Hello all,
“Letter L is for Library Week” was by far the LoveLiest week of the 2015-2016 school year yet! The students entered school each day with Lots of Letter L shares! Everything from Light-up toys to Lanyards, LalaLoopsy to Legos, and of course, all things Library were sent in and shared! There were tons of Letter L/Library books that came in as well – several of them borrowed from LocaL Libraries! 🙂 To help explore the letter L, the students also learned all about the Library! Well, “Letter L is for Library Week” has come and gone. Read on below to discover the learning that took place and fun that was had throughout the week!
The teachers mixed things up a bit by starting Tuesday morning with an art project! Much to the surprise of the students, the PPA classroom was transformed into an actual library! The students were thrilled to learn that they would be practicing the entire experience of what it is like to go to a library. First and foremost, they needed to get their library cards. For their morning work, the students crafted their very own library cards which would later grant them “entrance” to the newly established Park Prep Academy Library. In order to construct the library cards, the students had to select the colors they wanted, write their name, and draw a self-portrait. Once the cards were assembled, they needed to be decorated. Choosing from assorted sequins and gems, the students added some pizazz to their library cards. Take a look at the cards below.
During the afternoon, the students and the teachers discussed the difference between libraries and bookstores. Was there a difference? The students were able to explain that unlike a bookstore, the books you select at a library do not belong to you forever – you just borrow them for a while. This made a lot of sense to all of the PPA preschoolers who know that all of the toys/games at PPA belong to everyone, not just one person. After the discussion, the students transitioned over to another part of the classroom. Their eyes widened as they saw the library display. The excitement only grew when they learned that they would actually be able to select one book to take home with them!
One by one, the students waited until their library card was called. Each child then took their library card around the “shelves” and peeked at all the books before making a selection! Once the selection had been made, each student brought their book and library card over to the librarian station. The librarian checked their library cards and made a list of all the books selected – after all, without this list, how would they know which books were taken out of the library? The students headed home at the end of the day more proud than ever and, of course, very excited to read those library selections!
The students returned to school on Thursday and Friday and so did their library books! The students could hardly wait to tell the teachers about how much they enjoyed reading their library books at home! Some of the students read and re-read their library book while others read their library books at bedtime! Regardless of when or how many times the library book was read, one thing was certain – the library project was a huge hit!
The students also spent the mornings of Thursday and Friday working one on one with the teachers to complete their Letter L identification/fine motor activity sheets. The teachers were so impressed with how easily the new students recognized the letter L and also how well the older students remembered all things “L” during their morning work! In the afternoon on Thursday and Friday, the students created the twelfth letter list of the year! As a whole group, the students took turns brainstorming and contributing words that begin with the letter L and also hunted around the classroom for letter L items! Naturally, the letter L list was Long and contained LOTS of great answers!
What Letter L Shares do YOU see?
Answer: Lemur, Lantern, Legos, and Lion
Well, that may be the end of “Letter L is for Library Week” but you can keep the library fun going all year long at your local library! Happy Reading!
-PPA