LESSON PLAN SUGGESTIONS
for ALPHABET SHELF MARKERS
We use the shelf marker song described above, also. Every year I teach students how to use shelf markers and replace books on the shelf. We take it a step at a time. The first couple of weeks they choose books from their tables and learn about how to check out a book at the circulation desk. Before we go to the shelf we learn how to go on a book hunt courtesy of the charming book We're Going on a Book Hunt by Pat Miller We, also, learn that the shelves are houses for the books and talk about how sad it would be if we or the books didn't make it to our houses and were lost. Many of my little one do not have shelves at home and have to learn to use two hands when sliding the book on the shelf. We use the analogy of driving a car into the garage. If the door is shut (there is no hole for the book) the car (or book) will crash. We practice using our shelf markers in the area of the library I can watch best the first week. We add a row of library shelves each week if classes are trying to be careful. On the week we are allowed to add the last shelf to our area of hunting we get our book hunter licenses. This may sound strange if you have a library that serves many different grades. Ours is a Pre-K - 1st grade library of about 14,000 books. By adding a row each week, we, also, gradually introduce the children to their choices in each area of the library. There are always books from all areas in our book browser and students may choose from there
Using A Shelf Marker
- Students learn about shelf markers, how to remove books from the shelves, and how to replace books on the shelves. After the lesson, students decorate their shelf markers.
- Students will recognize that there is a system for organizing the library. Explain that all books belong in a special place so that we can find them. A misshelved book is a lost book. It is our job to help keep the books in the right place. Demonstrate use of shelf marker to accomplish this.
- Shelf markers are silent
- Keep the shelf marker close to your body
- You may only walk around the library with a shelf marker.
- Shelf markers are only used for bookshelves.
- Decorating the shelf marker Students decorate their shelf markers at the beginning of the year using markers. One side has their first and last name, the other side has their art work. Use a large rubber band to separate the shelf markers by class.
- Shelf Markers act as instant name tags and as a way to choose a random student (choose a random shelf marker from a basket).
- I tape patron barcodes to the shelf markers. They now serve as library cards. Great for my shelf.