Studying the library.

Yesterday I started teaching Oscar the library skills curriculum I developed over the spring.   

Before the first part of the lesson, I wrote selected library rules on separate index cards.  We all sat down together.  I shuffled the cards, held them out in a fan, and asked first Oscar, then Milo, to take their turn drawing one card (I read Milo’s for him) and then telling me why the library has that rule. 

• Speak quietly or whisper.

• Drink only at the water fountain, and leave your food at home.

• Walk from place to place in the library.

• Don’t write on the library materials, damage them, or get them dirty.

• Obey the time limits posted on the equipment.

• If you need help, ask the librarian.

• Leave books on a table; don’t put them back on the shelf.

Oscar didn’t have any trouble figuring out the reason behind most of the rules.   His first guess about the time limits was that the computers might self-destruct.

In part two of the lesson, tomorrow, I plan to walk to the neighborhood branch library, where and I will have Oscar introduce himself to the children’s librarian.   By the time he’s done with this, he’ll be asking her for all kinds of things, so I want him to start right away learning her name and getting comfortable with approaching her and speaking to her.