BFS
 Our Strategic Vision

The PS/LS Library: Fostering Literacy and Creativity

May 27, 2014
By:

The mission of the Pre and Lower School Library includes the mindful intent to provide “relevant resources, current technology and programming that integrates curriculum, research skills, and information literacy.” These centers act as another access point to meet this piece of the mission and for this learning opportunity to blossom. This month, the Pre and Lower School Library has been beta-testing a series of literacy and creativity centers with students K through Grade 4. This is in addition to Reader’s Advisory and providing room to grow an appreciation for literature. In the library experience, these serve to support and nurture our students, not replace library programming.


Some of the centers include:

  • Magnetic Poetry
  • Magnetic Sentence/Story creation
  • Magnetic Crossword puzzle creation
  • Quiet Reading to a Fuzzy Friend (read to a small stuffed animal)
  • Kraft Paper murals featuring a literacy focus
  • Interactive Books on the iPad with a partner
  • Creating word collages on the iPad
  • Origami
  • Puzzles and puzzle-making
  • Book Talks created in iMovie or SonicPics or AdobeVoice
  • More!

So far, these centers have provided students with another way to experience literacy, the library, creative energies, and collaboration. Students navigate information such as written instructions and visual finished products during an origami session. Students make informed decisions about their choices when presented with center options. Students engage with peers to create something new in collaboration, learning to share information and interpret it. As a direct result, we have noticed an increase in the circulation of books in response to the experiences of students during these centers. We have also noticed an increased awareness in students of the sheer amount of information available, even when doing a seemingly simple activity.

Stop by the library to find out more, and check out some of the photographs below!