Removing and Replacing a book on a shelf

Material
- A Bookshelf
- A Book

Presentation

Introduction

Make sure the area around the library is free for the lesson. Invite 3-4 children to come participate in your lesson by telling them you have something to show them. Show each child where exactly to sit and once the children are seated, you sit so that you can see them all, they all can see you, and yet you are not in front of them. Call their attention to the books on the shelves and tell them that you are going to show them how to remove and replace a book that is on the shelf..

Removing

1. Stand so that the shelf is in front of you and a little less than an arm’s length away.
2. Place your right thumb on the bottom edge of the book about a 1/3 away from the right edge of the book.
3. Place your left thumb on the bottom edge of the book about a 1/3 away from the left edge of the book.
4. Apply pressure with both thumbs and slide the book slowly toward your body.
5. Once the book has been slide out enough to place your fingers under the book, place your right four fingers under the book and then you four left fingers.
6. Grasping with both hands, slide the book out until it is about 1/2 way out.
7. Unwrap your four right fingers.
8. Lift your right thumb.
9. Replace your right thumb on the right edge of the book and on the median line of the book.
10. Wrap your four right fingers under the book.
11. Grasp firmly.
12. Unwrap your four left fingers from under the book.
13. Lift your left thumb.
14. Replace your left thumb on the left edge of the book and on the median line of the book.
15. Wrap your four left fingers under the tray.
16. Grasp firmly.
17. Continue sliding the book  off the top of the bookshelf until it is fully slid off.
18. Lift the book and bring it in close to your body at about lower stomach level.
19. Walk with the book in your hands to a specific place and come back to the bookshelf.

Closing

1. Place the top right corner of the book down first on the bookshelf.
2. Place the top left corner down on the bookshelf.
3. Slowly lower to the book so that it can lay flat on the bookshelf.
4. Slide the book until it is about 1/3 of the way in.
5. Lift your left thumb.
6. Unwrap your four left fingers.
7. Replace your left thumb on the bottom edge of the book about a 1/3 away from the left edge of the book.
8. Lift your right thumb.
9. Unwrap your four right fingers.
10. Replace your right thumb on the bottom edge of the book about a 1/3 away from the right edge of the book.
11. Slide the book back in until your fingers touch the edge of the bookshelf.
12. Lift your four left fingers and then your four right fingers from under the book.
13. Push the book the remainder of the way with your thumbs.
14. Lift your left and then right thumb off the book.

Offer each child the opportunity to remove and replace a book on the shelf.

Once they have all had a turn excuse them one at a time, making sure each child has thought of what he would like to de next.

Purpose

Direct: Care of the Environment: The child becomes aware of how to be gentle with books and is helped to respect his environment.  
 
Indirect: Coordination and carefulness in movements.

Points of Interests
Where to place your hands when you are removing the book off of the shelf.

Age
2 1/2 - 3 1/2

Note
I begin this lesson using my right hand but always begin with whatever hand is furthest away from the children so as not to block the view of your movements.