Arts and Media
Lifelong learning at the Library!
The Tucker Library Media Center
The Tucker Library Media Center is committed to helping students achieve success in school, be effective users of information and become lifelong learners. Through student instruction, teacher collaboration and collection development, the library staff works to teach information literacy, support the curriculum and foster literature appreciation.
The library media program provides authentic, creative learning opportunities and a broad range of support services. The Library Media Specialist collaborates with teachers to design and implement instructional units that help students learn information literacy skills, the research process and how to effectively use technology tools to enhance learning in curriculum content areas.
The Library Media Specialist helps:
- Teachers design and teach research units that require students to explore topics in original ways
- Everyone identify resources for units being studied
- Students learn note-taking, organizing information and citing sources
- Students learn how to effectively and efficiently access library materials
- Everyone learn to use new technologies
- Students explore different genres of literature
- Everyone understand copyright compliance
- Identify and borrow resources from other libraries
The Library Assistant helps teachers and students:
- Identify and locate resources
- Check out library materials and equipment
Resources
The collection has been developed and organized to provide access to resources that meet the information and literary needs of our students, teachers and staff. Resources support, enrich and help implement the school's educational program. Selected materials include varying levels of difficulty, appeal to diverse interests, and present various points of view. Access is provided to resources within and beyond the school walls through networked computers in the Media Center, Computer Lab and classrooms.
Our library media center offers:
- Fiction and nonfiction books that support the curriculum
- Professional books
- Videos for instruction
- Computer software
Accelerate Reader
This web-based program helps students monitor the books they read outside of class. When students have finished reading a book, they take a reading comprehension, vocabulary or literacy quiz on the book. Scores are saved toward the student's quarterly point goal. Students who read more will become better readers. They will read with better comprehension and greater fluency. The Accelerated Reader website enables students to check their reading record and follow their progress. The site has more than 120,000 quizzes. Books from the school library, public library or a book you've purchased probably have an AR quiz. To check, search the AR Book Finder.
Magazines for Students
- Click
- Cobblestone
- Kids Discover
- National Geographic for Kids
- Odyssey
- Ranger Rick
- Sports Illustrated for Kids
- Your Big Backyard
- Zoo Books
Magazines for Teachers
- Book Links
- Connected Newsletter: The K-12 Guide to Technology Integration
- Macworld
- Mailbox Preschool
- Mailbox Kindergarten
- Mailbox Primary
- Mailbox Intermediate
Computer
- library catalog
- instructional software
- reference CDs
- Internet resources and online databases
Newspapers
- Alexandria Gazette
- The Washington Post
Schedule and Checkout
Schedule
The Library Media Center has a modified flexible schedule which allows time for regular book checkout and blocks of time to be scheduled "as needed" for special research projects. Teachers plan special projects and lessons with the library media specialist and reserve a block of time for their class on the Media Center schedule clipboard.
The library media specialist meets regularly with kindergarten and first grade classes for stories, information skills and book checkout. Classes in grades 2-5 schedule a regular 20 minute time for book selection and checkout.
Students may come to the Media Center any time during the school day. Students must have a clear understanding of what they need to do while in the Media Center and a note from their teacher stating the time they should return to class. Students are expected to use the Media Center for research, reading, quiet study, and to return or check out books.
Check Out
Students may borrow books from the library if they do not have any books overdue.
- Kindergarten and First Grade: one book
- Second Grade: two books
- Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades: three books
Parent Resource Center
The Parent Resource Center has educational games and activities selected to assist parents in working with their children on math and language arts skills. Parents who have applied for a Parent Resource Center account may borrow two games and three books for one week. Applications are available in the media center. Call 703-933-6309 for more information.