Information Literacy for Littlies

From the time they are born children are innately curious  and as soon as they are able to articulate the words, they ask questions so they can make the connections they need as they try to make sense of their world.  As the nearest adult we try to help them with the answers.

When the child comes to school they know they are going to learn to read not only so they can enjoy stories for themselves but also so they can answer their own questions. So how can we help them do this right from the get-go? Can we do more than just allowing them access to the non fiction section of the library?

How can we help them

  • ask quality questions
  • find appropriate resources
  • identify their purpose
  • use clues and cues to choose the information they need
  • sort their information
  • share their learning
  • assess their work
  • act on what they’ve learned

How can we help them

to seek, evaluate, create and use information effectively to achieve their personal,. social, occupational and educational goals

 (Beacons of the Information Society: The Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning)

In 2015 I gave a presentation to the national conference of the School Library Association New Zealand Aotearoa  Te Pune Whare Matauranga a Kura which explored how we can start our youngest learners on the path to being information literate by developing effective and efficient research skills.  This stepped the participants through the key elements of the Information Literacy Process showing how they can introduce it through the regular classroom curriculum. You can either view the slideshow here (click on three dots to access full screen) 

 

or access a pdf version by clicking on From the Ground Up: Information Literacy for Littlies

 

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