Lunetta_Christina_Blog Share

 Blog Share (Week 4): Storytelling and Reading Games

Graphic created using Canva.

    As an educator and future librarian, one of the best ways that I have found to learn more about the profession is through blogs. There are many currently practicing librarians and teachers out there that have thankfully decided to share some of their experiences with us through detailed blog postings so that we can all learn and grow together as professionals. The blog that I would like to share this week is called Staying Cool in the Library. This website is not only full of up-to-date blog posts, but they also offer free resources, resource bundles that can be purchased through Teachers Pay Teachers, and access to joining a Facebook group where you can participate in conversations with other librarians and educators in the field. This blog featured many articles that caught my attention, such as the use of graphic novels for visual storytelling and suggestions of ways to support students and teachers during testing season. However, the posts that I will be discussing in this blog today focus on using reading games to help ignite a love for reading with students and literary-themed field day activities.    
 

    One of my biggest goals as a future librarian is to find a way to help students learn to love reading just as much as I do. Today, I fear that many children only read when they have to and do not truly enjoy the act of reading. After finding this blog, I was initially surprised that I hadn't even considered using literary games in the library to promote reading, but now I find myself inspired to try using some of these shared ideas. One suggestion in this post that we have seen and discussed already throughout this course is having students act out a skit of the story or a retelling of a story in small groups. Another activity featured in this blog is chain storytelling, where the students work together to build on a story started by the librarian by adding different sentences as they create a story together. Both of these activities are great ways to enforce grade-appropriate literary concepts and allow students to practice their storytelling skills.  


Image sourced from https://jubileewriter.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/tips-for-developing-ideas-for-inspirational-skits/

    The author of this blog also recommends using a breakout room or escape room style activity, where the students must complete different challenges and find clues that will help them “escape." Other great suggestions include playing bingo or taking regular games such as Jenga and adapting them into literary games. These activities can be based on specific texts, literary elements, and genres, or can address aspects of library use like the Dewy Decimal System, book organization, and other library procedures. A reading relay is also featured where students can work together in small groups to complete challenges related to reading comprehension, vocabulary building, searching for books, reading aloud, and participating in book trivia all in one big relay event. As a librarian, I would be interested in implementing activities such as these to help motivate some of my reluctant readers that may enjoy reading more when participating in a low-pressure, yet fun and exciting aspect of reading through gameplay. Elements of storytelling can also be incorporated into almost all of these activities as students can practice reading lines from stories, participate in short skits, or create stories of their own.   


    After reading this blog about the use of games in the library setting to promote reading, I noticed a few overlapping concepts with some of the readings about storytelling for children with special needs that I studied this week. Speaking from personal experience, I have a younger sister who is currently ten years old and has Down syndrome. She loves books but has always been a reluctant reader. However, she does love to dance and play games, so I thought that the concept of utilizing games in the library could work well with some reading activities that other students with special needs might engage in. In the article How to Use Stories with Students with Disabilities, one suggestion that the author gives for students with special needs is that after reading a story, follow up with a game that helps to reiterate the concepts learned in the story (Mitchum, 2007). Looking back at the blog I shared this week, some of the games specified could be used in this scenario, such as literary bingo.   

  

    The article by Mitchum also references using story-retelling activities and community collaboration storytelling as other ways to engage students with special needs in the library (2007). The text Storytelling: Art and Technique also references using retelling activities through drama or dance as a suggestion for working with a special needs audience, as well as round-robin storytelling where everyone contributes to the story creation (Greene et al., 2010). Both types of activities were referenced in our games blog, which leads me to believe that using games in the library could also be a good strategy when working with a special needs group. While some of the games and activities featured in this blog might have to be adjusted to best suit the developmentally appropriate needs of the group that you’re working with, I think that these games have the potential to be great options for engaging students of all ability levels in the library. 


Image sourced from https://burlingtonwa.gov/calendar.aspx?PREVIEW=YES&EID=1909


    Another great blog post on this site that I wanted to briefly mention highlighted eight different children's books that could be used to plan a literacy-themed field day. The author took many popular field day activities, made a few adjustments, and connected them to books that most students are familiar with. A few examples include having a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs themed water relay where students have to be on the lookout for falling food (water balloons), a Where the Wild Things Are themed three-headed race, a Gingerbread Man themed game of tag, and a There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly themed game where students toss different objects that the lady eats into a large cut out of her mouth. Leading up to the event, the librarian could ensure that these tiles have been read to each class so that anyone unfamiliar with these classic tales can understand and appreciate these literary connections. These activities are another great way to get students moving and bring stories to life by establishing literary connections to some fun-filled field day events. For more awesome information, please check out the Staying Cool in the Library website to find more examples of ways that librarians can support classroom learning, enforce the development of literary skills, promote a love of reading, and create engaging library experiences for students of all ages! 
 



ISCI 600 Storytelling: Reading List 

Ghost Stories

  • Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
  • Extreme Ghost Stories by Thomas Kingsley Troupe 
  • Ten of the Best Ghost Stories by David West
  • Ghosts in North America by Paige Polinsky
  • Haunted Houses by Jamie Kallio

Poems

  • Lion of the Sky: Haiku for all Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas
  • Ocean Soup: Tide-Pool Poems by Stephen Swinburne
  • Pizza and Other Stinky Poems by Harriet Ziefert
  • The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
  • Thanku: Poems of Gratitude by Miranda Paul
  • A Place to Start a Family by David Harrison
  • Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer
  • Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters
  • If It Rains Pancakes by Brian Cleary
  • Dear Hot Dog by Mordicai Gerstein

References

8 field day activities for a book inspired Field Day. Staying Cool in the Library. (2023). https://www.stayingcoolinthelibrary.us/book-inspired-field-day-activities/

Greene, E., Negro, J. D., & Zipes, J. D. (2010). Storytelling: Art and technique. Libraries Unlimited. 

Mitchum, N. (2007). How to use stories with students with disabilities. Naomi Mitchum. https://www.naomimitchum.com/special-needs/special-needs-leader-information/use-stories-with-special-needs-students/

Teaching with reading games. Staying Cool in the Library. (2023). https://www.stayingcoolinthelibrary.us/reading-games-in-classrooms-and-libraries/




Comments

  1. Rachel BryantJuly 15, 2023 at 5:59 AM

    Hello,
    I absolutely love the "Staying Cool In The Library" blog! My favorite feature of it is probably the library management section. I think not only is this a great tool for experienced librarians, but especially for newer librarians. This section is a great way to see different ways that you can set up your library and how to set up different sections to highlight specific books/genres. I also think the research section of this website could be so helpful for newer librarians and librarians who do not have a lot of experience teaching directly. It offers great tools for how to teach research to students and why different aspects of research are important.
    I also love the idea of incorporating reading games into the library. I feel that with subjects besides ELA, there are many options for incorporating games into the classroom. I have struggled to find games related to reading/literature to incorporate into my classroom. I am excited to find new games and ways to add movement into my current classroom and future library.
    Thank you for the great resources!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AASL Standard Interview- Inquire

Image
Introduction      For this interview, I spoke with Christine Baker, who is the media specialist at Jackson Creek Elementary. Our discussion focused on the Inquiry shared foundation with a specific interest in the Share domain and competency. Our conversation focused on how the standard is currently being applied in her practice and her plans for future application. Questions 1.  What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?   2. What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?   3. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers?   If so, please provide examples.   4. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?   5. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation / Competencies and Dom...
Read more

Librarian Interview: AASL Standard- Collaborate

Image
Introduction      For this interview, I spoke with Ellen Scott, the librarian at Blythewood Middle School. Our discussion focused on the shared foundation Collaborate with an emphasis on the Share and Grow domains. When choosing which competencies to focus on during our interview, I had a hard time choosing between these two and decided to incorporate a little bit of both into our discussion. Our conversation focused on her current implementation of these competencies as well as her plans for future application. These competencies focus on the student's ability to receive feedback from their peers, consider diverse perspectives, and recognize their responsibility for actively contributing to group learning. While these competencies are similar to the one I discussed with Christine Baker at Jackson Creek Elementary, I wanted to be able to compare how this concept is implemented at the elementary and middle school levels. Questions 1.  What are some examples of the ...
Read more

Librarian Interview: AASL Standard- Engage

Image
Introduction      For this interview, I chose to have a discussion with Chrystal Smith at Blythewood High School, focusing on the Engage shared foundation with a special emphasis on the Create domain. This standard focuses on ethically using information and acknowledging authorship. I was curious about Chrystal's insight concerning the standard in relation to her current work in a high school, as well as in reference to her previous role as a school librarian at an intermediate school that worked with grades four through six. We had a very rich discussion, mostly pertaining to citations and how important it is for us to establish these information skills as early on as possible. We also heavily emphasized how important it is to make sure that the other educators in the building understand copyright and fair use laws so that they can hold their students accountable for crediting sources appropriately.  Questions 1.  What are some examples of the ways in which y...
Read more