Talking About Classroom Libraries
What The Research Says....
The National Council of English Teachers (NCTE) supports classroom libraries—physical or virtual— in playing a key role in providing access to books and promoting literacy. They have the potential to increase student motivation, engagement, and achievement and help students become critical thinkers, analytical readers, and informed citizens.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress Report shows that students in classrooms with well-designed classroom libraries interact more with books, spend more time reading, demonstrate more positive attitudes toward reading, and exhibit higher levels of reading achievement.
The International Literacy Association (ILA) has a strong research base supporting the importance of access to books. Children who are allowed to self-select to read and who have access to varied sources of print materials in their classrooms read more and read more widely, both for pleasure and for information.
What Makes An Effective Classroom Library?
Regie Routman is a literacy leader with a passion for engagement and equity in all learners. She has an amazing resource for Organizing An Outstanding Classroom Library and is definitely an exemplar of what I would dream of having in a classroom. She provides a tool to evaluate your own classroom library and offers ideas on how to make it more inclusive, engaging and central to your classroom.
What Can I Do Right Now?
Great question! If you haven't been in the current Reading Specialist classroom, you have not seen the large selection of books that are currently leveled and sitting in sad bins. These books want to be in YOUR classroom, being read by OUR students! Nearly the most important thing about having a classroom library is having books. Most are written by children's favorite authors and are in excellent condition. By opening up the space where the books currently are, I will be working on building a guided reading library for teachers to use during small group instruction and intervention.
Event Information
Update Your Classroom Library
Stop by the Reading Specialist Classroom after school next week to select books for your classroom library. Any books that are left will be donated to our Book Swap that will be held during Week of the Young Child in May.
When?
Monday, Apr 15, 2019, 03:15 PM
Where?
Reading Specialist Classroom
Wait...What's a Book Swap?
A book swap provides an inexpensive way for people to exchange books and provide access to literacy. Through donations from parents, staff and students, there will be a large inventory of "new to you" books for students to "swap" out a book from home for another one. Even if students don't have a book to trade, the goal is to have enough inventory for all students to get one (or two!) books.
Questions?
I am always open to ideas as well as a helping hand in making great things possible for our students!
Jocelyn
Ext. 239