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Back-to-school Tip #2: Create a classroom library that is a special place for your students. “...think of the library in your room as the heart of effective literacy instruction." — D. RAY REUTZEL AND PARKER C. FAWSON (2002) A classroom library should serve five major functions: 1. Support literacy instruction 2. Help students learn about books 3. Provide a central location for classroom resources 4. Provide opportunities for independent reading and curricular extensions 5. Serve as a place for students to talk about and interact with books Some teachers put their library front and center, making it the focus of their classroom. Others set aside a special corner for their library, where students can enjoy some quiet reading time. Either way, the idea is to entice children and foster their love of reading. Organizing and Labeling Books A typical classroom library contains a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction, leveled for readers of different abilities. The way you set up, organize, and label your library can help students make better, more appropriate book selections (Reutzel and Fawson, 2002). It also helps students return books to the right place, saving you time and keeping the area neat. It’s also a great idea to have separate section of labeled books, where each book bin may be labeled from A-J for example. Scaffolding the books allows the children to make smarter reading choices. Creating a Special Space Personalizing the classroom library area such as adding some pillows or comfortable chairs enhances the space and encourages students to become more active participants in the library. My Personal Classroom Library For my classroom library, things are a bit different. I have over 1,000 books in my classroom library. They take up an entire wall of space; that is 3 bookcases and a little more! Since my focus is reading, I feel that this is necessary. In my library, I have materials rangins from early readers (Step into Reading Books) to 5th/6th grade readability (Harry Potter book #7). I have 1 1/2 bookcases dedicated to non-fiction as well. All of my books are labeled with a little sticker on the front cover that says "from the library of Nancy Walters." This ensures that my books are returned to my classroom, even if it is a year later! I also have a neon sticker on the back of the book. This is the basket label. It tells the kids where to put the books when they are finished with them. All of my baskets of books have colored genre labels. I found them on pinterest last year. (When I locate them again, I will repost.) Buying books for my library is a year round process. Mostly I buy gently used books. This way, when they fall apart, I know that I did not invest a lot and they are easy to replace. I have found that my local library sells their discarded children's books for $0.25 - $0.50 each. This is definitely within my budget! Happy Reading!