One thing I have always loved doing as a high school librarian is providing a story and activity time for our Life Skills students every week. I learned about doing story and activity time with our Life Skills students from my co-librarian, Crystal, at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.
Here are some things I changed about story time after learning about it from Crystal:
- Instead of reading the physical book, I put the book into Google Slides and projected it on the big screen or on our large touch screen. This makes it easier for our Life Skills students to see the images, especially those who may have some sight issues.
- I include a Youtube video of the story being read aloud on a slide at the end of the story.
- I add links to teaching resources if the Life Skills teachers want to expand story time beyond the library.
- I use the Novel Effect app when possible.
- I add the story slides to the NGC Library Life Skills Canvas course so students can access the story from home and share it with their families.
To make story and activity time manageable, since I am also the person in charge of all things Chromebook-related and. have no library aide, I follow this pattern:
- Week 1- Story and activity time w/book checkout
- Week 2 - Book checkout only
- Repeat each week
Being new to the school this year, trying to learn how this district processes Chromebooks and running 900-ish kids through library orientation caused a late start to story and activity time. Next year I plan to start in time to read The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. After reading the story, students will have the opportunity to use my phone, my Homido Mini VR glasses, and the The Walk app to "walk between the towers"!
We only have about 30 minutes for story and activity time, so the activities are quick and easy. I usually cut everything in advance. I also use glue sticks or glue dots to avoid too much of a mess. Ideally, I'd like to give the students the freedom to put their own creative spin on our craft activities, but time just doesn't allow for that.
Here are the books I have read to students so far this school year:
- The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga
- Build your own Big Wide-Mouthed Frog
- Play the Mr. Mouth Feed the Frog game
- Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
- I did the "frowned upon" thing and purchased a lesson from @maistorybook on TPT for this activity
- Students could also play the game, Coconuts.
- Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
- We played dreidel, and students got their very own dreidel with instructions to take home
- Superbuns! by Diane Kredensor (for World Kindness Day)
- Students decorated their very own Superbuns! capes
- The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld
- Students built Little Wooden Robots (Hexbug DrawBots)
- The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt
- Students painted rocks. I used Paint Markers to minimize the mess
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
- I was pressed for time and couldn't find a craft or other activity that interested me...LOL! Instead, we got to blow crayon bubbles!
- Love Monster by Rachel Bright (under construction)
- Students will build a Love Monster
- Faux Fur Pom Poms
- Feet & Heart - Cricut design - Baby Feet (3 inches) - by CutsunSVG
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- If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff (under construction)
- My plan is to buy some frozen toaster/microwavable pancakes for us to eat!
- Punky Aloha by Shar Tuiasoa
- We will read this book the week before Spring Break
- Students will get Magic Brave Glasses and leis, and we will eat banana bread just like Punky's grandma was baking!
