Hello everyone, and thanks again for you passionate and detailed responses. The
HIT is a long one, but I think just about every possible opinion has been offered!
Good luck to all the other new Library people who are trying to figure out what's
best. As several people said to me, it has to be what works for me, and that will
take at least a few weeks to figure out. Thanks again!
Nancy Flack
Piney Orchard Elementary
Odenton, MD
flackmedia@comcast.net
Here's the HIT:
**************
This can be a touchy subject. We really try to be flexible. For the first few weeks
of school, we keep kindergarten and first graders in the Enjoyables (your
Everybodys, I presume). Then we begin to tell the kids that one of the reasons that
they come to the Media Center is to get materials to help them practice their
reading, so most of their book selections should do that. That way, if there is a
reader who is capable of moving to Fiction, they may do so. In non-fiction, we
teach them that some of the books are good for them to read alone (practice
reading) or some are for the older kids in our school to read alone. We teach the
five finger rule to help them determine if they can read the book independently. If
there is a book that a child wants that is over their reading level (fiction or
non-fiction), we emphasize that this is a book that can be used for "'picture
reading" or can be shared with an adult at home. We teach them that th
Hope this helps.
*************
I restrict only my kinders and firsts in the library. Instead of letting
the K's browse the collection, we select a large number of E and NF books
and put them out on tables for them to choose from. We used to let them
browse, but too many of them just pulled great handfuls of books off the
shelves and threw them on the floor or put them on top of the shelves. It
seemed to make picking a book much more difficult for a lot of them when
they had everything to choose from. Since I work alone and have only 5
minutes at most between classes, I didn't have time to reshelve things
before the next group. I restrict my 1st graders to the E/NF and new
arrivals sections. If a teacher or parent requests that their child be
allowed to select F books, I allow that. We went to this policy when we
discovered too many students rushing to the F section just to get "big kid"
books they weren't ready for. And then when the older kids came in, all the
good books for them were gone! I agree, kids should be able to use books
they can't read yet, but we had kids who NEVER chose a book they could read.
The teachers got upset about this, as did some parents. Library books
were being used more as "show-off" devices than as entertainment or
information tools. They certainly weren't being read. We suspect most
weren't even being opened after library class.
Anyway, I know many will disagree with me, but I don't have a problem
putting some limits on small children. They need guidance in the library,
just as they do in life. Good luck.
*****
I am in a PS-3rd grade building. I start the year off with allowing Kdg. only going
to the everybody section for just 2-3 weeks. The whole library is a little
overwhelming for them. Then I add the non-fiction section by reading a short book
about elephants (example) from the "E" section and one from the non-fiction
section. We talk about the differences in the two sections. They can go to these to
locations for a few weeks. Then, since I have my "Holiday" books in a separate
section, I show them this area--usually just a week or two before Halloween. We
talk about the fiction (chapter) books, but Kdg. doesn't go there as the reading
levels are too high.
I have a cart on wheels that I use for PreSchool. I pull books for these classes
and put them on the cart. They choose what they want from the cart and do not go to
the shelves. We tried it one year, but they just didn't get the hang of shelf
markers and where they could and couldn't go. It was a bit of a disaster, so the
teacher asked me to go back to the cart!
Hope this helps.
****
A valid reason for restricting areas of the library is today's parents. The
> first time that a first grade class came into the library this year a
> student checked out a book that the parents thought was too hard for him (a
> book in the easy collection) and really made a fuss. We are a K-8 school
> and since the teacher is not in the library, it is very hard for me to
> supervise little ones on the nonfiction shelves. I individually help the
> ones who want books on a specific nonfiction topic and shelve books such as
> Grolier's Nature's Children separately so that the students can easily
> identify them.
>
> As you know now, parents will go to the administration when something goes
> wrong instead of coming to the library to merely exchange a book that they
> feel is too hard for the student. It is very unfortunate. I even have
> parents who will not let their children check out books at all, even to let
> the books remain in the classroom instead of taking them home. They are
> afraid that the children will lose the books and have to pay for them.
You bring up genuine problems. I didn't see it much in my Oregon schools
but I saw it a lot here in Las Vegas, for whatever reason. I started by
being the first one to go to the principal. Then I bought as many easy
readers as I could find. Then we told parents as they came in that we'd
help the children find one book for reading practice. Anything beyond
that was their choice. Parents accepted that compromise.
For those who worried about losing books, there wasn't much I could
really do. I will mention, however, that when I took the job, the
principal called me aside to say the previous librarian rarely lost
a book. She said if we were getting books out into the hands of all
the children, especially the ones who needed them most, she expected
we'd lose some books. She said she fully expected some books to move
to Mexico over winter break, so on and so forth. But she said that
was a risk of the job she was willing to live with; she wanted books
in the hands of the children.
****
I keep the kinders in the E section until after Christmas when I introduce
them to the numbered section. I do this partly as a management tool as it is
easier to make sure that they are using their markers correctly and it is
not so overwhelming for them. After Christmas when I introduce them to the
numbered section their circulation is almost exclusively the Dewey books.
Since I want the kinders to get a book that they can at least look at the
pictures in if they don't have someone to read to them (sad story!) I make
sure that they do have something with good illustrations. Also, this keeps
them out of the chapter books. If a parent wants to read a chapter book to
their kinder or first grader I invite the parent to come in and check out
the book.
********
do restrict where the lower grades can go in my library. Do remember this is your
library now, and this is how you do things. My picture book section is geared
toward k-3. I let 3rd grade have limited access to the fiction section by providing
them with a special chapter book section. If they are reading AR books at level 4
and over, then I let them go to the fiction, but I need to approve what they
choose. The one drawback to my system is that the lower grades don't have access to
some really good non-ficiton books, but I pull them out from time-to-time and put
some in a small shelving unit. If I had space in my picture book section, I would
start shelving easy non-fiction there, too.
Let us know other responses you get.
*******
Regarding the restriction of areas.....
I think it is so important to review the mission of your center.
My personal mission as a media specialist is to teach students and teachers
to be wise consumers of information. With this in mind I decided to level
the books in my prek-6 media center. I was a reading specialist before
becoming a library media specialist and the most important part of a child's
ability to "consume" information is to be able to read and understand what
they read!
I went through ALL of the 'E' books and figured out the reading levels -
many of the picture books are actually written at a 5+ reading level! -
Then we divided and shelved the books according to their levels.
When pre-readers and emergent readers come into the media center they know
that going to the 'P' books and Level 1 books are where they will find books
that they WILL be able to READ! As they progress to the Transitional level
they move up to Levels 2, 3, and 4.
The picture books that are written above the 4th level are still kept the
'E' section but in a Picture Book section. Students know that these are the
books that are to Read With some one at home.
We include the non-fiction books the leveling. If a book is written in
levels 1, 2, or 3 they are kept in the leveled book section and labeled with
the levels clearly marked.
Students have really appreciated being able to READ the books they choose.
Parents and teachers like it too. And the best thing (as far as I'm
concerned) is our student's reading scores increased!
Now I have moved to a middle school and am considering the benefits of
marking levels on the books there too.
***********
I went through ALL of the 'E' books and figured out the reading levels
- many of the picture books are actually written at a 5+ reading
level!...."
That's why many librarians use the term Everbody rather than Easy,
especially since so many collections have that 'E' on the spine label.
Another reason to constantly push that PARENTS NEED TO READ WITH THEIR
CHILDREN! I think we should be calling them 'lap books' since that is
one of the best ways to share many of them, one or two on one, reading
and sharing, expanding, stopping to fill in information, model reading,
etc. Even books like _Word Bird_ aren't made for independent reading.
Then we have books like _Black and White_ by David Macaulay that
probably show up more often in dissertations than kids hands.
********
Regarding the restriction of areas.....
> I think it is so important to review the mission of your center.
>
> My personal mission as a media specialist is to teach students and teachers
> to be wise consumers of information. With this in mind I decided to level
> the books in my prek-6 media center. I was a reading specialist before
> becoming a library media specialist and the most important part of a child's
> ability to "consume" information is to be able to read and understand what
> they read!
I think making it easier for patrons to identify reading level on books
is just fine. It helps me help patrons too. There are countless good
reasons to provide plenty of books for reading practice.
What concerns me here is the possible presumption about our relationship
with books and, in turn, the sometimes unidentifiable influences that
lead us to become readers. One certainly can't argue against helping
children to become good consumers of information. But I believe we
sometimes get too wrapped up in the mechanics of reading and forget the
little things.
I was luckier than most kids I've worked with. I grew up in a home that
was wall-to-wall books. Our home oooozed books. There was a time when I
could read none of them. But no one stopped me from climbing up on the
chairs to take books off the shelves to "read" them. No one stopped me
from pulling all the books out of the end tables and spreading them
out across the floor as I "read" through each one carefully - time
and time again. In the process, I eyeballed a few I knew I'd come back
to later when I COULD read. Will James' "Smoky the Cowhorse" was one.
That one called me from the second shelf for many years.
And then, as I have mentioned before, there was my mother's old copy
of "Alice in Wonderland." That's the book I returned to most often
over the years. I knew the story by heart so "information" was not
my goal. It was the book itself I fell in love with.
It was my mother's hand scribbled name on the inside cover. It was the
dusty but sweet smell. And it was the illustrations, few but delicious.
They were black and white photos protected by thin sheets of delicate
onionskin little fingers had to handle carefully; black and white photos
with a ghastly Victorian feel that gave me shivers. The Queen of Hearts looked
hideous. And Humpty Dumpty looked convincingly real...
And it was the dream of being able to read it myself. I knew when that day
came, I would have come of age. I would be as good as grown-up.
This book became my goal. It became my measuring stick. It was the book
that piqued my senses and whispered to me at night, "Try again. Maybe
you can read me now...."
And it's the book that is the reason I do not restrict student access to
books by reading level. I've wanted my children to have an opportunity to
find their own "Alice in Wonderland." We, as adults, cannot make that
choice for them. We cannot predict what book that might be - or why.
But we can open the door and set the children free to explore. And
if we're lucky, some of our children will find the magic that is the
heart and inspiration of many a reader.
********
Nancy and others following this thread----
(FYI........ I was going to send this to Nancy directly, but since I get
the digest form of LM_NET......... I see she's already posted her hit and
sounds like she's swamped, I'll post my thoughts here.)
Two questions about your "Everybody" section:
Does it include any non-fiction?
Does it include any upper reading level books?
If the answer to either of these questions is "NO" I would beg,
implore, plead
(even tap dance on your library tables if necessary) to rescind this policy.
I realize I live in the ideal world of having a primary only building so
I don't have to worry about some of the appropriateness issues that people
with a wider age range often encounter.
However, for primary children, developmentally and through curriculum,
they are learning all about the world around them and if a teacher hits on a
particular area of child's interest, and the child comes into your library
all enthused about whales, the rain cycle, Zimbabwe, dinosaurs or whatever
piques their interest that week and you tell them they can't have those
books"
You have just lost a valuable teachable moment and quite possibly
dampened that child's enthusiasm for library forever. I did a library reader
survey my second year in this job........ and turned a summary of my findings
over to my teaching staff.
2/3 of all my K-2 patrons checked out Non-fcition books in an average
week
Within those results
nearly 3/4 of all my boys over-all check out NON-FICTION
In K-1, nearly 100% of my boys and well over half of the
girls in the that group prefer NON-FICTION
My teachers were astounded and even though I knew the numbers would be
high. from reshelving my books....I didn't expect it to be that skewed. As
second
graders the numbers leveled out more.........down to around a 50-50 split
non-fiction to fiction over-all and about a 2/3 to 1/3 split (non-fiction to
fiction) among the boys and Grade 2 girls were the mirror image favoring
fiction over non.
Now if you are a non-fiction interested student (boy particularly) and
your teachers mostly read fiction picturebooks to you (which was true in my
building) and you are not allowed library access to the "stuff you really
want to read" you very quickly lose confidence in the relevance of not only
the library, but the whole educational system.
When Jon Scieszka's Guys Read ( www.guysread.com) program came out, I
was pleased to see that his observations mirrored many of my own. I grew up
with a (now) marine biologist brother and one who is a wizard mechanic and
carpenter both of whom love reading (even though the mechanic is severely
reading disabled). They were fortunate to have teachers and librarians who
recognized their passions early and put them in touch with the right books.
And my own three daughters, mirror my own tastes when I was
younger........they are strong readers and love fiction especially sci-fi and
fantasy, but they also have gone through from the time they were small,
spurts of wanting to devour everything about a particular
topic....everything on Australia......or the (American) Civil War, or
mandrills.....
I had a little boy last year (Grade 2) want a book on Nuclear
Fission.....he'd heard about it and wondered what it meant.
Also as mentioned by several people, the reading range is widest at the
lower levels. In my building in the 5 years I have been here, I have had
some non-reading Gr 2 students and some K's who were already independently
reading when they came to school. We need to meet the needs of all our
patrons. The importance of parents and children sharing books can't be
overstressed either. If a child selects a book that I know is beyond them
reading wise, I often ask them if they have someone they can share it with.
There was a father and K daughter 2 years ago that were working their way
through the Magic Tree House series. She gotten interested through hearing
an older brother and sister and wanted them read to her. My schtick with my
guys is that "no matter what you are interested in someone somewhere has
written something about it" and the place to find that something is right
here.
Off my soapbox now 8>) ( and Not surprisingly a certified
reading specialist as well as librarian)
********
hopefully the collection was established with all grades in mind. what was the
justification to limiting where certain grades could go and not go? unless you are
in a school of extended grade levels, like K-8, i'd not limit where kids can go. i
only found this t be the rule when working with uncertified librarians who had
never been to library school. a master's degree changed my perspective. i try very
hard not to censor.
******
I have read the responses to your query with interest. My philosophy and
reality sharply collided when I entered the real world years ago. At present
my real world school is built for 650 and serves over 1150! I have one full
time assistant but that is barely enough help to get books checked in and out
and reshelved.
My philosophy is there should be no restrictions but after having the
nonfiction shelves totally trashed by classes of students too young to do
more than pull books off the shelf and look for the pictures I was desperate.
Students who needed certain books for research and teacher assigned reading
lists were unhappy as were their teachers and parents because they couldn't
find them after the little guys had done their "search". I tried a number of
approaches to solve the problem and finally hit on one that has made the
majority happy.
As I reshelved books and did some weeding in my collection I noticed there
were many many books in the nonfiction section which would probably not be
used by an upper grade student. I began pulling them and reassigned them an E
in the call number. I designated some shelves near the E section and shelved
them exactly as in the regular Dewey section. K,1, and many 2 students
looking for a truck, dinosaur, kitten, snakes, etc soon learn where to go. I
also double order some of the more popular types of books, at my school these
are dinosaurs and snakes. This section is a stepping stone for students to
get the hang of the system and how to find what they are looking for. I use
it to teach with too. I also do not deny students materials in the other
section but they have to ask and if we have time we use the moment to teach
how to retrieve materials otherwise we just help them go get it.
Not what I would have in an ideal world but we all have to work in the one
that we've landed in. I am sure the nice library lady from last year did
wonderful things but maybe not all the same wonderful things you will do and
maybe there were some things not so wonderful. Remember you are only hearing
about the frosting. I will never forget when I was teaching in regular
classes and my second graders moved up to third grade with me. They swore
that they never had to do certain exercises and that their "last year''s
teacher" absolutely did not teach math facts or make them do memorization.
And there I stood!!!! You need to make sure you keep communication lines open
and don't be afraid to explain that while there are some changes which are
needed you will do everything you can to make sure everyone gets what they
need and want. Be wary of those who say "I never" and act scandalized because
you have posed the question.
The first couple of weeks of school are pretty wild getting over 1000
students going but this has served us well and we have been rated above
recess as the best activity in school for the past ten years. You will work
out what is best for you and your students and soon will be the nice library
lady because I can tell you care.
Hope this helps and maybe gives you an idea or two.
******
At the beginning of the year I usually tell the K-1 kids that we will
be picking out books just from the Easy (in my library Picture books)
section so that their family can read a really good story to them,
and that later on we will go to the other rest of the library. If a
kid really knows a non-fiction book he wants I will often go with him
and get i for him then go back to the picture book section next
week.,If the kids talk about that nice lady last year just smile and
say that you and she do some things the same, and some different. it
is really nothing personal on their part; just kindly manipulation
*********
For the first few weeks I put chairs to block the way out of the E section.
I tell the kids once I see good behavior I'll move the chairs. I have a big
room 70 x 120 and I need to know who can handle it and who can't. Soe kids
just go crazy with all the SPACE. It is much easier after I know names and I
know who to keep an eye on.
Also some kids have such a hard time making a selection I like to have some
eye-catching titles out on the tables. I put out a variety - easy and
non-fiction, too.
Hope this helps you.
********
I'm at a k-5 school and for the first few weeks of the year the first graders stay
in the E section. Then I gradually introduce them to portions of the non-ficton
section. Most of my non-fiction shelves have pictures or stuffed animals of what is
on them ( planets, human body, birds, snakes, etc.) so the younger students can
find what they want as well as the older students. It takes about three weeks to
teach them about the non-fiction section. Some students are not interested, but
most of them seem to want to check out dinosaurs or sharks or snakes rather than
made up stories.
**********
I know that you have pretty much closed your discussion on selection but I
wanted to respond earlier and didn't have time. I'm in my 4th year at
elem. My library configuration is different than most schools because it's
in the middle of the school and it's open-no walls. I am very blessed
with the space I have. My easy section is attached to the main part but
it's shelves sort of close it off as a separate area- even though I can
see over them and into the hall (if that makes sense). I have both easy
fiction and easy non-fiction for my kids in that section. I make K
students, 1st grade students and 2nd grade students (1st sem. only) check
out there. I try to have a similar assortment in the easy section as I do
the main area. It's hard but it has worked pretty well. I am constantly
on the look-out for easy non-fiction that the kids ask for. Sometimes
I'll remember a child asking for a specific kind of book (motorcycles) and
will bring a couple from the 'big-section' and let them choose one the
next time they come in. This can be a hassle but I do try to meet their
requests as long as it's reasonable.
Another reason I keep them in the easy section is because I have an open
library and have so much space- fearful of them 'running loose'. Also the
kids that age are so small I wouldn't even be able to see them for the
bookshelves. Anyway, that's my rationale. My second graders start
checking out in the big section sometime during 2nd semester. Before they
go we talk about the different Dewey sections- in general- and they have
to prove to me that they have been using the shelf-markers correctly- very
important. I do tell them that if we have problems with shelf-markers not
being used or if the shelves are left really messy then we can always come
back to the easy section to check out. I tell ALL grades that, even 3-5.
They know that they can still check out in the easy section but the older
kids certainly don't want to be restricted to that area once they have
been allowed in the 'big section'.
As for the kids who can read above the easy books... I have many easy
books that are 5th grade level. I always ask the teachers for a list of
students they think can check out harder fiction. I have a section of
'beginning chapter books' and then the second graders who check out
chapter books I make them read a page to me that I choose. If they can
read it I let them take it.
Hope this is helpful. I love my job- the best in the school!!!!! Let me
know if you have more questions!!
******
, too restricted k & 1 to the E section of the library last year - mostly because
my predecessor had done it. This year I have not done this and so far it seems to
be working just fine. I really had qualms about continuing the practice last year,
especially when I was met with a 1st grader with incredible reading skills. He was
reading on a 3rd grade level and it really made me rethink the practice. I think if
you first teach them how to select books, using a shelf marker and give them a
place to put books when they are unsure of where they ought to go, I am confident
it will work out fine for you.
Let me know if you get any great ideas from others.
*********
A few to consider before embarking on that process:
1. What system are you planning to use. To stay consistent may be a
problem, F&P doesn't cover the entire spectrum of elem collections. AR
changed their process recently, Frye may not always be available, etc.
2. What if teachers start restricting by level? Handy, and has been an
issue in AR discussions on this list.
3. I've not recently taught reading per se, but aren't there
significantly different skills involved in reading a chapterbook
compared to expository text, poetry, and narrative non-fiction?
4. What happens if there is a significant change in your school, i.e.
large population growth. Might become too busy to continue or keep up
the project.
I wonder if it would be more effective use of time and energy to work
with kids and teachers on 'how to choose a good book', or 'is it a good
book for me' (weren't those mnemonics a recent thread) and using the
5-finger test. Those would be real world skills the kids can use when
they move up or when at the public library. And kids would notice that
adults use a similar process (though maybe not quite so consciously as
to hold up their fingers and count down).
********
I can't think of a worse idea! One of the joys of being on your own is to
create your own policies.
I could read way above grade level, and understand it, extremely early. I
would have been totally turned off to reading and who knows what the future
would have been if I had been limited, at school, public library or home by
theoretical levels of what I could or should read. I allowed my own kids
and all I've taught the same privileges, which has only worked to their
advantage. And, for those w/LD's who couldn't "read," I've encouraged
others or the families to read TO them and the use of books on tape; many
people can understand way over their reading level, which encourages them
to try harder and improve reading skills and broaden interests.
I suspect the person supervising last year either never thought of the
options or was a bit of a control freak. In any event, you can do your own
thing now.
********
Since the library at my school is only classroom-size, there is no way that
I can set up special collections. One thing that I do, however, is to put
the easier AR books in baskets on a table, especially at the first of the
year as the second graders in particular are just learning how to select
books on their grade levels. I do not put the grade level on the already
overcrowded spine, just an AR label. The reading level and point
information is put on the top right-hand side of the flyleaf and I teach the
students how to find their levels. However the younger children do get
frustrated so this way is easier for them. I put both fiction and
non-fiction AR books in the baskets. This has worked well and has
eliminated the problem of the student returning to the library to exchange
books because he or she has checked out one that it too advanced for AR
testing.
As the students improve their reading and go on to harder books, they will
go to the regular shelves to select AR books on their levels. The teacher
asks that the student check out at least one AR book and their second or
third books can be any book that they want to try to read. If I see that a
book is way to advanced for them, I ask them to select another one.
I also put easy readers and books with few words on a cart for kindergarten
and first grade students who are still learning to read. They are not
restricted to this cart, but many like it because they know that they can
actually read these.
*********
How did you teach the children to self-regulate their reading levels?
My new Media Center previously put dots for AR levels on the spine of the
book. However, my new (approx. 1000) books do not have dots, but I have put
"Acc. Reader" on the spine. Was waiting for more time to put the dots on.
Now I'm wondering if I want to. It ticks me off when kids want to know
where the orange dot books are, or brag about what color dot they were last
year. So far, AR is not up & running as teachers need to do Star Reading to
get the levels, therefore buying me some time.
************
I have more problems with first grade teachers who would like to keep their
students in those areas. I would much prefer to allow students free access
to the library, especially the nonfiction section. There are certain
instances where I ask a student if they will really enjoy that book because
they won't be able to read it themselves. Then I try and steer them to a
book with more pictures and easier text on the same subject. But studies
have shown that if a student is interested in a subject they will be able to
read at a much higher level.
I have no problem with having students take one book they can read and then
they can choose whatever they want for another.
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