Classroom Libraries!
1) Tips
Acquiring
Books and Materials
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Goodwill
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Can find books for .25¢ - $1.00!!!
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Garage
Sales
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Don’t forget to mention you are a teacher!
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Internet
sites
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You can search up any book. Used books. The price range is $2.00-
$4.00!! NO Shipping!!!
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Library
book sales
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Ask in your local library if they have books for sale. Price range:
.50¢- $1.00!!
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Invest
in some Bookmarks! Kids will be excited to read.
Planning
and Organizing
Labels are
going to be your best friend!
Keep Track
of your Books
You
want to have a “Book Checkout” list somewhere around your library. Keep record
of your books.
You can
create (address labels) with your name and stick them on the back of each book.
Many times other teachers will borrow your books or students and you want to
make sure your name is there.
Rules
Have
your rules posted! Before letting any students near the library make sure you
clearly state each rule. You can also read a book called “Wild About Books” by
Judy Sierra. It’s a great fiction story about how some animals learn how to
treat books.
2) How Should
I set up my classroom library?
You can sort books by
genres, topic, theme, reading levels and so on. You want your library to be
cozy so that children feel comfortable to be there when they are reading. You can have from posters, pillows, rugs,
plush toys, bean bags, lamps and of course tons of books. We suggest that you
label every single book in your library with you name on the cover of the books.
Remember this is a very important place in the classroom, the space must be
organized to encourage comfortable student interactions with books and all
other literacy tools or props stored or displayed here because you want
students to be engaged every time they are there and take advantage of the time
they spend in that location.
3)
Why a classroom library?
I asked a professor at my university, Dr. Leigh Van
Horn from the University of Housto-Downtown what was her view on classroom
libraries. She said,
“I think classroom libraries are important so
that the children in your classroom have constant access to good literature,
they don’t have to go out of the room, it’s around them all the time to see and
touch and cuddle up with”.
-Miss. Martinez
