LIBE 467 Theme 2: 5 Reference Resources for Elementary School Libraries
If I could pick five reference resources for my elementary school library collection, I would
choose digital and print materials that are appropriate for primary level students. These resources
would support teachers for multiple curricular subjects in their classrooms, such as science,
social studies, language arts, etc. I also wanted to find reference resources that primary students
would be able to navigate independently for projects and understand the content at various
reading levels. The 5 reference tools that I would add to a school library collection consist of 3
digital apps and 2 printed books. The digital apps include 4Canoes, Worldbook Kids, and DK
Findout! The books are National Geographic Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing,
Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More! and Henile Picture Dictionary.
1) 4Canoes
This digital reference resource specializes in educating children about Indigenous peoples,
culture, history, language, stories, and perspectives. It also has topics in science and math taught
through Indigenous voices. The resource is Canada-based, meant to be utilized by Canadian
school libraries. The vendor of 4Canoes describes the program as “photojournalism-based with
full colour pictures and illustrations accompanied by poetry, art, recipes, stories, and editorial
content that showcases cultures whose time stretches through prior millennium but are also well
anchored in the present.” This program has received positive reviews for its authentic content
and attractive format. According to Focused Education Resources, “The authentic voices and
perspectives of Indigenous people included in this resource teach about Indigenous cultures,
equity for all people, and caring for the environment, providing all these elements in a colourful
and engaging format.” 4Canoes is designed for all ages of students and continues to update its
content.
2) National Geographic Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!
This printed reference material is a scientific encyclopedia made by National Geographic for
children. The book is designed for older elementary grades. It is relevant to the BC Science
curriculum since it has topics on living things, biodiversity, landforms, biomes, matter, energy,
space, machines, human body, solutions, and rocks. The encyclopedia also has engaging content
that would interest children, such as do-it-yourself experiments, weird facts, statistics, beautiful
photographs, and profiles of scientists and explorers. The format of this reference material is
organized for young audiences to use independently. Focused Education Resources praises this
book as an educational tool:
Each topic is presented in a text box and is accompanied by full-colour photographs or illustrations that clearly support the text. Features such as a glossary, lists of websites, films/shows and books, and suggestions for experiments make the resource engaging and accessible for a wide range of reading and learning levels for students…
Overall, this science encyclopedia book would be a valuable resource to have in the library
collection.
Photo taken from Amazon.ca
3) WorldBook Kids
This digital app is an online encyclopedia adapted for all elementary grades. It contains
interactive articles, games, illustrations, maps, activities, and videos on thousands of topics in
history, science, and geography. The format is simple, easy-to-use, and attractive in appearance
with many visuals and graphics. The program also contains search engines to help educators
teach students on how to gather information. According to Worldbook Kids,“Encourage self-
direction with our visual navigation in Explore, independent learning with WebQuests, and
compare and contrast skills with Compare Animals and Compare Places.” This digital
encyclopedia will support elementary teachers with their science and social studies curricular
units. Teachers can also use this app as a tool for teaching digital and information literacies to
children.
4) Henile Picture Dictionary
This printed reference is a dictionary specialized for ELL readers. The book contains large
visuals to help readers define each word and expand their vocabulary. It is a reference tool that
any students from any grade can use for projects and activities. According to Focused Education
Resources, “Its engaging and contemporary drawings and photographs provide clear
representations of vocabulary words which will help students build their vocabulary through its
use of words in context.” This dictionary will help students who are still learning the English
language and need visuals to help make sense of complex words.
5) DK Findout!
This digital app is an online encyclopedia designed for primary grades. The reference
resource contains thousands of interactive articles on science, math, history, geography, and
language arts. The encyclopedia’s text is easy for young learners to read, and the format is simple
to navigate. The app contains large, colourful photographs that will interest children, as well as
maps, videos, and quizzes. Articles also have links to other resources if educators and students
wish to learn more about a certain topic. Students can use this app as a reference in inquiry
projects and information-gathering activities in the classroom. Focused Education Resources
claims that this digital encyclopedia “supports individual inquiry, expands knowledge base for
concepts being studied, is a place to learn new ‘fun facts,’and provides parents with a place to go
to assist their child with homework.” Educators will be able to teach the first steps of information
Photo taken from App Store
Here is a video of what the DK Findout! app looks like, how it works, and what children think of it.
Reflection
I have selected both digital and print reference resources that I would add to an elementary
library to meet the diverse abilities, backgrounds, and interests of students. I have seen educators
effectively utilize these resources in several school libraries and classrooms across school district
#63. Although digital tools can provide accurate information that is constantly updated, I believe
it is still vital to have printed reference resources in a library collection. Students are more
engaged when reading from printed text compared to digital. Digital reference resources are still great
tools to have in the library. They help educators to teach information, research, and digital literacies to
their students who need these literacies to effectively use technology. I have chosen various reference
resources thatI hope will cater to different levels and grades of students.
Word Count: 743 words
Works Cited
Focused Education Resources. “4Canoes: The Yavapai…People of the Sun, Volume 4.” K-12. Evaluated Resource Collection, September. 2019,
https://focusedresources.ca/en/k-12-evaluated-resource-collection/4canoes-yavapaipeople-sun-volume-4. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
Focused Education Resources. “DK Find Out!“ K-12 Evaluated Resource Collection, April.2018,
https://focusedresources.ca/en/k-12-evaluated-resource-collection/dk-find-out. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
Focused Education Resources. “Henile Picture Dictionary.” K-12 Evaluated Resource Collection, March. 2018,
https://focusedresources.ca/en/k-12-evaluated-resource-collection/heinle-picture-dictionary. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
Focused Education Resources. “Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!” K-12 Evaluated Resource Collection, 18 Feb. 2024, focusedresources.ca/en/k-12-evaluated-resource-collection/science-encyclopedia-atom-smashing-food-chemistry-animals-space. Accessed 24 Feb.2024.
Surrey Schools. “4canoes/Canoe Kids.” Surrey Schools Leadership in Learning, www.surreyschools.ca/page/78404/4canoes-canoe-kids. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
World Book. “Home.” World Book Online,
https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/products/kids/kids-index.htm. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
Hi Claudia.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I have used the 4 Canoes source before and it is great at engaging students and incorporating Canadian Indigenous content into the curriculum. I have not heard of the Heinle Picture Dictionary before. My school has a very large ELL student population and this reference source looks like a useful one for my school.