After September’s class meeting about classroom library, I decided to read the chapter from Reading Essentials and Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library. I agree that we as teachers need to lobby to our administrators, superintendents and school board members for funds to help build our classroom libraries. I was very fortunate as a first year teacher to have my mother who is a retired teacher pass along books to me as well as another retired teacher who also gave me books and other materials for my classroom library. I feel very sorry for teachers in their first few years of teaching who have to rely on their own funding for books for their classroom. I liked how this chapter gave some suggestions on how to go about getting resources for your classroom libraries such as having students bring in favorite books from home on "loan", having a classroom "book swap", and borrowing from public libraries. I believe that the suggestion of students bringing in a book from home on "loan" could really help to spark student interest in reading. We do this all the time as adults asking for suggestions on what is a good book to read or borrowing a book that a friend enjoyed. It could also help teachers to find out what your students are interested in reading and we could be in search for similar books to add to the classroom library. If we can come together and come up with great ideas like this book incorporates it would sure be a good way to start addressing these issues at hand.
I enjoyed reading the section "Take a Look at your Classroom Library." Over the last several years in my classroom I have noticed that the library center is not a top favorite pick for the students during center time. I have worked hard this year to add materials that will encourage students to engage in the library center during center time more often. Not only do I have books in the center but also dry erase boards, magnetic letters, alphabet puzzles, and puppets. I have a child size couch and chair, rug and easel with big books. I like having this variety of things for the kids to use so that there center time does not become redundant. Not all kids learn and engage on the same level so this allows me to be able to interact with each child. One suggestion that I like from this book is to have students involved in the organization process of your classroom library. I believe this will help my students take ownership of our classroom library. When I change out my books for each unit and season I am going to try and have my students take part in this process. My goal is to put books in the hands of my students and help them to develop a love for reading.
You list some great ideas to increase the book supply in our classrooms, and I like how you have also incorporated a community aspect (community with our families, our surrounding residents, and our own faculty)! Your classroom library is very inviting, and I enjoyed seeing the children interacting with the magnetic letters on the easel and choosing books to read when I was in there. :-)
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