What librarian wouldn't want to see the following bit of news from NPR?! "Going to the library gives people the same kick as getting a raise does." I must confess a trip to the public library does for me...but, I'm giddy that I tote around three different public library cards. I guess I also have the prejudice of being a librarian.
This little blurb of news has me wondering if my students feel the same way. I had to stop, think, and realize...
I wish more of my students could experience the public library and not just the school library or book mobile. The nearest public library is a little over 3 miles away and many of my students would have to walk for one reason or another.
It's sad to think that they are missing the freedom to just grab a book off the shelf and read for hours. They don't get the exposure to other community members reading. Not to mention all the free programs they miss that gives them something productive to do.
At least they've been provided a little exposure to public library through school for the summer and winter reading clubs. Which is why I'm happy that the summer reading club starts about halfway through May this year (the same week as Children's Book Week). This gives students a chance to read some school library books before summer break.
Image courtesy of stockimages/freedigitalphotos.net
Since this month is National Poetry Month, I decided to approach the subject through a known genre: music. Specifically, hip hop from Nikki Giovanni's book, Hip Hop Speaks to Children. I began by introducing the book to 5th graders with a mini interview from NPR's All Things Considered. In this interview they talk about poetic terms, include pieces from the book, and why this form of poetry is unique. The interview page also includes excerpts from the CD, which I played for the students to listen to, as well.
The point of this exercise was for students to listen to the poetry and visualize images or hear the beat in which the words are said. I didn't want them to just listen for rhyming words. So, they could get the point of this exercise I played two segments before the CD excerpts from Discovery Education United Streaming from Literature for Children: Sounds of Poetry. One section was about how poetry creates mood and breaking down rhythm and rhyme for better understanding.
They were very interested in listening and even were amazed that hip hop is considered poetry or to be more specific that the musicians were writing a form of poetry.
Image from http://www.sourcebooks.com/spotlight/hip-hop-speaks-to-children.html
