Library and Information Skills for Primary School Children

Aims

1. To equate libraries with fun and enjoyment.  

2. To create an interest in books. 

3. To foster the idea of borrowing. 

4. To enable children to use libraries and sources of information effectively

ENGLISH ATTAINMENT TARGET 2: READING

Level 3

Devise a clear set of questions that will enable them to select and use appropriate information sources and reference books from the class and school library.                          

Level 4d

Find books or magazines in the class or school library by using the classification system, catalogue or  database and use appropriate methods of finding information when pursuing a line of inquiry. 

Level 5d

Select reference books and other information materials and use organisational devices to find answers to their own questions and those of others. 

Library Skills Year 3

Alphabetical order

An alphabet frieze on the classroom wall is very useful. 
1. Each member of the class can write their name on a card and then arrange themselves in alphabetical order. 
2. Two or three teams can be formed and a competition held to see which team can get in proper order first. 
3. Each member of the class can be given a card with an author's name on it, once again they can be told to arrange themselves in alphabetical order. 
4. As a follow-up to (3), each member of the class could be asked to find where that author's books are shelved and stand next to them. 

Alphabet Games

1.  Alphabet story
Ask the first child in the class to make up a simple sentence, the last word of which must begin with the first letter of the alphabet - and so on round the class until all the letters of the alphabet have been covered. 
2.  Alphabet Book
Give each child a letter of the alphabet and ask them to write a sentence using  words which contain their letter as many times as possible.  (See seven silly sausages)

3.  Phone book 
Separate pages from old telephone directories - give a selection to each child and ask them to rearrange the pages in alphabetical order. 

Library Skills Year 4

Focusing Activities

1. Search for books on a subject of your choice in the library.  Search among small collection in classroom. 
2. Further sorting or classifying - saying how these will be useful to the topic. 
3. Present children with a collection pictures or objects - ask them to guess the Topic. 
4. Ask children to think of the questions they would like to ask about a Topic. 
5. Present children with true/false statements about a topic - ask them to decide. 
6. Make a list of everything every child knows about a topic before starting.  (Compare with knowledge at end)
7. Read story or poem which gives a clue about topic about to be studied.  Children to guess. 

Library Skills Years 5 & 6

Reference Books

Reference books should be introduced in as clear and informative a manner as possible. 
1. Explain why libraries have reference collections as well as information books 
- How they differ in content from information books. 
- Why they cannot be borrowed. 
- Describe the different types of books found in the reference section.  (This could take the form of a question and answer session, with children encouraged to take an active part in developing ideas). 
2. Concentrate on encyclopaedias,
dictionaries and atlases but try to use a wide range of reference books including some adult ones.  It may be useful for this age group to compare the information provided on a subject in several reference works of the same type and to discuss differences. 
3. Using the work sheets as guides, devise questions in this format, but using the relevant topics discussed with the class. 

Multi-volume encyclopaedias
Make the following points:
a)The information is contained in a series of volumes. 
b)The volumes are arranged in alphabetical order as indicated on the spine. 
c)The index is a separate volume and should be the first entry point to search for information. 
d)When using the index, explain the numbering system used e. g.  volume no. , followed by page no. , followed by part of page. 
e)Show how to move from the index to the main body of the work. 
f)Indicate that the heading at the top of the page names article below
g)Point out the use of "see" and "see also" references. 

Dictionaries

Make the following points:
a)The amount of information contained in dictionaries is less than encyclopaedias
b)Alphabetical arrangement - no index
c)Headings indicate first and last words on a page
d)Dictionaries can help with pronunciation, origin of word use in context and if more than one meaning. 

Maps and Atlases

Make the following points. 
a)The index and place names at the back of the atlas will give both page number and grid reference. 
b)The contents list will show you if the atlas has maps and information on population, weather, vegetation, mountains, rivers etc. 
c)The scale line, visually at the front page, can be used to calculate distances. 
d)Some maps have keys and Ordnance Survey maps use conventional mapping signs to indicate railways, canals etc. 
e)Road maps indicate how important a road is by its colour, letter and number. 

Single Volume Works

The arrangement of these can vary.  Point out how to access information as in multi-volume works.