It’s the age old question, isn’t it? To use storytime themes or not. To me, themes make sense. Instead of feeling constricting, themes give me a safety net and let me soar freely above them. After, cough, many years of doing outreach storytime, though, I was in need of a new approach!
Author: Kary Henry
Dog Days of Summer
You decide: Perhaps I was doing a display for my library on this theme and realized it could also make a fun blog post. Or perhaps I’m selfishly hoping you all will post photos of your dogs in the comments. Whichever you choose….here are a few new (and one not-so-new) dog books to add to your summer reading.
Remarkable Resources
After having attended my first full ALA Annual Conference, my head is still spinning from…
Preschool Outreach Programs, Part 3!
If anyone were to go back in time and tell my high school algebra teacher that I was running math programs for preschoolers, I think he would have laughed in your face! I was SO not a math kid. Fast forward quite a few years. As an elementary school teacher, I had the opportunity to earn a post-Master’s certificate as a Math Specialist. This program taught me to look at math differently. And different turned out to be very, very good. I’m still not a math whiz, but I love highlighting math content in my storytimes and preschool outreach programs.
Preschool Outreach Programs
Last month, I began a mini-series on preschool outreach programs and wrote about a program on symmetry. This month, I’ll share a program with a physics focus.
Preschool Outreach Programs
I love doing traditional preschool outreach storytimes. Sharing great books and fun flannels? Singing and dancing to silly songs? I’m there for it. However, a friend at another library inspired me to expand my repertoire. I added preschool outreach programs to highlight STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering, and math) picture books and offer opportunities for preschoolers to engage in a different way than storytimes. Over the next few months, I’ll highlight some success stories and look forward to hearing how YOU shake things up in outreach!
Public – School Library Collaboration
As School Outreach Coordinator, the collaboration I have with the amazing school librarians is priceless. From storytimes to starring in Summer Reading Program videos, from booktalks to program promotion, the school librarians are up for just about anything! In this post, I’ll share five simple ideas for collaboration.
Homeschool Programs Using Picture Book Biographies
Picture book biographies plus homeschool programs are a winning combination! These books are oftenshort enough to read aloud and then pair with an accompanying activity. Ablaze with Color: A Story ofPainter Alma Thomas helped me create a wonderful art-focused program. Written by Jeanne WalkerHarvey with incredible illustrations by Loveis Wise, this picture book biography taught the homeschool students about the amazing life of Alma Thomas AND was a perfect springboard to creating their own art in two simple steps.