Model+Lesson

Thanks to Judi Paradis for this model lesson!

Prior to class arriving: Select “counting books” - enough for each K student in class Place name cards for each K student around two tables (students will come in an stand around the tables).

When students arrive: K students come into the library and find their name card at one of the two tables. K students place their (return) book on top of their card with their name. K students are encouraged to talk about their book and look at what others are returning. Focus question: is there a book that one might want to borrow today from this returned group? Library teacher scans the two tables and determines who does not have a “return” book on their name card and gives them a “forgot letter”. In Judi’s language, “Look who has a book that looks really cool.” “I will give a whoops letter to those who did not bring back a book.

Noteworthy: Inclusionary, accepting and encouraging … when the class arrived after a snow day, library teacher said something like: I bet a lot of you forgot your books because you yesterday was a snow day and you were not thinking today was your library day…

Transitioning: Count down…cue to listen 3 2 1 – with hand in the air counting down. All books are placed in the middle of each table. One student at each table was quickly, quietly asked to collect the name cards. Volunteer inconspicuously arrived to collect the books from the table and place them in a designated area that is the same each week (in this case: two chairs) where students could go back to and select a book during browsing time. 3-2-1 to get group quiet and ready for directions

Introduction - Lesson: Different today. Sit at tables Everyone will get a book to look at. Library teacher will say “swap” Look at next book to determine “what is the same”.

Transitioning: Library teacher spreads out students (from 2 to 4 tables) by asking individuals to come to (new) tables.

Starting the Lesson: “”Kind of a game” Look at the books and think “These books are all about…” “Keep it in your head” Students prompted that they “can raise hand to let Library Teacher know that you know -and then put hand back down” When Library Teacher says ‘freeze” they will then raise their hands if they think they know what is the same.

During the lesson: Provide K students with about 2 minutes to browse through their book. Library teacher circulates among groups (4 tables) encouraging them to look at every page and think about what is the same, as well as checking they understood the rotation. Volunteer also circulated among students at tables, smiling and talking quietly to students. After one round (2 minutes) Library Teacher asks, “How many people think they might know?”

Students swap/pass books. After 4th swap K students put books in center of table. The volunteer helps by collecting books and removing from the tables.

Continuing the lesson: Library teacher asks, “Who thinks they know what is the same?” Select a student and expect to have the answer: numbers. Read/showcase a few of the “same” books Acknowledge that the thing that makes them all the same is that they have numbers, but what was different? e.g some books counted eggs, etc.

Library teacher reads/showcases a few “counting books” black and white counting book- friends

Management tips Students having hard time… “Come up here and sit so you can see the white board” and then later call on student to participate thus reinforcing their engagement

Continuation of lesson: Class is going to make a counting book that represents the library, their class and their dies. Library teacher showed numbers on the white board using a slide “Mrs Justice's class counts” Students (in unison) count backwards…10 9 8… Library teacher notes this activity is “tricky” and in preparation to get all to listen reinforces those who are listening/paying attention “This is what I see that shows good listening or paying attention… … and specifically states the behavior of a particular student, naming the student, and reinforces why that is good listening or paying attention.

Option: have a puppet that “resides” in the library as a means of further reinforcing and explaining. (Note: Judi uses a turtle puppet who can go into his shell when “too loud/scared”

Continuation of lesson:

Bring out the camera and prompt the K students to think a bout what can we take pictures of? What do I have 10 of in the library? .. 9 of? etc.. As K students answer and library teacher records idea with student’s name on the PowerPoint slide. Solicit two ideas for each number (being flexible and un-judgmental with responses). Library teacher may need to focus the group once or twice to encourage something that is special about the library.

Library teacher provides each student with a blank counting book and demonstrates how the book reads and that K students will draw pictures in the counting book Book is “counting by twos with the following on each page: I can count 2 ___; I can count 4__ _. Volunteers are encouraged to circulate among the K students to make sure students know what they are doing.

While K students create their counting book, library teacher selects one choice from the ideas about what they can count in the library and then has the K student who provided the idea pose with the items. Pictures are taken.

With about 5 minutes left, prompt students to push in chairs and select book(s) for borrowing. After checking out students return to tables to continue work on their counting books. When time is up, K students are told to finish book at home and if they would like, bring back next week to show library teacher.