It does sound like a very small change, but from my experience, the level of interest in my library space increased dramatically JUST by moving its location to a place in my classroom that got more foot traffic. They are constantly having books pushed in their face covers of beautiful books that might attract them and say, “Hey! Read me next!” They’re always there, front and center, to get my students excited about reading. Books are there when they have to go get their work. Books are there every time they need to go to the bathroom. They see all of the books out on display. It is the very first thing my students see when they walk in. When I chose to put my classroom library at the center of my classroom, so that when you walk into my room, the library is RIGHT THERE. I know it might sound silly, but I’m only speaking from experience with making the shift myself and seeing the difference it has made in my classroom space. It wasn’t doing any HARM back there, but what I realized over time was that by placing it in the back corner, I was subtly removing it from the rest of my room. For a long time, I put my library in the back corner of my room, because I wanted it to be a nice, quiet space for my students. Plus, check out these 7 expert tips from the in-house Scholastic librarian.Where you choose to house your classroom library speaks to the emphasis we put on literacy in our classrooms. Use Scholastic Book Wizard to level your libraryīook Wizard is a fast and easy tool that can help you level your classroom library, create book lists, and find new titles similar to the books that your students already love. Involving students by rotating who’s in charge of the library and monitoring it gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility. After laminating, use glue or clips to secure the labels.Ĭreating a cozy area to read by adding things like bean bags, lamps, and decor is a great way to encourage your students to spend time in the library.ĭecide on a checkout system so students know where to return booksĬheckout systems tend to be a matter of personal preference. Laminating the labels is recommended for durability. After you decide on a storage method, clearly label each tub with its corresponding category. Plastic tubs are a good way of storing books as they allow you to easily move an entire category at once. You’ll take note of your students’ individual tastes as you get to know them better, but a good starting point is to have 50%–70% of your library consist of nonfiction titles. Have a good balance of fiction and nonfictionĭifferent students have different tastes, so it’s important that your library carries something for everyone. Some teachers prefer to alphabetize their collection by title or author name. You can sort by genre, topic, theme, accelerated reader level, guided reading level, or even student-generated categories. Some common themes and topics include songs, holidays, fairy tales, space, math, ocean, famous people, featured authors, humor, etc. Students will be turned off if they can’t quickly find a book that interests them, so sorting the books into clear categories is very important. Sort the books into easy-to-navigate categories Plus, check out these 11 essentials for a highly effective classroom library. Creating a great classroom library takes time and effort, but the tips and strategies below can help you efficiently build a space where young readers will thrive. The classroom library is the beating heart of the teaching environment, where a lifelong love of books begins.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |