Spring Creek Fourth Graders Know Their Way Around a Library…”Dew” You?

September 6th, 2018 /
Madison Bliss /
Elementary School, News, Schools, Spring Creek

It’s no surprise that if students are looking for a good read they should head on over to their school’s library. Filled from top to bottom, the library holds numerous resources for students to learn from. However, with so many books in one place, locating an exact one can sometimes prove tricky.

Luckily for Mrs. Rossiter’s fourth grade students, their search just got a little bit easier. To fulfill the core standard for library media, Angela Laughlin, the Media Specialist at Spring Creek Elementary, is helping the students become more familiar with the library’s layout and the Dewey Decimal System.

Laughlin explains to the students that the Dewey Decimal System is a classification system used in libraries all over the world to help organize collections of books. The system classifies non-fiction books into 10 separate categories using figures from 000-999. As the library is arranged according to this system, students can look at the “call number” for a book and identify where it belongs in the library.

After teaching the basics, Laughlin passes out call numbers to each student. With their numbers in hand, the students explore the library, navigating the shelves using their knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System. As they search, classmates help each other locate their specific book. Once found, the students shoot their hand in the air for Laughlin to come verify their selection. Not every student gets it right the first try, but with practice, they’ll have the system down in no time. When this happens, students will have the confidence they need to find any book on their own.