Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

Why do I need a library in my classroom?

According to Routman the most effective reading programs are the ones who are supported by a large, carefully thought out classroom library.  Books contribute more to reading success than any computer program would.  Children tend to read more when they have easy access to books.  Do not belittle any reading including comic books, magazines, and picture books.  This type of reading helps students discover a joy for reading that can gently be nudge into more sophisticated literature.  As teachers we need to find out what students are interested in reading and then bring in those types of books into our classrooms. 

When evaluating at your classroom library look ask yourself:

·         When you walk into your classroom, does the library or book nook jump out at you, or is it invisible?

·         Does the library corner look beautiful and contain an inviting display of plentiful reading materials, or does it look bland and impoverished?

·         Does the library include a variety of genres and literary forms- poetry, picture books, informational books, mysteries, fantasy, popular series- or does is house mostly fiction and textbooks?

·         Are most of the books in the library written by well-known children’s authors, or are they part of a program that has been created and leveled by a publisher?

·         Do you have current books that accurately and aesthetically portray other cultures, or is your collection homogenous and dated?

·         Can children find books in which their language and culture appear, or are they unlikely to “see themselves” in the collection?

·         Have students been involved in the selection and organization, or have you made all the decisions about design, how books are grouped, and what reading materials to include?

·         Can struggling reading easily find books they can and want to read or do they spend most of their independent reading time searching for books?

·         Are there comfortable areas in which students can sit and read, or can students only read at their desks or tables?

·         Do you and your students rotate, change and add to the collection based on changing needs, interests, and curriculum, or is your collection static

·         Does your library include children’s favorite authors, books and series, or is the collection limited to what you have on hand and your own preferences?

·         Most of all, is the library a place children love to go to seek and find wonderful reading materials, or is it a rarely used appendage in your classroom?

In your classroom library do not focus on leveling books.  Instead let student interest guide what they read.  Include various non-fiction books, not only are students reading but they are reading to learn.  Make books and book talk a part of your classroom.  Model how you choose the books you read.  Provide students with opportunities to talk about the books they are reading.  One activity that the author suggests is to create a “Top Ten” book list for your classroom.  As a class students must discuss, read and persuade others to vote for the books they believe are the best they have read. 

Make classroom libraries attractive, comfortable and accessible for reading by:

·         Creating an attractive reading corner with room for several students.

·         Invite students to help you create small reading corners for one to two students.

·         Provide comfortable seating: bean-bag chairs, a special reading chair, or a sofa.

·         Small lamps add a warm cozy feel.  Have baskets of books and various reading materials available throughout the school.

·         Display books with the entire cover showing and not just the spine.

·         Use rain gutters, which can be purchased cheaply and installed quickly to display books.

·         Use baskets or bins for easy access to books.