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.
Category: Blogger Kary Henry
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.
Reading Habits
In a recent conversation with a colleague, she mentioned that it had been a while since she had finished a book she started. Shortly after that, a caregiver asked me if a particular book was on her child’s reading level. These exchanges got me to thinking about adult reading habits….and how we need to allow children to have those same habits.
Reimagining Preschool Outreach
I’ve been offering preschool outreach for 14 of the almost 15 years that I’ve worked in the library field. For the last few years, I’ve appreciated the challenge of reimagining what preschool outreach could look like. Although I still provide traditional storytimes, the different approaches I added have reinvigorated me and captivated the preschoolers I serve.
SRP: All About Connections!
Our Summer Reading Program (SRP) kick-off date is just around the corner. I like to think of SRP as all about connections!
Dig It! Homeschool & Archaeology
The ALSC blog has a category of posts labeled “Children’s Librarians Are Experts.” This label recognizes the many and diverse talents of children’s librarians. I employed a version of this when I asked my talented and awesome colleague, Cristina, to run archaeology programs for our homeschool students. The homeschool students absolutely loved getting to learn from a real archaeologist. Cristina loved leading a program about a passion of hers. And I loved not having to lead a program getting to watch a colleague shine!
Homeschool Art Featuring Aminah Robinson
Many of my homeschool programs focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts. But I truly love art! So I’m grateful when I come across an artist who so intrigues me that I’m able to focus on another important acronym: STEAM. Aminah Robinson was just such an artist. When I discovered her art on the Columbus Museum of Art’s website, I knew I had a unique and wonderful homeschool art program just waiting to be shared.
Love Poetry
While thinking about a blog post topic for this month, I realized my post would go live on Valentine’s Day. What a perfect time to talk about my love for poetry! I recently offered two virtual poetry outreach programs for 2nd graders, and we all had a great time. Reading and writing poetry can be interactive, mathematical, engaging, and, most of all, fun!