As more and more elementary schools are adding preschool
classes to their school communities, librarians are being faced with the
potential “challenge” of reaching these young learners. Many of these young
students are at a disadvantage because they have never been to a library or
even read on a regular basis. As an elementary school librarian, you actually
get the honor of being the first person to expose these young students to quality
literature and begin a love of reading.
While the atmosphere of the library is important (low book
shelves, bright colors, stuff book characters), the books that are being read
really make the biggest impact. Books with repetition and rhythmic language
appeal to this age group. Illustrations are also important as they can provide opportunities
for conversation. Preschoolers also like
to hear that are relevant to their life for example being away from home,
visiting the dentist, or transitioning to kindergarten.
If you are presented with opportunity to have preschoolers
in your library, TAKE IT! Use this 2010 book list from Oprah’s Book Club
(approved by the American Library Association) to help you choose some books
for your collection.
4 comments:
Yea Preschoolers! I taught this age group for many years and while they can be a challenge to get to sit still (having a rug with designated "spots" helps), they also get excited about EVERYTHING! It's so rewarding! Definitely use books with repetition, rhyming and great illustrations and also don't be afraid to read the same book several times that they come. Thanks for thinking about the youngest members of school libraries!
First off I need to say that I did not even know that Orpah had book recommendations for kids, what a fun list. I understand the preschoolers are truly "a horse of a different color" but I never thought about books like going to the dentist and being away from home as being ideal for them- but I can see how they would be perfect. I work with young autistic students and think that these stories would be a great for them to. Thanks for giving me a lot of food for thought.
Julianne-This is my 7th year teaching preschool. My school system has a building that is ENTIRELY preschool! We have 11 classrooms of regular education, 2 inclusion classrooms and 3 ECSE (with a 4th planned for the fall) WHOA! That is about 250 4 year olds in one building. And, we just got a grant to build another preschool on the northside of town. I completely agree about the challenge of getting them to sit still. I have definitely learned how to include movement into all my teaching.
Jessica--I am glad you found my blog entry useful. I have found that books about new experiences work great with young students. I have also been finding a lot of video clips (Franklin, Bernstein Bears) on Learn360 that also support new experiences. I could see you using them as well with your autistic students.
Preschoolers are so much fun to be around in the library. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Thanks for the great list of books as well as the ideas you gave about library set-up and decor. I probably would never have thought of how important low book shelves were!
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