Skip to main content
Menu
search

Lower School Library

Imagine new worlds, experience new cultures, and discover new ideas — all within the shelves of our library.

 

Pre-kindergarten

Even before kindergarten, Seven Hills students develop an appreciation of literature that lays the groundwork for a lifelong love of reading, learning, and intellectual exploration. They learn good library manners and listening skills while also exploring a wide variety of authors and illustrators in traditional folk and fairy tales. Most importantly, they will understand how to recognize and understand a character’s feelings, sharing these stories and building social skills along the way.


Kindergarten

In kindergarten, students continue to be introduced to different authors, illustrators, and literary styles in fun and creative ways. Students will learn to recognize and perform the beginning, middle, and end of a story while also learning how to care for their library books and other materials. In order to make the experience more meaningful, students read stories and participate in activities that complement their classroom’s academic curriculum.


First Grade

As they learn how to use different library tools, first-graders grow their literary repertoire and their passion for reading. Students learn about the alphabetical arrangement of fiction books and the concept of subject classification to nonfiction books. While they continue to develop responsible library habits and respect library materials, students receive individual instruction in the use of the online catalog and begin to borrow books. Ultimately, as they participate in activities that bring stories to life, they learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction stories while starting to explore even more genres.


Second Grade

Second-grade students continue to build their library skills and discover new literary genres, so they can use the library with confidence and ease. They will continue learning to use the electronic catalog as they become more familiar with the biography and nonfiction sections of the library in preparation for research projects. Over the course of their second-grade year, students will explore many new genres like poetry, mystery, fantasy, fairy tales, myths and legends, and contemporary fiction as they begin to expand their knowledge and explore global and social issues.


Third Grade

By now, third-grade students know how to navigate the library. And with a curriculum that includes several new genres of literature, they find even more page-turning discoveries. Students explore more poetry, mystery books, and Native American tales while also learning the different parts of a book and understanding the importance of a copyright date.


Fourth Grade

Beyond reading for personal enjoyment, fourth-grade students learn how to use the library for research—and because they have learned how to find precise information, they’re able to read and work independently. Students continue to explore new genres of literature including biographies, Newbery Medal Winners, science fiction, and historical fiction. They become familiar with the Dewey decimal classification system as they develop research and bibliographic skills, finding new and exciting opportunities to further expand their literary knowledge beyond the curriculum.


Fifth Grade

Working closely with the librarian, classroom teachers, and the technology department, fifth-graders learn how to use electronic resources that help them enhance their research and expand their literary knowledge. Students learn how to access, evaluate, and use a variety of electronic resources on the Seven Hills website like the school library, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Kidspace, and INFOhio. Not only that, students are furthering their understanding of world values through literature as they prepare to go to middle school.