Library Design

libraryThursday 23.01.2014

Excellent meeting with the Montessori Directors Monique van Doorn and Carla van Eijk and Patricia Gevers (Spatial Designer) from TIESENCOO who is working on re-designing the school’s library space.

Patricia talked us through her ideas and how and where the Little Library will fit in. Wow! The School Library & Little Library will look amazing. Within our space there will be floor space for Rhyme Time for Mums & Babies / Tods and communal table space for older children to run story telling sessions. Huge thank you! Could have not hoped for anything better! http://www.tiesencoo.nl/

Montessori School Breda & The Little English Library

library montiA very short post to announce that The Little English Library will be moving into the library of the Montessori School Breda.

I am so excited – the space is wonderful and we will be looking at running story telling sessions,rhyme time, little competitions …. The heads of the Montessori school are very supportive and most interested in supporting Dutch children in their English studies and offering a charming library space to English and English -Dutch speaking children.

The school, library and sessions are open to every child and parent in Breda and surroundings.

We are looking to open 3.02.2014

Book donations ( 0-12 year old) are starting now, email me on info@gruenbaumpublishing.com if you have any books you don’t need anymore.

 

 

 

School Library Competitions

Bookmarks1As a teacher I love activities that get students involved and I think it’s great when a library tries to do the same. Organising simple and fun library competitions is just one way for a school library to play an active role in a child’s life at school.

While doing a bit of research, I come across some fun activities such as:

  • make a book mark
  • redesign a cover
  • write a book review
  • write an alternative ending

One of the more surprising ideas I read up on was on this link http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12426

Get caught reading raffle – In the lead up to a whole-school reading event, issue tickets to pupils every time they are ‘caught reading’. The more times they are caught reading, the more chances they have to win a prize in the raffle. Prizes should ideally be reading materials. Brilliant!

I also found some very creative ideas for primary school libraries on this pinboard:

http://www.pinterest.com/cari_young/school-library-activities/

So much to do!

Children running a library?

treeResearching student involvement in school libraries, I came across a fabulous project carried out at a Montessori School in Rome. Have a look at the link – article starts on page 5. You can read about how the children learned about running their library, cataloguing books and even repairing  books.

“In the learning environment a school Library […] creates a wide range of learning and growth opportunities so that children become the main actors in building their own knowledge, being able to develop skills  […] based on collaboration, exchange and mutual help.”

https://www.montessori-europe.com/sites/default/files/MoRE%20Newsletter%202-2011.pdf