Toy And Book Library In Pre-school

[Guest LucyQ]

Hi there

 

We are going to set up a book library and encourage the children to take a book home to share with their families. We are going to get the older children to "run" it with lots of help of course!!

If this is a success we might look into lending out our toys/equipment too.

 

Does anyone else do this and have they found it a success?

[Guest]

Interesting topic.

 

I hope to offer a similar scheme when our nursery opens in September. I hope to start on a small scale, maybe allowing children to borrow books relating to their current learning.

 

I too look forward to looking at any replies.

[Sue R]

In the pre-school playgroup I led some years ago, I set this up as an experiment. It was largely because the Free Books for Schools initiative enabled us to get duplicate copies at no expense to us, so was for the first time a viable proposition, to avoid losing too many books . It worked a treat! Soon the children themselves were organising parents, so that eventually we even had parents asking if they could borrow some of the standard child development/practice books for their own interest!

 

And, do you know, we never lost a book!!!

 

Go for it! The parents enjoy it probably more than the children!! I think it makes them feel more involved.

 

Sue

[Guest LucyQ]

Thanks Sue

We are also trying to get that home/setting thing right too, so good to hear it had a positive effect on that too!!

[Guest]

We have operated a book library system for several years for the children's books. We encourage the parents to help the children chose a book when they first arrive each day and to write it on the child's library index card with the date. They then tick off when they bring the book back. It works fairly well, we have lost one or two books when children have left but that's all.

[Guest]

We run a weekly library system where children choose their book, take it home with their library record book and bring it back the following week. We stress to parents that it is not a 'reading scheme' but rather that children share the book with their family members: either dad, mum, grandma, big brother or sister or the babysitter can read the book to the child.

 

The library record is filled in by whoever reads the book, with a brief note to say what the child particularly enjoyed about the book (and what they didn't sometimes!). We find the library sessions are useful for reminding children that books need to be treated with respect, but above all that they are fun. After the children have chosen their books, there's time for a story.

 

The children really enjoy library time: the trick is getting parents to bring the books back!

 

Our book corner shelves are made out of pasting tables, and we have two cases kept especially for library, so the children can choose from a different range of books.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Maz

[Beau]

I'm in the process of setting up some story packs for the children. This is normal practice up her (but we are a little slow on the uptake ). The packs contain a book and related toy and maybe a rhyme or activity idea too. Once I've got enough packs to start off, the idea is that I add extra books each 'theme' until we've got a good selection for the children. They choose their own pack and get to keep it for a week.

[Guest]

I love this idea Beau - I'm sure it will take a lot of effort at first to set it all up, but the benefits to the children and their families will be worth it, I'm sure.

 

Let us know how it goes!

 

Maz