ORGANIZING AN OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM LIBRARY Make excellent classroom

ORGANIZING AN OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM LIBRARY! “Make excellent classroom libraries one of your highest priorities-ahead of the latest technology, resources, programs and standards. It is only through wide, self-selected reading that we will produce proficient and joyful readers as well as writers. ” Routman, 2014 p. 99

The Centre Piece of the Classroom… • The classroom library should be the centrepiece of the classroom. • When you enter the classroom the library should be visible and inviting…come read a book here!

The library should include a variety of genres and literary forms: • • • Poetry Picture books Informational books (include lots of non-fiction books) Mysteries Fantasy Popular series such as The Magic Tree House or Cam Jansen Favourite authors – yours and your students Student made books Magazines Culturally diverse books (should reflect the cultural make-up of your school including first nations, metis and innuit literature)

All readers should be able to find “good fit” books easily: • Label book bins by author, interest, genre or group books by several levels (Levels A-C, D-F, G-I etc). We want to de-emphasize leveled books and we want students to learn to choose “good fit” books based on interest, purpose and readability-we need to teach this explicitly and provide lots of scaffolding for those students who have a hard time picking books. • Number or colour-code the bins and the books so students know where they go. • Let students have input into what goes into their library – consult them.

Tips for Building a Classroom Library • School libraries have a lot of books – give your librarian a leveled books list and have them pull books from the library shelves that match your students’ reading levels, and interests or give the librarian a unit theme you are studying and have them pull books with different reading levels for that unit. • Infuse student and class created books into your classroom library. • Borrow books from the public library – all you need is a library card and you have every book in Saskatchewan at your disposal! • Involve your students in the choice of books – get to know them and what they want to read about. • Send a note home to ask parents to donate books • Send home Scholastic book orders and use your bonus points to order books for your classroom. • Shop garage sales • Collaborate with your School Community Council to build classroom libraries (book drives, fundraise, community/corporate sponsorship).

Book Talks and Recommended Book Lists: • Students talking about books makes other students want to read them! • When I am looking for a new book to read I will check out the top ten book list in the weekender – why not have a top 10 book list in your classroom – fiction and non-fiction

Book Display • Try to have some books on display with their covers showing to entice students (rain gutters work really well!)

Be a reader!

Give the gift of a love of reading. If not you, who?