Literature Appreciation and Literature-Based Instruction

As a member of FAME, the LMS regularly attends FAME Conference.

While there, the LMS takes multiple books by the various authors who attended the conference to get signed for the students at Sabal Palm.

The LMS then showcases the signed books around the library upon returning.

After a while, the books are returned to their regular spots on the bookshelves, and an alarm is set to go off when students check these books out. Their faces usually light up when they come across one of these books, like they've won a prize or a Golden Ticket.

There has been an uptick in circulation, and it has been speculated that students are looking for these books every time they check out.

The Poetry Section is one of the least circulated sections in the library.

The LMS supplemented classroom study of poetry with a poetry unit in the media center.

Students learned about key poets from modern times, as well as the classics. The LMS also shared some favorite poems from her childhood.

Students wrote some poems of their own to be posted around the media center.

Students learned where the Poetry Section could be located using Dewey Decimal classification.

Circulation in poetry titles has increased over the weeks since this unit concluded.

The LMS has done several author/illustrator studies during the past few years.

Authors/illustrators have included Mo Willems, Ryan T. Higgins, Matt de la Peña, Christian Robinson, Jory John, Sharon Draper, Robbi Behr & Matthew Swanson, Jan Brett, Doreen Cronin, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Aaron Reynolds.

This was to increase exposure to the many titles written and illustrated by these authors and illustrators.

Most recently, the LMS taught an author study on Peter H. Reynolds. This concluded with students working in teams to build a "table" out of index cards to replicate the table built by the family in the book.

Students had to plan, design, build, test, and redevelop their design, as needed, to ensure the table was strong enough to hold a can of food.

The cans were then donated to a local food pantry.

As part of last year's SSYRA Jr. list, a small group read Tomatoes in my Lunchbox. They were fascinated to learn about Cypress, where the author comes from.

They loved reading the author's note at the back of the book and how her personal story became the backbone of this sweet story of a little girl struggling to find acceptance because of her name.

We reached out to the author via Social Media to share our love of the story. The students were thrilled to hear back from her! They were even more excited when the LMS was photographed with the author at FAME.

This book now holds a place of honor at the circulation desk, along with the hand-crocheted tomato that was given to the school by the author. It is checked out regularly and often placed on hold.

Students are thrilled to hear that the author has a new book, The Fig Tree, coming out this summer.

Upon arriving at Sabal Palm, students were not used to sitting through a story read aloud. (They had been used to doing coloring sheets and watching YouTube videos with the previous media specialist.) Students do not often have stories read aloud to them at home, either.

The LMS found Novel Effect, and it completely changed the read-aloud experience for the students. They became immersed in the story due to the sound effects and characterizations.

The LMS no longer relies on Novel Effect as much as before. It is now used as more of a treat. 

Literature appreciation has increased, and students now have the stamina to sit through even longer stories.

Now, the students use Novel Effect eBooks. They can use tablets to read along with a story of their choice while the sound effects and characterizations play along with them. (More information included in Technology Resources.)

As part of a larger Genre Study, the LMS hosted a Book Tasting using beginning chapter books.

The LMS used the first book in the series from a variety of genres, and students had to read either the first chapter or the first three pages, depending on the amount of text on the page. (Some of the books chosen were lesser circulated books, to increase exposure to them.)

The students loved this activity, asking to continue reading, even when it was time to move on to the next "sample". Students even asked for a second week.

Now, students have moved on to additional titles in the series that they liked best.