The puppet and I talk and sing about
Big Six
#1 and the teacher explains what the task is to the class. We talk about
what information they need for the task. In these cases, the students
made a spider book and a bat book. The puppet and I briefly discuss and
sing about Big Six 2 and 3 and for Big Six 4, I read a spider or bat book
that I have brought from the library. The teacher records the information
relevant to the task, after the students identify it. Big Six 5 and 6
have the students making their books, integrating the information we
found in the library books. They have two friends look at their book to
tell them what is good and what they might improve on. It is fun, the
kids enjoy singing the song and it brings to them an awareness that there
is a process for finding and using information.
  We are planning on expanding this into finding sections in the library
that have books that are of interest to them and hope to integrate Big
Six once every other week or at least once a month. I have never had so
much fun! Go for it!
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*                                                    *
* Barbara A. Jansen          Live Oak Elementary     *
* Librarian                  8607 Anderson Mill Road *
* Round Rock I.S.D.          Austin, TX  78729-4706  *
* bjansen@tenet.edu          512/331-0996            *
*                                                    *
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