School Libraries Adapt During Covid-19

With the mix of at school and blended learning/home-based learning we now live with, I have been adapting some of what I do in library lessons to deliver it in such a way that students are still reading and responding to quality literature during the pandemic.

This post was updated in Jan 2022.

School libraries have been adapting to changing learning environments for some years now and are well placed to be flexible, innovative and supportive of the school community in these uncertain times. When students are at school we deliver library lessons which look at information retrieval, research skills, copyright, creative commons and all manner of literary and literacy work. But for the past two years? What I want to give to my students is opportunities to escape into a great book, and a balance between online/offline reading and learning.

The planning below saw me through the 2020 lockdowns (and now beyond). St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School has kindly allowed me to share these resources in the hope that you may find them of use as you embark on your own version of home based learning.

Now let me step you through the process by sharing with you what we have sent home:

Read+Write+Create+Share

What to do

• Select a book to read.
• Use the chatterbox (download below) to decide where you will read.
• Record the book you have read in your mini book journal (download below).
• Select one reading response activity from one of the ‘game boards/worksheets’ – ‘Create+Make+Do’, ‘Write it Out 1’, ‘Write it Out 2’ or ‘Read+Think+Do’.
• Complete the task.
• Colour in each activity as you complete it.
• Share your work with your friends and family.
• Select your next book.

Notes for parents and caregivers

Game boards/worksheets available for download below.

Download Create+Make+Do here.
Download Write it Out 1 here.
Download Write it Out 2 here.
Download Read + Think + Do (colour version) here.
Download Read + Think + Do (BW version) here.

The chatterbox and mini reading journal will need to be created.

Download Mini Book Journal here.
Instructions for folding the mini book journal are here.

Download chatterbox here.
Instructions for folding the chatterbox are here.

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School St Aidan’s is a Prep to Year 12 Anglican day school for girls, with a co-educational Kindergarten. Located in Corinda, with a population of approximately 850 students. If you’d like more information please click here.

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