After winning the classroom library make over from Nicole
Brown I decided it was about time to get my book baskets organized and set up.
It was so nice to have this assistance too! I’ve always had an extensive library for my students, the books were just not
organized to my liking. Partly because book baskets are expensive and the time
that was needed to complete this task was going to be a lot. This chapter provided good tips for helping a
teacher set up their very own classroom library along with providing provoking questions
to ask yourself when examining your own library.
Routman stresses the importance of choice and the need to get
to know your students. He stresses the importance of finding out their favorite
authors, series, books, interests etc.
This should be done so that you can fill your library up with books they
want to read instead of books they are made to read. Nonfiction books are also an important thing
to consider when planning your library. In years past, I have found that
nonfiction books tend to get my students to think and ask more thought
provoking questions. So, over the past few years I have made an effort to
purchase more nonfiction books for my library.
My library has also aided in independent reading time. I want
my students to gain as much knowledge about reading as they can from
independent reading time which would mean them reading just right books from
our classroom library. I spend A LOT of time teaching the students how to
choose the “just right” book. I read my students Goldilocks and the Three Bears
and then we spend a lot of time comparing how Goldilocks is like them when it
comes to choosing the “just right book.” By organizing my book baskets and
having them displayed at eye level the students are more easily enticed to read
books on their level.
I enjoyed working with you to get your library organized. What an amazing library you now have! I love that many of the baskets you added were place on the floor so they can see and access them easily. I know we still need to apply the book labels. This will allow the students to be more responsible and accurate with returning them to the right place, I love that you were willing to take books from your closet and make them available to your students. They have so many books to choose from! The addition of the 100 book library from the district will make it even more plentiful! Your class should have no problem picking a "just right book" for Independent Reading. I want to come read in there myself!
ReplyDeleteHi Jayna,
ReplyDeleteI loved that you benefited from the classroom library makeover and how you used that time to thoughtfully consider what your library needed in order to help support your students' growth as readers. I appreciate your inclusion of nonfiction texts into their classroom libraries. I also appreciate how you work to build independence in your readers so that they know how to choose just right books for their own interests and abilities. Thank you! Dawn