Dawn Mitchell's Blog Post 2 - Regie Routman's Chapter 5 -
Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library
During the month of September our literacy professional
development focuses on creating a print rich classroom environment, organizing
your classroom library to promote student interests in a wide variety of genres
and topics and authors, and most of all to provide students with choices that
tap in to their interests and abilities.
In September’s blendspace you will find a variety of resources
including read alouds from Miller’s “No More Independent Reading Without
Support” as well as Atwell’s “Pleasure Principle” and one of my favorites
highlighted within that article, “The Reader’s Bill of Rights.” In addition to those texts, you will find
resources created by many of our district literacy coaches and teachers
including videos of classroom libraries, checklists for a print rich literacy
environment and a well-stocked classroom library.
In talking about the importance of choice with respect to
our students, we also want each of you to know that teachers need choices
too. We do not want anyone to feel
pressure to have the same classroom library and we are not advocating a “cookie-cutter”
approach to classroom libraries. In
order for our classroom libraries to be effective and to equip students and
teachers with the materials and the motivation needed to grow as independent
readers they need to be in a constant state of growth.
In chapter 5, Routman validates the importance of effective
classroom libraries and on page 64 she states, “The most effective reading
programs are generally supported by large classroom libraries. The better the libraries, the better the
reading achievement as measured by standardized tests. Books contribute more strongly to reading
achievement than any computer software does.
Schools with lots of low-income families have far fewer books available
for students, and classroom libraries can help level that playing field. Simply put, children read a great deal more
when they have access to books, and well-designed, organized, ample classroom
libraries provide the easiest access for students.”
A few take aways that I had from this chapter are:
*The importance of well-timed, high interest book talks. Penny Kittle in her professional dev. text, “Book
Love” that I am also reading promotes book talks as well as an integral part of
independent reading where the teacher and then students take a few minutes at
the beginning of independent reading each week to share about a book from the
classroom library that they are reading.
*The importance of high – interest books. Routman explains how important high-interest
books are to struggling readers. I would
argue they are important to all of us.
How many of us, as proficient adult readers value some light
reading? Um, this girl right here has
her hand held up high! I love my
Southern Living and my South Carolina Wild Life magazine as much as
anyone. I also love a little In Style
when I am in the chair once in a while to get my hair cut or every morning when
I am reading my devotional and the news on my smart phone. Light reading does not account to poor
reading. It is part of a balanced reader’s
diet. It has a place in the library and
in our students’ hands too.
Routman says, “It really doesn’t matter much what kids read
as long as they read and enjoy what they’re reading. By gently nudging them and introducing them
to better literature – through reading aloud, co-reading, and putting books
into their hands – their reading tastes will eventually grow into more
sophisticated materials.”
*The importance of a variety of books – Routman says, “An
adequate classroom library will have at least two hundred books, but an
excellent library will have more than a thousand.” She explains the importance
to include multiple copies of favorite books, to include books in a series to
motivate author studies, and to promote clear procedures with students in charge
and involved of the care of the library including the daily book sign out in
order to keep managing the classroom.
*The importance of organizing the classroom library around
what students’ interests are. On page 68
Routman suggests creating baskets/bins/tubs of books organized by topics that
students choose. Using an interest inventory,
a survey, a poll, or even a conference to find out what they like to read and
then organizing your classroom library to include these popular text sets can
go a long way in motivating students to read and to find what they like to
read. Routman says, “The top three
choices for more than seventeen hundred sixth graders in twenty-three diverse
schools were magazines, adventure books, and mysteries.” Don’t go by this survey though, let your
students tell you what they like to read.
*Avoid organizing by leveled bins – Routman says, “While
levels can be a helpful guide for teaching students, we need to be careful to
factor in the quality of the text and students’ interests. When we show students how to select “just-right”
books, even older struggling readers can appropriately choose books.”
*The importance of nonfiction books – Routman says, “More
nonfiction reading leads to more informational writing, which is related to
higher reading achievement.” Routman
goes on to cite a study from second grade teachers in Tenafly, New Jersey that
taught all of their reading through nonfiction books connected to science and
social studies. She said students not
only learned a tremendous amount about the world but they also tested above
grade level in reading on standardized tests.
*The importance of talking about books – Many of you have
heard me share my book review genre of study in writing workshop and how I’ve
used the book review unit to integrate reading and writing and to promote
students analyzing what they read in order to argue for or against reading
it. Many times we even publish our book
reviews on web 2.0 sites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble in order to inform
other readers about our opinions.
Routman does this too through her “top-ten” lists.
*The importance of creating a cozy climate – You know when a
book nook beckons to you. It’s the cozy café seating at Barnes and Noble with
the smell of coffee and new books all around you and the low level lighting
beckoning you to come in. It’s the
children’s section of the local public library that has books artfully arranged
by staff, colorful carpets with big books and eye level baskets full of board
books. It is important to think about
our classroom library aesthetic environment as well, doing the best we can with
what we have to make that spot as inviting as possible. I loved Routman’s idea on page 78 of using
rain gutters to display books. I have
seen this on pinterest and have admired them as well.
As we enter in to our first full month of school with
September, there is a promise in the air of a new year, with new students, and
a new found support for best practices in literacy. Let’s start with our classroom
environments. It’s where our students
will spend most of their day time hours. Let’s make room for reading, room for choice,
and a room that is inviting and motivating for this year’s readers. Let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Dawn
