Curriculum: Library at the School for Children

Library in the Upper School

Building on skills acquired through formal instruction, discussion, and storytelling, students become proficient in the following areas: finding information, selecting books, understanding fiction/non-fiction, using shelf markers, comprehension and appreciation of folktales, assisted use of the computer catalog, awareness of genres, and how to care for books. The 6/7s and 7/8s hone their critical skills by evaluating picture books and also their abilities in library use. By the end of the 8/9s, students can independently search the catalog and discuss books critically. They are able to do research using encyclopedias, indexes, and electronic databases. In the 8/9s and 9/10s, children are in the process of becoming information-literate. With the cooperation of classroom teachers, students embark on research that enables them to become discerning and capable users of information. They learn how to gather data efficiently and effectively, evaluate it critically, and then use and present it accurately and creatively. The 9/10s become self-reliant as library users. In order to support their independent research, they continue to develop their skills in evaluating print and on-line materials for accuracy, currency, and bias.

The Middle School actively participates in the selection of the book to be honored by the Irma S. and James H. Black Book Award, which Bank Street presents each year to a picture book. The children in the 8/9s and 9/10s select four finalists after evaluating over twenty current picture books. The 6/7s and the 7/8s, together with their teachers and the librarian, read the four finalists and choose the winning book. The librarian also asks the children to recommend new titles to be considered for inclusion in the annual Best Childrens Books of the Year, a book published by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street.