Partners in Learning: Students, Teachers, and the School Library

This book offers concrete strategies and activities for implementing an integrated school library program that can be put to immediate use in the library and classroom. It gives educators a better understanding of the integrated school library program and its benefits, then shows how to establish the collaborative approach in program planning, resource-based learning, teaching information process, and evaluation. After describing changes in the role of the teacher-librarian, a rationale for creating an active partnership between teachers, librarians, and students is provided. Innovative resource-based units of study for all elementary grades (1-6) demonstrate how the partnership works in relation to author studies, literary themes, social studies, and science. Storytelling, read-alouds, displays, book exchanges, summer reading programs, mentoring, book fairs, and celebrations are some of the activities explored. All projects have been successfully classroom tested. Four chapters include: (1) "Partners in the School Library Programs"; (2) "Activating the Partnership: Resource-Based Learning, OWLS: A Resource-Based Unit of Study, Collaborative Program Planning, Teaching, and Evaluation, The Information Process, The Information Process in Action"; (3) "The Partnership at Work, Meeting the Demand for Resources, Advocating and Developing Literacy, Resource-Based Units of Study"; (4) "Some Final Thoughts on the Partnership." Includes appendix A-E with reproducible forms and activities. Contains references and index. (AEF)