Elementary library writing project to be shared through video connection

June 4, 2013 Submitted article

The Sandy Creek Elementary School library, staffed this year by Teresa Crast, is where many students as kindergarten and first graders, will learn to love books and reading.

In a very special project by Crast, it is also where they will learn to be authors, illustrators and even storytellers themselves.

First grader Scout Peterson, holds her page from the author/illustrator/storyteller project at Sandy Creek Elementary School Library. Scout’s page reads “The worm went towards the water and decided to go ice skating on the pond.” Each student in her class contributed one page to a collaborative book that they also illustrated and read. A video created by library staffer Teresa Crast will be placed on the Sandy Creek website so parents and others can listen to each child read their page from the book project.
First grader Scout Peterson, holds her page from the author/illustrator/storyteller project at Sandy Creek Elementary School Library. Scout’s page reads “The worm went towards the water and decided to go ice skating on the pond.” Each student in her class contributed one page to a collaborative book that they also illustrated and read. A video created by library staffer Teresa Crast will be placed on the Sandy Creek website so parents and others can listen to each child read their page from the book project.

Crast wanted her students to not only learn about authors and illustrators; she wanted the students to be the authors and illustrators of their very own books!

To begin this creative project, the classes each brainstormed ideas for their own classroom book and then voted on which of the topics that they had discussed, they would choose for their class book.

After determining this, each student wrote one line for the story that built on the theme and added additional elements to the story, before handing it off to the next student who continued to grow the storyline.

Once they had all of the words written for their book, they moved on to become the illustrators and drew a picture that went with their line from the book.

Taking it one step further, Crast decided to record each student as they read their page from the book.

The video will show their illustrated page as each student reads from the story.

Crast will compile the words, illustrations and the audio into a full video production that will be available on the Sandy Creek Central School District website in the near future.

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