Library Bunnies

My teamie suggested I share my Library Bunnies. She's had Library Frogs for 3 years now. I have Library Bunnies because I found a sale a few years back at K-mart. They had these cute little bunnies in pastels-yellow, green, pink, and blue-left over from Easter on clearance for a nickel each. I bought every bunny they had!

Background info...I knew a Kindergarten teacher who had two little bears..a girl bear and a boy bear. Whenever a child needed to go to the restroom, s/he would just put the bear on his/her desk and be off. No need to disrupt Guided Reading, Math, or Writing. I have two little dogs for restroom.

I had all these bunnies so I pulled out five and told my students that they should place a bunny on their desks when they go to the library so they wouldn't disrupt my small group lessons.

We have specific rules about the library which we discuss. They can check out 2 books, and one must be an AR book on which they test after reading it three times. If they do not pass the test, my friends know they must complete a graphic organizer and retest before returning the book.

Students know they are to control their behavior in the hallway on the way to the library as well as in the library.

They are to take care of their library business as quickly as possible so that others have a turn in the library.

We begin with the leader of the day and travel down the alphabetical list of our students in order to give everyone the opportunity to be first. Students place the bunny on the next person's desk upon returning to class or return it to the shelf. This must be done quietly! Friends who do not need to go to the library just pass the bunny. This way I can focus on small group lessons.  

Sometimes we have a "meeting of the minds" when my friends choose not to follow the rules. It usually takes one student receiving suffering the consequences to encourage the others to do the right thing. :)

Click here Library/Reading Procedures for a copy.

†~Melly~†

PS: I use plumbing elbows from Home Depot which cost around $3.00 each for Whisper phones. :D