How do I Use Stuffed Monkeys to Teach Library?
Introduce children to a library using a stuffed monkey. The stuffed animal can engage children's attention and help them relate more easily to your lesson. Comparing a library to a jungle and the books to bananas helps children visualize the process of searching for a book. Selecting a book appropriate for the child's level can be compared to selecting the best banana from the bunch. Encourage children to make repeated visits to the library just as a monkey returns to its favorite banana trees.
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Things You'll Need
- Yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Marker
- Stuffed monkey
- Bunch of bananas
- Shelf markers
- Tape
Instructions
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1
Cut banana shapes from yellow construction paper, one for each collection of books in the children's section of the library. Write the name of each book collection on a paper banana.
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2
Show the children the stuffed monkey and the bunch of real bananas. Tell a story about how the monkey searched the whole jungle to find a special place filled with banana trees.
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3
Walk with the children over to the area of the library where the books most suitable for the ages of the children in the group are located. Explain that this is a special place in the library just for them.
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4
Tell the children that the monkey only climbs the banana trees. The monkey has to look up to see if there are bananas on the tree before climbing. Hold the bunch of bananas up in the air and pretend to have the stuffed monkey look up at it.
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5
Show children how to look at the signs labeling the collections of books. Model thinking aloud to decide if you want to pick a book from a particular shelf.
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6
Tell the children that the monkey has climbed a banana tree and wants to pick the best banana. Pretend to have the monkey inspect the bunch of bananas. Describe how the monkey peels open the banana to take a bite and decide if it is too mushy, too hard or just right.
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Show children how to look at the outside of a book and then open it to read a few sentences. Describe the process of evaluating a book to see if it is too easy, too hard or just right.
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8
Tell the children that the monkey does not throw down the unwanted bananas. The monkey leaves those bananas on the tree for the next time or so that other monkeys can check them out. Different monkeys like different kinds of bananas!
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9
Demonstrate how to use shelf markers or a book bin so that children can return unwanted books to the correct place.
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10
Tell the children that the monkey always remembers the location of the good banana trees. Pass out the construction paper bananas to the children.
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Walk around the children's section of the library. Help children match the words on the bananas to the correct collection of books. Tape the bananas to the signs labeling the book collections.
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Tips & Warnings
Read a children's book about a monkey before or after the lesson if time permits.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit monkey with a banana image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
