Storytime & Distance Learning Playlist

Hello everyone,

In an effort to support my students at home, I have been making videos and posting them to YouTube. Most of these are read-alouds, but I also have a drawing video and I hope to add more diverse content in the future. As publishers have requested that copyright material is only accessible via links, here is the link to the playlist. The storytime videos will have to be taken down in June unless publishers extend their permissions, so enjoy them while you can! 

I hope you are all doing well and that these videos can provide a small (but much-needed) distraction. 

Lots of love,
Miss Williams

7 Ways To Help Ease the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the seriousness of the current situation, many are looking for ways they can help. Here are some suggestions.  

1. Donate Unused Personal Protective Equipment

The supply-chain is currently struggling to meet demands for things like N95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer; which are all essential in keeping healthcare workers safe. MasksForHeroes.com has more information on how you can help. 

2. Donate Blood 

Many of the American Red Cross’s seasonal blood drives were canceled when lockdowns forced schools and workplaces to close. But there is still a high demand for blood! You can go to their site to find a donation drive near you. 

3. Donate Food and Other Essential Items 

An estimated 3.3 million Americans recently filed for unemployment, mostly due to the nationwide closures. It’s also been known for a while that millions of children depend on their schools for regular meals. This, combined with scarcity due to panic buying, can lead to an unsettling number of people going hungry while the pandemic unfolds. If you’ve been lucky enough to fill your pantry, please consider donating non-perishable goods and household items (such as toilet paper) to your local food bank. You can use this site to find one near you. 

4. Offer Online Tutoring to Kids Out of School 

Maintaining a sense of normalcy is extremely important for children. This will not only help them stay on track, but will also add support to their guardians. 

5. Support Local Businesses 

In addition to worrying about the healthcare system, many are concerned about the long-term effects on the global economy. You can do your part by ordering goods, services, and gift cards from your local businesses. (Please opt for delivery or curbside pickup, if possible, to minimize contact).

6. Share Resources With Your Community 

Of course, resources can’t be properly utilized if no one knows about them. So, an important part of advocacy is connecting resources with those who could use them. I’ve found that local Facebook groups and word of mouth are the best ways to reach people. 

7. PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING 

Social distancing, along with proper hygiene practices, is believed to be the best way to prevent exposure to the virus. It is important to limit contamination to avoid pressure on healthcare systems and to limit disease until a vaccine is developed. It is currently estimated that each person with COVID-19 infects approximately 2 additional people; this number needs to get below 1 in order for the virus to be contained.

This post was cross-posted on both my personal and professional blogs in an effort to maximize exposure.

READING BINGO

 Here is my version of reading BINGO. I've included some links to sites that may be helpful. 

B	I	N	G	O
read a book	read a map	read something backwards	read an audiobook stories.audible.com	read road signs
read a receipt	read a magazine kidsdiscover.com/kids-discover-online/	read a letter	read song lyrics genius.com	read a comic dckids.com
read movie subtitles	read a menu	read anything 🌟	read sight words sightwords.com	read an ebook getepic.com
read a dictionary dictionary.com	read a poem poetryfoundation.org	read a fairy tale storynory.com	read something you’ve written	read a recipe
read a cereal box	read board game instructions	read a website kids.nationalgeographic	read a poster	read video game subtitles

Reading Review Guide: Giraffes Can't Dance

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Author: Giles Andreae

Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees

Published: 1999

A.R. Level: 3.8 

Summary Prompts for Students

1. Why did the lions laugh at Gerald? (they think Giraffes aren't good at dancing)

2. How did that make him feel? (he was very sad and he ran away)

3. Who encouraged Gerald? (a cricket in the forest)

4. How did the crowd react when Gerald danced? (they were amazed, they asked where he had learned to dance)

Possible Themes/Morals

•  It isn’t nice to tease people
• It’s okay to try things you’re not good at, you might be surprised.
• Follow your passions. 

Vocabulary and Key Terms

• elegant (adjective): showing good taste, graceful and attractive
• bold (adjective): showing confidence or lack of fear 
• clot (noun): [British, informal] a foolish person
• entranced (adjective): filled with wonder

Reading Review Guide: Interrupting Chicken

Interrupting Chicken

Author: David Ezra Stone

Published: 2010

A.R. Level: 2.2

Summary Prompts for Students

1.      What did the chicken want to do before bed? (read a bedtime story)

2.     What were the stories that they read? (Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Chicken Little, and Chicken’s story Bedtime for Papa)

3.     Why did Chicken stop reading the story to her dad? (he fell asleep and started snoring)

Possible Themes/Morals

• Interrupting people is wrong, and it takes time away from more important things.
• Sometimes it’s nice to do things for your parents instead of them always doing things for you.

Vocabulary and Key Terms

• involved (adjective): affected or excited by something

Reading Review Guide: Once Upon a Goat

Introduction: Since reviewing is an important skill for developing children, I hope to upload Reading Review Guides so that parents may go over what their child heard during their library time. I will also be offering teacher copies in case they would like to use them in their classroom. 

Reading Review Guide:

Once Upon a Goat

Author: Dan Richards, Illustrator: Eric Barclay

Summary Prompts for Students

1.      What did the king and queen wish for? (a child*** one humorous element in this story relies on the reader's understanding that "kid" can mean both a baby human and a baby goat)

2.     Why were the king and queen upset? (there was a baby goat on their doorstep instead of a kid)

3.     Why do the king and queen let the goat back into the palace? (it was raining outside and the goat could not find shelter)

4.    What mistake did the fairy godmother make? (she accidentally gave a baby goat to the king and queen and a baby human to the goat parents)

5.     How does the story end? (the king and queen let the goat family move into the palace with them)

Possible Themes/Morals

·        Even mistakes can lead to happy endings

·        The meaning of family; not all families look the same (parents & siblings; children and goats)

Vocabulary and Key Terms

·        kid (noun): a young child, but it can also mean a baby goat

·        hearth (noun): the area in front of a fireplace

·        blustery (adjective): stormy, windy

·        sincere (adjective):  honest, truthful, genuine

Welcome!

Welcome!

     My name is Miss Williams and I have recently been hired as Robert P. Ulrich Elementary's new librarian paraprofessional. This will be my first year as a librarian, and I thought it would be best if I start by introducing myself and this page. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in linguistics in June 2019. Most of my library experience stems from volunteering in the school libraries of my mother and my aunt. I was raised in the Mojave Unified School District, so I am aware of the unique problems our students face; including financial insecurity and the lack of opportunities in rural towns like ours. Though I cannot solve all these problems myself, I hope that my library will be a space where children are able to learn and thrive while feeling safe. 

     Communication is the backbone of any great relationship. I hope that by providing information on this site I can aid parents and community members as they attempt to continue these children's educations outside the school walls.