Emotion drives learning... We learn by connecting the unknown to what we know...  Kindergarten children come to school, generally, with the knowledge of basic colors and with a love for stuffed animals.  Use color and emotion to help them remember where their books are and what the rules are for borrowing and returning books.

KINDERGARTEN

TEDDY BEAR ORIENTATION

• COLOR CODE THE PRIMARY LIBRARY

  • PICTURE BOOKS  (Yellow on spines and shelves)

  • PRIMARY NONFICTION (Lime green on spines and shelves)

  • PRIMARY FICTION (BEGINNING READERS, EMERGENT READERS, EASY-TO-READ BOOKS) (Bright pink on spines and shelves)

• PUT A TEDDY BEAR IN EACH AREA YOU WANT CHILDREN TO REMEMBER.

  • PICTURE BOOKS  (Yellow bear)

  • PRIMARY NONFICTION (Lime green bear)

  • PRIMARY EASY-TO-READ BOOKS (Bright pink bear)

  • STAFF DESKS AND OFFICES (White, Black, Purple Bears)

  • CHECK-OUT DESK (GOLDEN POOH BEAR)

  • STORYHOUR OR LIBRARY LEARNING AREA (Big Brown Bear)

  • BOOK RETURN BIN (Red Bear)

• COLLECT OR MAKE SMALL BEARS MATCHING THE COLORS OF THE VARIOUS PLACES YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE.  ONE FOR EACH CHILD.

  • THESE BEARS CAN BE PAPER BEARS OR BEARS BOUGHT AT GARAGE SALES, OR AT PLACES LIKE ORIENTAL TRADING CO. 

  • GIVE EACH CHILD A BEAR WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR TRIP AROUND THE LIBRARY.  PHYSICALLY TAKE THE CHILDREN FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO THE BEARS THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF EACH AREA. 

  • CHILDREN WITH THE COLOR MATCHING BEARS CAN COME TO THE FRONT WHILE YOU ARE EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENS IN OR AT EACH PLACE IN THE LIBRARY.

• IN THE SUCCEEDING TIMES YOU SEE THEM, BUILD ON THE KNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM, BY EXPLAINING A TYPE OF BOOK IN EACH SECTION. LATER, ADD THE SECTION LETTERS (E, PF, PN), SPINE LABELS, TITLE PAGES, ETC.  REVIEW AND ADD NEW EACH TIME. 

  • GIVE THEM TIME TO PRACTICE BY LETTING THEM  "READ" TO A FRIEND, A STUFFED ANIMAL, A TEDDY BEAR. 

  • MODEL READING BEFOREHAND.  READING IN THIS CASE WILL CONSIST OF LOOKING AT THE PICTURES, TURNING THE PAGES FROM BEGINNING TO END, EXCLAIMING OVER ANY DETAILS THEY SEE IN THE PICTURES. 

  • IF SOME CHILDREN FINISH BEFORE OTHERS, HAVE THEM EXCHANGE BOOKS OR HAVE A STACK READY FROM WHICH THEY CAN CHOOSE A NEW BOOK. 

  • BEGIN WITH WORDLESS PICTURE BOOKS.