A day in the life of Bryn Clayton, Children’s Teacher, Pawtucket:

I arrive at the site 2 hours before classes begin.  I meet with the Lead Teacher to discuss any issues relevant to our classes, the library, or RIFLI.  We brainstorm to figure out what the family activity is.  Some family activities take more time than others to plan.  I prepare the materials and set up the classroom for the family activity.  I also prepare my lessons for the children’s classes.  I spend about a half hour setting up the children’s materials, writing out an agenda, making copies for the lesson, and gathering books. 

We begin each class with the family activity.  Some examples of family activities are: bingo, a name game, Pictionary, free reading time, a puzzle, making a time line, drawing a picture and writing about your first school experience, origami, or a simple arts and craft activity.  Then the children go upstairs to the children’s classroom.  Each class is a little different.  The attendance, age and reading levels of the class vary greatly.  I usually organize a short warm-up activity with all the children.  The warm-up activity is usually short and all ages can participate.  Then there is a circle time where each child can check in, or share something about their week, or something that they made.

Next we have reading time when younger children read in small groups with an older child, or a volunteer.  Sometimes I will read a story to the entire group, or do popcorn reading where each child reads a page of the story.  It depends on the class dynamics and what works best with the ages and reading levels of the children in the class.  Then there is homework help for anyone who needs it.  High school volunteers are extremely helpful at this time.  Children without homework can look for a book, read, or work on the projects.

The projects can include a number of types of activities: writing a story, arts and crafts, reading a play, making play dough, a science experiment, building a tower with newspaper and tape, cooking, etc.  The last half hour is free time for the children to choose how to spend the time.  There are board games, puppets, library computers, books for the children.  I usually lead another short group activity during free time for anyone interested.  Free time activities can include: playing Monopoly, singing songs, playing a game called quiet ball.  Then the parents meet their children in the children’s library when class is over.