TeachersFirst: Question of the Week Archives

Question of the Week Archives

Question:

Teachers know that students who enjoy libraries are more likely to be good readers. How many of your students regularly visit a library, at school or elsewhere? Do they do so voluntarily or as an assignment? Are there any ways in which the libraries could better lure your students and their families to visit? For an interesting article on libraries and Internet use, see this from the New York Times.

Replies:

Rosanne - Wyncote, Pa
In my PreK to 8 school, all students are scheduled for library once a week and students in grades 5 through 8 receive a Library grade on their report card. The grade includes quality and content of research assigned in curricular areas, as well as grades from the Library curriculum. In addition to their scheduled library classes, they also come to the library with their subject teachers for other assignments. Grading so many students can be grueling, but I think it shows the importance of the Library in an academic environment.

The best way for students to use the library more frequently is for subject and classroom teachers to collaborate with the librarian on lessons and assessments. The librarians are qualified teachers and librarians who can assist faculty in meeting lesson goals and objectives, but in many schools teachers do not take advantage of the services offered by librarians.

Schools also need to show their commitment to the library program by budgeting funds to keep the collection current so that appropriate resources are available to support the curriculum.

Croisdaidh - East Central, WI
All of my students regularly visit the library, both for assignments and voluntarily. It would be helpful if our local library would feature more "literary" books, and fewer "light" selections, and quit pandering to the "modern social problem" genre of authors. Frankly, I've seen a lot of new books coming into our local library that are just plain junk-reading and a waste of time. I try to steer my students to well-written books - not just classics, but good children's literature.

GO PACKERS!

Melissa Dunn - Saint Louis, MO
All of my students visit the School library twice a week because it is a class at our school. The majority of my students also visit the bookmobile once a month and this is volutarily. I think that if parents and teachers share the love of reading with our students then I don't think that there would ever be a problem getting any student into a library.

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