Board adopts new K-5 library curriculum aligned to national library standards

The Wallingford Board of Education on June 2 approved a new kindergarten through grade 5 library curriculum built on national school library standards and linked to district transferable skills.

Angela Bucheri, primary humanities coordinator, told the board the prior library curriculum (2018) had been reworked into a full-scope, vertically aligned set of units connected explicitly to the American Association of School Librarians standards and to district transferable skills. The curriculum also integrates elements of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards and coordinates with the district's digital citizenship curriculum.

Bucheri said the K-2 scope emphasizes library navigation and book care; grades 3'5 focus increasingly on the research process, independent evaluation of print and digital sources, and ethical information use. She added that makerspace or STEM-style challenges were built into units to support problem-solving and perseverance. "So k 2, there's really more of a focus on ... navigating the library and caring for books," Bucheri said; "in third grade they're learning how to locate and evaluate ... quality information." The board voted by consensus to adopt the library curriculum.

The new curriculum ties to classroom content where appropriate, and Bucheri said librarians coordinated with the computer science department to ensure required state digital-citizenship outcomes are covered either in library lessons or by computer-science teachers.

The approval completes the K-5 library curriculum update; pacing and implementation will be coordinated by the curriculum office and building principals.