The Library ABC's Game: Sneaking in Learning through Gaming

Teaching library terminology and definitions can be a real bore. Unfortunately, no matter how one looks at it, students need to learn a set of basic library words and their meanings. The Library ABC's game teaches elementary age students library terms and definitions, and it is effective, efficient, easy, exciting, and fun. Introduce the Library ABC's at the beginning of the school year to familiarize students with library terms. By presenting terminology in a game-type format, students can be enticed to commit to knowledge basic words and their meanings in the context of the school library. Write the terms in bold letters on flash cards. After their initial introduction, use the Library ABC's throughout the year to reinforce what has been learned and as a lead-in to what is going to be learned. This article presents an alphabetical list of library terms that introduce students to the library. Included are some rudimentary definitions for these terms, paying special attention to how they apply to school libraries.