Reading Meets Robots in the Library Media Center

The Washington Primary School library isn’t just for reading; it’s the place for creativity, collaboration and coding, too. It’s a happening place that kids love to visit and library media specialist Rebecca Kraus welcomes every student with open arms.

Under the guidance of Mrs. Kraus, students recently combined storytelling with STEM by using Ozobot coding robots to retell a story in sequence. After reading a story in library class, students worked in small groups to map out key events and draw color-coded paths using special markers.

“Their Ozobots followed the sequence, bringing the story to life through movement,” Ms. Kraus said. “This hands-on activity helped students strengthen their understanding of story structure while practicing teamwork, problem-solving, and basic programming; all in one engaging library lesson.”

Ms. Kraus strives to make every library visit a meaningful one for students. Developing a “love for the library” is a worthwhile goal as far as Washington Principal Dr. Michelle Richards is concerned. Students always seem to find something of interest in that magical space.

“More than 50 years of research across more than 60 studies show that students with access to well-resourced school libraries with certified librarians consistently perform better academically and score higher on standardized assessments,” according to the Center for American Progress website.