The quote on pp.63 Until now, I never associated a successful independent reading program with a well organized classroom library, does a great job at summarizing this chapter and I agreed that this could make or break your student's independent reading experience. Even now after 9 weeks of school my classroom library is still under construction. My library is organized somewhat and appropriate enough for my students to find what they need but I feel, after 4 years of teaching, it could use some work. I do feel like I need to expand my organization to baskets for my struggling readers. The checklist in this chapter was helpful when evaluating my own classroom library and gave many good tips to get more books into your library. My library consists of a variety or fiction and nonfiction as well as various topics and interests. When I go to choose books to add to my classroom my first thought is always either can I use it as a mentor text in teaching a unit of study or will it be a high topic of interest to my students. As a way to dig into my students interests I would like to give my students a worksheet for deciding what to include in their library.
I got an idea a few years back from Pinterest, similar to the rain gutters as a way to openly display books for students. I got spice racks from IKEA and spray painted them. They are at the front of my room and I usually use them to show currently books that we are using for the current month or unit. That is the number one place students go to choose books for their book boxes.
At the beginning of the year I did write a Donors Choose grant for a classroom library. It is still waiting to be fully funded but when I get it funded it will add a lot of good quality leveled books, which I am anticipating.
You bring up a good point--I think our classroom libraries are ALWAYS under construction! Sometimes it's overwhelming feeling like we'll never finish, but then there's this neat part about it being continually created. Involving your students with an interest inventory to see what they would like in their own library is a great idea. You could integrate some math and persuasive writing into that too. :-) I noticed your spice racks but I didn't know that's what they were!!
ReplyDeleteHi Allie,
ReplyDeleteMy classroom library was always under construction too because it's organization changed based on each new group of students' interests and ideas and I was consistently trying to add to the collection. I loved reading about your ideas for highlighting current books you are reading using the spice racks and about increasing your library through Donors Choose grants. Thank you! Dawn