A Student Driven Life

School Supplies include Library and Science Rooms

Research indicates that when teachers collaborate with the librarian to teach classroom content, students become more engaged through use of meaningful and relevant resources. A good library means a good school and improved literacy. Together with the school, the church and the hospital, a library is one of the cornerstones of a healthy community. Libraries give people the opportunity to experience new ideas, explore great minds, and experience great art, while at the same time providing a sense of place for gathering.

To most of us, a library is a place we go, a place in which literary and artistic materials are kept for reading, reference, or lending. Traditionally library materials were limited to books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes. The collection of such materials would be systematically arranged in shelves. A room could be set up, even in a home, to hold a private collection of materials. A series or set of books issued by a publisher, can also be referred to as a library

The concept of materials has grown over the past 20+ years with the unparalleled access to electronic information obtained over the internet using a computer. Vast amounts of current and historical information is now available on demand and at a moments notice.

A school library has the core mission to ensure that the students are information literate; this means that they are users of information and ideas. Libraries are an important asset which not only provides access to materials, as mentioned above, but they also can provide instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing, and using information and ideas. Libraries can also help educators to collaborate and design learning strategies to meet the needs of all students.

The notion of a school librarian has also matured with the advent of computerization and broad reaching electronic technologies.

• A school library media specialist will meet regularly with their principals, serve with teachers on standards and curriculum committees, and meet regularly with their own staff.

• Collaborative library media specialists provide in-service training and planning assistance to teachers as well as deliver information literacy instruction to students.

• "Hi-tech" library media programs utilize local or wide-area networks to make information resources available to students and teachers in classrooms, labs, offices-wherever learning is taking place.

The size of a school library's collection and staff is a best single predictor of student achievement. It outweighs other factors like school spending in general, the education and income of students' parents, and the student-teacher ratio. Yet schools struggle to keep up with the many changes in technology, rising costs in books, staff and other school supplies.

One of the main objectives of any early childhood teacher is to instill the love or reading and books in all students. To practice reading, requires books and it requires a clean, safe, and hopefully quiet place to learn. The more children are exposed to books, the more they learn to love them. Consider establishing a kindergarten classroom library where students can go to look at or 'read' books. The classroom library area should be a clearly defined space with basic library furniture to make the space inviting and comfortable. Personalized touches could even include lamps, curtains, chairs, and beanbags. By creating such an inviting area for reading and research, students learn at a very early age the value of the library system.

Experiments with elementary science rooms have also proven to be very important for future success of students within the educational system. Kindergarten through 5th grade science education is important as it's the best time to get students interested in science. Like the physical child development efforts of play, from learning to ride a child's trike to climbing a jungle gym, students need exposure to science in a fun and exploratory manner.

When planning your school or personal education budget, remember the importance and value school libraries bring to child development:

• Improve student achievement on standardized tests

• Help students to develop a lifelong love of reading and literature

• Serve as a resource for teachers to enhance classroom instruction

• Provide computer access and technology instruction

• And much, much more...

Lest you forget, remember that once grown up, a library reflects the diversity and character of your community and offers invaluable services. During economic hardship, citizens (and students of all ages) turn to library resources to make wiser business decisions and improve job skills. For the disadvantaged, a library may help break the cycle of poverty.

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson writes articles for Cost Cutters, a leading store in the UK supplying high quality and cheap school supplies for over 16 years. There is a wide selection of library furniture available for all school library requirements; library matting, book trolleys, literature displays to soft reading corners for pre-schoolers. Browse through an amazing range of highly durable bikes, childs trike and scooters, suitable for nurseries, kindergarten and schools.

O'Block Books School Supplies & Teacher Materials Store

Primary Balance Math scale Educational Liter Metric Gram Ideal School Supply New $10.00

Primary Balance Math scale Educational Liter Metric Gram Ideal School Supply $10.00

SCHOOL BOOKS EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES AUCTION TEMPLATE $3.75

Learning School Supply Bag Board Educational Activity Play Set Toy Preschool NEW $41.58

World Placemat by M. Ruskin $1.50 Make learning fun with an educational placemat. An educational experience for the entire family. Age: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,Adult Manufacturer: M. Ruskin...

United States Placemat by M. Ruskin $2.99 Make learning fun with an educational placemat. An educational experience for the entire family. Age: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,Adult Manufacturer: M. Ruskin...

MONEY LEARNING PLACEMAT by Painless Learning $2.99 Learning About Money placemat features our bills from $1.00 - $100, our coins, and interactive practice exercises on the back of the placemat....

Sensational Seasons Fall $17.43 Features nine thematic units including apples, pumpkins, leaves, and Thanksgiving. Each theme includes dozens of unique bulletin board ideas, poetry and song activities, patterns, activity masters, snack ideas, and circle and center ideas....

Ark's Grabber XT $5.88 Ark's Grabber XT is an X-tra Tough mouthing therapy tool constructed of a tougher medical grade, latex-free material, and yet it remains chewy and resilient. Ark's Grabber XTs are for those individuals who need to exert lots of jaw pressure while being provided with an opportunity for jaw movement, tongue movement, and oral exploration. The handle makes it easy for little hands to hold, allowing t...

MGA Kachooz Pencil Toppers 4 Pack - Style 7 $9.69 Kachooz are tiny fuzzy creatures that have been separated from their groups (called Moops). Its your job to help bring these funny little friends back together ? Collect them all to help reunite them. Kachooz are pencil toppers, spin them to frizz them.Features include: •Collectable furry pencil toppers•Collect all 6 Moops (groups): Rainbow, Nervous, 2Faced, Highlights, Mohawk and Punk&b...

Sportime Physio Roll Exercise Therapy Fitness Ball - 21.75 Inches - Yellow $59.98 Like a therapy ball, helps with balance, muscle tone and sensory stimulation. Limited to forward and backward rotation while holding the rider within a contoured "saddle". Provides more control and stability. Molded seam-free piece. 21.6 inches (55cm). Education Categories: Physical Education / Balls / Super-Sized - Therapy. UNSPSC/NIGP Codes: 6000000000-80500000...

Chica Plush from The Sunny Side Up Show on Sprout - 13 Inches $14.99 Now children who love Chica from The Sunny Side Up Show on Sprout can have a special Chica plush of their own. Just squeeze her tummy and Chica squeaks -- just like on TV! Chica is the perfect cuddly companion for preschoolers, and also makes an ideal gift for infant and toddlers. Safe for ages 0 and up. Chica is the perfect companion for preschoolers. Chica from The Sunny Side Up Show on Spro...

Snap Circuits SC-300 $27.58 This educational kit is loaded with more than 300 projects to build. For example, kids can learn how transistors and capacitors function, and how to make time-delay circuits. In addition, this version includes circuits showing how oscillators and photo sensors work. Projects involve an AM Radio, Burglar Alarm, Radio Announcer and more. Contains over 60 parts. Requires 4 "AA" batteries, not include...

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks $6.80 Ten bright blocks are ready for baby to drop into the open bucket or through the shape-sorting lid. Baby will love filling the bucket with blocks, dumping them out, then starting over again. Great for eye-hand coordination and other early skills. Then baby can move on to sorting and stacking and learning about identifying and matching shapes. Includes plastic shape-sorting box with take-anywhere h...