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https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/making-classroom-libraries-the-hubs-of-reading-engagement

Up-to-date research supporting the effects of classroom libraries.

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1. Think beyond so-called reading level and aim for complexity and meaningfulness.

2. Diversify your collection to include authors and characters along a range of personal, social, and cultural identities.

3. Be intentional about getting books into circulation and about engaging readers.

Three ideas shape classrooms where reading engagement thrives.

1. Think beyond so-called reading level and aim for complexity and meaningfulness.

2. Diversify your collection to include authors and characters along a range of personal, social, and cultural identities.

3. Be intentional about getting books into circulation and about engaging readers.

I have seen firsthand, across K-12 settings, how classroom libraries change not just reading habits, dispositions, and achievement but also the culture of classrooms, relationships inside and outside of school, and the personal and social lives of children and young adults. If that seems like a stretch, consider the research behind these claims.

In a meta-analysis of studies about engagement, Guthrie and Humenick (2004) found that choice and interest texts-variables linked to excellent classroom libraries-have extraordinarily powerful effects on reading motivation and comprehension. When Peter Johnston and I analyzed the reading experiences of 8th graders whose teachers prioritized engagement through access to top-notch classroom libraries (in and ), we found that not only did students develop their reading competence and motivation, but they also reported and demonstrated shifts in their social-emotional, relational, intellectual, and moral development.

For these students, reading involved not just choosing interesting books and reading silently, but also constantly talking to each other about what they read-in and between classes, in the cafeteria, on the bus ride home, and on the phone in the evenings and on weekends. It is perhaps no coincidence that social interaction was identified by Guthrie and Humenick as another variable with strong effects on reading motivation and comprehension.

How can we maximize the potential of classroom libraries to fuel reading engagement that produces a range of positive consequences? The following principles lead us in the right direction:

1. Think beyond so-called reading level and aim for complexity and meaningfulness.

The appeal of classroom libraries guided by reading level is easy to understand. We want children to have access to books that make sense to them. But there are substantial downsides to leveling libraries: assigning fixed labels to children as readers; damaging students' sense of competence; and limiting children to certain books, which all lessen children's exposure to rich ideas and vocabulary and reduce possibilities for students to pursue topics of interest.

Every classroom, kindergarten through high school, includes students representing a broad spectrum of experiences with reading. We need an equally expansive collection of books in each class that reflects the varied degrees of difficulty. Be strategic in ensuring that children find books that are not only readable but also highly engaging. Particularly with less-experienced readers in mind, collect books that seem approachable at the word level but sophisticated in terms of illustration and content. For example, Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett contains just those four words arranged in different order throughout the book, with brilliant illustrations accompanying each configuration (e.g., "Apple Bear" appears beneath a bear with a multihued apple superimposed on its bottom half).

Some emergent readers in a multiage classroom I visited spent extended time with this book, studying illustrations and the accompanying labels but also noticing other interesting decisions made by the author/illustrator, such as the copyright information written in the shape of a pear. And, book series allow readers to revisit favorite characters in a range of situations. Such engagements, in turn, help to accelerate reading and writing development. Children are more likely to reread, share, and emulate engaging books in their writing, rather than those distinguished mainly by word level readability.

For older inexperienced readers, verse novels-such as Moo by Sharon Creech for upper elementary grades and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds for the middle grades and beyond-are a good point of entry. In these books, words are used sparingly, but authors make use of figurative language and rich images that help create complex experiences even for novice readers. Attempting to level books like these, along with contemporary multimodal picture books, is not only tricky, but more importantly, misses the point that reading experiences should be thought provoking and provide opportunities to interpret, not just read words correctly.

Another reason to loosen up the parameters on what we make available for children to read: When children are highly interested, they are not so bothered by text complexity . In fact, when engaged readers encounter difficulty, they persist and do whatever it takes to make sense of a text, which is the goal of most reading comprehension instruction.

2. Diversify your collection to include authors and characters along a range of personal, social, and cultural identities.

Make sure that your collection features many books that represent the lives of your students. Recently, I helped an elementary school stock classrooms with books reflecting the school's primary population-African American students. In one classroom where students are massively engaged in reading, you have to look hard to find a book with white characters on the cover rather than black or brown characters. Imagine if all children, upon entering kindergarten, encounter books in which they could envision themselves, their friends, and family alongside the characters and could envision themselves as authors and subjects of stories they might create.

At the same time, do not expect to accurately predict the books that students will find meaningful. Once children figure out that through reading it is sometimes possible to get a better understanding of someone else through characters who are unlike themselves, they do this intentionally. A group of 8th graders I know decided to read a book featuring a gay character with an unaccepting family because a classmate was experiencing this same thing. A reader might find a character interesting not because of shared identity but due to shared human emotions or life experiences, such as having an incarcerated parent, struggling with envy, or worrying over moving to a new school. A diverse collection makes engagement more possible in countless ways.

3. Be intentional about getting books into circulation and about engaging readers.

Amassing a diverse collection of meaningful books is a necessary, but not fully sufficient, strategy if you want a classroom where every student is an engaged reader. I recommend three simple, but powerful, tips for ensuring that classroom libraries are tools for building and sustaining vigorous literacy communities.

First, commit to a daily period for student-selected reading. Many educators have advocated for a certain amount of time set aside each day for student reading, but often with the idea that practice makes perfect. I would suggest a different frame: Engagement takes time. Children, like all of us, need time when starting a book to become engrossed in the social world of the narrative and invested in the characters enough to want to get back to them as soon as possible.

Second, regularly introduce new books to children-three to four every day-by reading short, powerful passages aloud or sharing dynamic illustrations. Once children become engaged readers, you invite them to do the same by asking the class questions such as, "Is anybody just itching to tell us something about their book?" You will also find that peers have a big influence on student reading choices. Create opportunities for students to recruit others to read. Even simple strategies such as asking a child, "Who else in here would love that book?" followed by "Go over and tell them about it right now" can spark peer reading networks.

Third, and related, engaged reading is heavily social , so arranging for students to talk to each other through and about books is essential for success. Children want to talk through interesting things in books that are also a bit confusing, and they want other children's perspectives on those ideas. In addition, talking about books with peers helps to expand relationships with them, and once children figure that out, they want the conversations to keep going . Reading more and more books, including the books their peers have read, is a way to make that happen.

Finally, a word of caution. By attaching your own requirements to children's reading experiences, you could easily cancel out the work of making the classroom library a primary tool for reading engagement. Put bluntly, requiring students to answer to you about their reading choices and experiences-from checking their comprehension to assigning a response log or creative project-undermines students' sense of autonomy. When children are engaged in reading, you will know it, and you will not need them to offer you proof. If you have reason to suspect that students are not reading or are not comprehending what they read, you simply do not have engaged readers. The fix for that is not holding kids accountable, a phrase I often hear, but instead attending more closely to the suggestions outlined here for building a vibrant classroom library that is a reading engagement hub.

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Making Classroom Libraries the Hubs of Reading Engagement - ASCD

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1. Think beyond so-called reading level and aim for complexity and meaningfulness. 2. Diversify your collection to include authors and characters along a range of personal, social, and cultural identities. 3. Be intentional about getting books into circulation and about engaging readers. Three ideas shape classrooms where reading engagement thrives.

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At a school in Oakland, California, students see themselves—and the broader world—in the books they read.

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NCTE research and reasons why libraries are so very important!

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All students must be able to access, use, and evaluate information in order to meet the needs and challenges of the twenty-first century. These abilities are a necessary precursor to a sound education and healthy democracy. Reading in all its dimensions-informational, purposeful, and recreational-promotes students' overall academic success and well-being. Furthermore, when students possess the skills necessary to access, select, use, and effectively evaluate their reading materials, their ability to become engaged members of their communities and productive citizens is enhanced. A large body of research demonstrates that equitable access to books promotes reading achievement and motivation (Allington, 2002, 2009; Krashen, 2011; Nystrand, 2006; Wu & Samuels, 2004).

Classroom libraries-physical or virtual-play 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 As English language arts educators, we know that no book is right for every student, and classroom libraries offer ongoing opportunities for teachers to work with students as individuals to find books that will ignite their love for learning, calm their fears, answer their questions, and improve their lives in any of the multiple ways that only literature can.

For these reasons, we support student access to classroom libraries that 1) offer a wide range of materials to appeal to and support the needs of students with different interests and abilities; 2) provide access to multiple resources that reflect diverse perspectives and social identities; and 3) open up opportunities for students, teachers, and school librarians to collaborate on the selections available for student choice and reading.

Administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders are all essential in promoting, building, and maintaining classroom libraries, but teachers play an especially critical role. They are uniquely qualified to select books that supplement and complement curricula and address the needs, interests, and concerns of their students. The National Council of Teachers of English supports efforts to provide teachers with the ability to exercise their professional judgment in developing and maintaining classroom libraries and to support them with financial resources to do so. The National Council of Teachers of English further strongly recommends that stakeholders do everything in their power to financially support teachers in their efforts to build classroom libraries.

Thus, as members of the National Council of Teachers of English, we recognize the specific educational benefits of classroom libraries to students because they

motivate students by encouraging voluntary and recreational reading

help young people develop an extensive array of literacy strategies and skills

provide access to a wide range of reading materials that reflect abilities and interests

enhance opportunities for both assigned and casual reading

provide choice in self-selecting reading materials for self-engagement

strengthen and encourage authentic literate exchanges among young people and adolescents

provide access to digitized reading materials that may help to foster the development of technological literacy skills

facilitate opportunities to validate and promote the acceptance and inclusion of diverse students' identities and experiences

create opportunities to cultivate an informed citizenry

Furthermore, because classroom libraries serve the overall goals of education, the National Council of Teachers of English encourages teachers and other education professionals to

recognize the importance of rich and diverse classroom libraries that offer students access to a wide and extensive repertoire of accessible reading materials

promote students' right to read while recognizing teachers as curriculum decision makers in promoting their students' repertoire of literacy skills and strategies

recognize that classroom libraries improve reading abilities for all students

increase literacy resources for teachers through access to diverse mentor texts and opportunities to differentiate literacy instruction

enlist other interested parties-administrators, support personnel, parents, and community leaders-to assist in the effort to financially support, build, and maintain diverse classroom libraries at all levels

Thus, the National Council Teachers of English supports, encourages, and defends the significance and preservation of classroom libraries in all disciplines in our nation's public schools and urges their continuation and implementation by classroom teachers, school administrators, and community leaders.

References

Allington, R. L. (2002). What I've learned about effective reading instruction from a decade of studying exemplary elementary classroom teachers. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 740-747.

Allington, R. L. (2009). If they don't read much . . . 30 years later. In E. H. Hiebert (Ed.), Reading more, reading better (pp. 30-54). New York, NY: Guilford.

Allington, R. L. (2012). What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M.L. Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Reading research handbook (Vol. 3, pp. 403-424). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Guthrie, J. T., & Humenick, N. M. (2004). Motivating students to read: Evidence for classroom practices that increase motivation and achievement. In P. McCardle & V. Chhabra (Eds.), The voice of evidence in reading research (pp. 329-354). Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes.

Jacobs, J. S., Morrison, T. G., & Swinyard, W. R. (2000). Reading aloud to students: A national probability study of classroom reading practices of elementary school teachers. Reading Psychology, 21(3), 171-193.

Krashen, S. (2011). Free voluntary reading. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Nystrand, M. (2006). Research on the role of classroom discourse as it affects reading comprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 40(4), 392-412.

Reis, S. M., McCoach, D. B., Coyne, M. Schreiber, F. J., Eckert, R. D., & Gubbins, E. J. (2007). Using planned enrichment strategies with direct instruction to improve reading fluency, comprehension, and attitude toward reading: An evidence-based study. Elementary School Journal, 108(1), 3-24.

Scholastic.com. (n.d.) Access to books: Family and community engagement research compendium. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/face/pdf/research-compendium/access-to-books.pdf

Taylor, B. M., Pearson, P. D., Peterson, D. S., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2003). Reading growth in high-poverty classrooms: The influence of teacher practices that encourage cognitive engagement in literacy learning. Elementary School Journal, 104(1), 3-28.

Teresa, E. C. (2017). Kids and family reading report (6th ed.). Scholastic, Inc. & YouGov Parchilitam Kids and Family Reading Report 2017, Emily C. Teresa, Corporate Communications, January 30, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/readingreport/files/Scholastic-KFRR-6ed-2017.pdf

Trelease, J. (2001). Read-aloud handbook (5th ed.). New York, NY: Viking-Penguin.

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2015). The importance of a classroom library. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-library-importance-heather-wolpert-gawron

Wu, Y., & Samuels, S. J. (2004, May). How the amount of time spent on independent reading affects reading achievement. Paper presented at the annual convention of the International Reading Association, Reno, Nevada.

The NCTE Standing Committee Against Censorship, 2016-2017

Chair: Jeffrey Kaplan, University of Central Florida, Orlando
Christina Berchini, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
Joan Bertin, National Coalition Against Censorship, New York, NY
Jean Brown, Rhode Island College, Providence
Annamary Consalvo, University of Texas at Tyler
Brooke Boback Eisenbach, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Barry Gilmore, Hutchison School, Memphis, TN
Wendy Glenn, University of Connecticut, Storrs
Paula Greathouse, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville
Yvette R. Hyde, Covington Education Center, Covington, LA
Sarah Willens Kass, Westland Middle School, Bethesda, MD
William D. Kemp, Albany, NY
ReLeah Lent, Morgantown, GA
Risha Leigh Mullins, Chandlersville, OH
Connie Nagel, Bettendorf, IA
Gretchen Oltman, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Jonathan Rogers, Iowa City High School, IA
Kym Sheehan, Charlotte County Public Schools, FL
Approved by the NCTE Executive Committee, May 2017

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All students must be able to access, use, and evaluate information in order to meet the needs and challenges of the twenty-first century. These abilities are a necessary precursor to a sound education and healthy democracy. Reading in all its dimensions-informational, purposeful, and recreational-promotes students' overall academic success and well-being.

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You don't need a lot of space to have an inviting library at Elmwood.

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Hawthorne teachers build some amazing libraries

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More from Hawthorne

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One of the many inviting classroom libraries at Hawthorne Elem.

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This blogger goes through 5 days of lessons to set expectations for her students on the use of her classroom library.

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I don't mean to sound dramatic, but a hasty introduction of your classroom library to your students could spell disaster for the future of your library. It could be doomed before it really even has a chance to live.

Um, maybe I did mean to sound a little dramatic.

In the fifth and final part of my classroom library series, I'll share with you some ways to keep your library thriving throughout the year, but a HUGE piece to that is how your library is introduced to your students, so huge, that it gets its own whole post, right here in Part Four.

For me, I admit that I tend to get a little protective of my classroom library. I spend the last week of summer arranging it and organizing it, and even stocking it a bit more. We develop a nice little connection, the library and me. And suddenly I'm about to let it go, like a daughter moving out on her own, like a butterfly released into the deep dark forest. Okay, now that's a bit dramatic.

But still, I try to remind myself during those last days before the kids arrive, that this really isn't my classroom library. It's more theirs than mine. I'm just the curator. I should really start referring to it as our classroom library... maybe.

So how do I go about introducing my our classroom library? How do I tap into students' natural excitement about this charming little area I've set up? How do I focus their excitement into a desire to read the books within it? And how do I explain the library's "system" without that excitement slipping away?

The First Five Days

I've taken all the steps and the mini lessons that I use to help students get to know our classroom library, and I've organized them here into a five day plan. I don't always "stick to the script," of course, but I thought this might be a helpful guide to those who might just be starting out, as well as to those who are looking for a different perspective.

Some underlying themes that help me think through a plan like this include:

wanting students to have a reserved time to read, every day, including the first day of school,

wanting to give students opportunities to practice interacting with the library,

wanting students to have a common understanding of the library, to hear the same procedures, to speak the same language, but...

not wanting to overwhelm students with too much information at once.

Day One:

Ahhhh, the first day. Deep breath. I kick off the introduction to the classroom library with a tour. I usually do it early in the afternoon, after we've gotten to know each other a bit and settled in. I gather students around the edges of the library area and say something cheesy, like, "Welcome to the best spot in the room." I can see on students' faces, how their eyes are darting around, that most of them are eager and stockpiling questions.

I try to be upfront with them. "We have a whole year with this library. By the end of the week, you'll be spending time in here and choosing books to read and everything. But right now, I just want to show you a few things that will help you use the library better." My main goal here is to simply orient students to the main features of our library, not to give them all the details. I'm not going to show them every book category we have in there, and I'm not going to go through a whole list of rules. I want to give them the big picture, and I'm not going to take more than 10 minutes. I hit on these things:

I point out the main categories of books, pulling out an actual book or two with each one. For me, I show them the nonfiction bookcase, the author boxes, the series section, and the Realistic Fiction & Fantasy picture book tubs.

I point out the gist of the labeling system. For me, I show how each container has a label that tells the specific type of book it holds, and how each book has a label that helps you return the book to its proper container. I'll show a couple of examples, but nothing too intense.

The last thing I point out, mainly because any student who is paying the least bit of attention thus far has noticed them and is wondering about them, is why so many book containers are turned around and show a label that says, "On Hold." I have a lot more to say about the "On Hold" system, but for now, I just tell students, "A book container that has the 'on hold' label showing means you can't read those books... yet."

A natural instinct that might follow a little tour-guide spiel like this would be to ask if there are any questions. I don't ask if there are any questions, because it just opens up the whole exact can of worms that I am trying to dish out slowly, in doses.

Next, I want to give students time to interact with some of the texts that we have in our library, but to (1) save time and congestion, and (2) avoid having to explain anything else, I send them back to their table groups and set out a "browsing basket" for each group. These are tubs of books that I have already set up.

In each basket I've placed a few magazines, a few picture books, and a few nonfiction books (probably about 10-15 texts per basket, but if you're short on texts, you could do 6-8 and just rotate baskets a couple of times). For me, I don't pull chapter books, or books from "specialty" categories like a particular series or author. Why? Because I don't want to put all these books back into a million different spots. If I only pull from a few of my big categories, it's way faster to put them away.

I give my third graders about twenty minutes of silent reading, broken up a few times with a "share something interesting with a neighbor" break.

Day Two:

In day two, I want to give students more power to choose their own books to read, and to give them practice interacting with the library and how it's organized.

The first activity I call, "10-5-5." Here's how it works: With students at their desks, I tell them they will be choosing some books in a moment. I start pulling book containers from the library and place them around the edges of the room. I do this with the students watching so I can give a quick blurb about each category I'm pulling. I spread them out to alleviate congestion, because all students will be "shopping" at once. I put out a good mix of 15 to 20 different containers... my nonfiction categories, a few chapter book series buckets, a few picture book author boxes, and maybe a couple more random ones like historical fiction.

Now comes the "10" of the 10-5-5. I tell students to browse around the book containers that I've just set out and choose exactly 10 books that look interesting. They may not take more than two books from any one basket, and they need to put their 10 choices on their desk.

Once students have returned to their seat with their 10 books, I bring out their individual book baskets. Since I don't allow students to keep our library books in the abyss of their desks, I give them each their own book basket. I've been using these plastic totes for five years now and they have held up great. The plastic is flexible, the sides are nice and tall, and they hold plenty of books. I bought mine on sale from Michaels for about $4 apiece. I label the baskets with student numbers and pass them out.

We discuss the "dos and don'ts" of using the book baskets:

DO... keep around five books in it, enough to last you a whole day.

DON'T... cram it full of books.

DO... keep inside it: texts, notebook, bookmarks, pad of sticky notes

DON'T... keep inside it: pencils or other writing utensils, trash

Then I give directions for the first "5" of 10-5-5. I ask students to choose exactly five books from their stack of ten to put into their book basket. While they are making their decisions, I return the book containers to the library that I had spread around the room.

Last, we get to the other "5" of 10-5-5. I have students take the five books not chosen to be in their book basket, and use them to practice returning books to the library properly. For this part, I camp out in the library area and call over one group at a time while the class is reading from their book baskets (and yes, it's okay with me if they read their "unchosen" five books while they are waiting).

When each group comes over with their books to return, I first talk with them about what they're about to do. (This is entirely dependent on how picky you want to be. Some may call it micromanaging, but I would rather error on the side of explicit modeling and teaching of procedures.) We talk about and give an example of the following three things:

what to look at in order to find a book's home. (For our library, students need to check the label on the book and find the container with the matching label. Check out Part Two in the series for details.)

how to physically put the book away. (Spine out, facing same direction.)

what to do if you can't find the container. (We use a "Books-to-File" basket that my library helpers will take care of periodically. It is meant as a last resort: better here than in the wrong container.)

I give each group a few minutes to practice putting their five books back properly, having them help each other if needed so that we keep a brisk but focused pace.

Day Three:

During the third day I want to focus on finding books to read from the classroom library. I start by bringing the class over to the library area again. On day one, I pointed out a few of the general categories the library had, but today I want to make sure I touch on all the different types of categories. In the very next sentence, I tell students not to worry about trying to remember where all the different categories are placed, that each one is labeled so they can find what they want later.

Speaking of labels, I like to refresh students' memories by have a couple of volunteers model the steps one would take to return a book to its proper place. We also remind each other about the 5-book "guide" ( not "limit") for their book baskets, and note that we shouldn't take more than two books from any of the smaller category boxes, like a popular series.

And before I send students back to get their book baskets, I talk about the "On Hold" stickers in more detail.

Keeping some of the library's book containers 'on hold,' (or, off limits), is going to play a big role in keeping our library thriving throughout the year, but here in the beginning of the year, it focuses students' attention on a more manageable, but still enticing, choice of books. I put the 'on hold' label on the back side of each container, with the category name on the front side. Then I simply turn the container around so the 'on hold' label faces outward.

For me, I have a pretty large classroom library, so I can have about 75% of my series and author containers 'on hold' to start the year, which still leaves quite a few of these types of containers available to use. (Note: I never put my nonfiction containers on hold, nor my larger, more general categories, like 'realistic fiction.') Slowly and surely, I'll introduce the 'on hold' containers to the class, which keeps them hungry for more! (I'll talk more about this strategy in Part Five, but if you want to grab a sheet of 'on hold' labels, just click HERE.)

Then I send students to get their book baskets and read at their desk while each group gets a turn in the library, returning anything they are finished with and filling their book basket with fresh choices.

Day Four:

By the fourth day, students now have a book basket filled with books of their choice. They may not need to "reload" every single day now, but I do want to teach students when to find and return books in the classroom library. We do a Daily 5 framework, and two of the basic procedures for our Read-to-Self (independent reading) time is to "stay in one place" and to "read the whole time." That means I do not allow students to visit our library during their independent reading time. So it's important that students have their book basket ready-to-go for the whole day in the morning. I have it as part of students' morning routine.

So on Day Four, we have a "dry run" of prepping our book baskets for the day. It's also a good opportunity to practice the other parts of our morning routine. Sometime during the morning, we pretend that we start the day over. I even take everyone out to the hallway, as if they haven't even entered the classroom yet. When students re-enter, they read the morning message on the board, which now includes, "Make sure your book basket is ready for the whole day!" We talk through this a bit, making sure students know that this entails actually getting your book basket, looking through what's in it, what you're currently reading, what you'll be reading next, and asking yourself, "Do I have enough to read? Is there anything I'm finished with?" As students finish their practice session, I tell students to expect this to be part of their REAL morning message tomorrow.

The other task I like to do at some point on the fourth day is setting up our list of library procedures that will be posted. I don't like to do this too early. I think it's helpful for students to get a few days with the library under their belt so they can take a little ownership. And it's helpful for me to observe what's working and not working with this unique group of students, so that I can emphasize certain topics in our procedures.

I normally just have a discussion with students about what our library rules should be, and I do guide the discussion to make sure we hit on topics that will lead us to something like the following:

Treat the books with respect

Return books where the belong.

Help each other and stay patient with each other.

To the right you'll see what I'm hoping to use this year (unless our class discussion takes us in a completely different direction... fingers crossed).

Now that our library procedures have been set up, and students have a common understanding of how to use their book basket and when and where to find and return books, I can continue transitioning my focus onto building Read-to-Self stamina and other mini-lessons that may not directly involve the library.

Day Five:

On the fifth day, students get their book basket ready for the whole day as part of their morning routine. I show them the printed version of the library procedures we discussed yesterday, and we briefly review each one by brainstorming examples of situations that meet the procedure and some that don't meet the procedure.

Thus far, the only influence I've had on the books students' are actually choosing is using the 'on-hold' system to temporarily close off many of the containers. Now that students are familiar with the physical process of getting a book, I like to have a lesson on choosing "good fit" books. (I think the term "good fit" came from the authors of The Daily 5, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.) Otherwise known as "just right books," I want to teach students real-life strategies to use in order to choose mostly good fit books. I'm not going to go through the whole lesson here in this post, but my basic goal is to make sure my kids know that reading "good fit" books most of the time will make a huge impact in becoming better readers. "Too easy" books and "too challenging" books also have their valid places, but "just right" is what I want to make sure they know how to find.

While students are reading from their book baskets today, I start to meet with students one-to-one and start to learn about each of them as a reader. We look in their book basket, chat a bit, and then I have them read a little bit out loud from whatever they want. Low key, no fancy note-taking, just building a reading relationship.

And on the sixth day, I rest. Or is that supposed to be the seventh day?

If you'd like to grab a 'cheat sheet' of the mini lessons I talked about, click HERE. Please keep in mind that it's just the bare bones of what I talked about here for each day, not full plans.

Coming in my fifth and final part of my classroom library series is everything I've learned about keeping my classroom library thriving throughout the year, so you can maintain a living, breathing, changing, growing, organized library for more than just a few weeks. See you then!

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How I INTRODUCE My Classroom Library [Part Four in the Classroom Library Series]

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I don't mean to sound dramatic, but a hasty introduction of your classroom library to your students could spell disaster for the future of your library. It could be doomed before it really even has a chance to live. Um, maybe I did mean to sound a little dramatic.

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This blog includes punch cards the teacher created to get kids to find types of books in her library.  I would use the punch cards to get students to read the different types of books and authors. This is a great way to get them involved in the library and expose them to a variety of text.

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Hello everyone!
This is Laura from Where the Magic Happens Teaching Blog. Can you believe that I started school this week? Second grade is surely very different from 1st grade.
I spent the summer reading and learning the new set of standards, creating new materials, and visualizing what my new classroom was going to look like. I love the feeling of an empty classroom, the idea of a new beginning, and the potential and possibilities. More than anything, I kept on thinking (it was more like day dreaming), about a productive, brain friendly, and homey classroom.

It really starts with my classroom library. I have spent years (and tons of money and time) collecting the right books to reach ALL of my readers year after year. I truly believe that the concepts of classroom community and individuality begin with literature. It is my first goal, to show and provide my students with the opportunity to explore their own reading interests free from any constraints.

Or like my little G would say: "for the fun of it!"

I try to build momentum by not opening the complete library to my students on the first week of school. Instead, I open it gradually:

After this the nonfiction section

Since we have such a large classroom library, our books are displayed all over the room in colorful tubs that I got from the Target dollar spot!

Having an organized and quality classroom library makes me think that if nothing else, I am attempting to create the right conditions for reading by my students.

Think about it! A strong classroom library:

Supports your literacy instruction in and out of your classroom.

Helps your students to learn about books and author's craft.

It also provides a central location for classroom resources... hello shared research!!

Serves as a place for students to talk about and interact with books

And you might think...

But how does she come up with the money to buy the books?

Well, let me just tell you: Scholastic points, yard sales, and The Goodwill are my friends! Last weekend for example, my local Goodwill had really great books for .50 a piece! It takes creativity and energy!!

Because my classroom is also really small this year, I had to become really creative too on finding a comfortable reading spot:

Two beach chairs, a lamp from the Goodwill, a cute rug from Walmart, some wooden letters and Voila! There you go!

Now, this is something to be really jelly about:

My school librarian is so fabulous and awesome. As this is my first year in 2nd grade, she has given me tons of suggestions about transitioning my students from easier picture books to a bit-more-challenging chapter books.
One of the greatest suggestions that she gave me is to do a classroom library scavenger hunt. This, in order to teach my students to identify different series, authors, themes, and topics.
Oh! And also to help my students keep books and display materials orderly!

So I do different types of scavenger hunts:

Click HERE to download!

Click HERE to download!

Or all of them!

I give the students one bookmark and they explore the classroom library, once they find a book that matches one item on their bookmark, they bring me the book and they get a punch! These bookmarks match my classroom library book bin label s.

What is my goal with this?

I, more than anything, want to get my students motivated to read... and to read for fun. Throughout the year, I want to introduce them to authors, great series, themes, etc. Instead of giving them or leading them to a leveled book, I want them to be able to freely express about their reading choices and pursue them.

They each will have their own book box. With the book boxes there are a couple of whole group lessons that need to be addressed:

Differences between picture books and chapter books

Choosing "just right" books (blog post and anchor chart on this coming up next week)

Keeping a balance in your book box

How to return books

Giving book recommendations

I would love to hear and learn from all of you! How do you organize your classroom library? What routines and mini-lessons do you teach to help your students be successful? What things do you do to foster reading motivation??

I can honestly say that there are many happy places for me: my mom's house, my boys' arms, the beach, the mountains, my own classroom!

Until next time!

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Hello everyone! This is Laura from Where the Magic Happens Teaching Blog. Can you believe that I started school this week? Second grade is surely very different from 1st grade. I spent the summer reading and learning the new set of standards, creating new materials, and visualizing what my new classroom was going to look like.

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Blogger lists 40 best books for third graders

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I have received some comments and messages asking me if I plan to continue with the reading lists for voracious readers. I do! I have shared three lists so far: 5th grade, 6th grade, and 7th grade. I am close to finishing 4th grade and 8th grade, so hopefully those will be coming soon along with some other posts about kids who love to read.

Here is the 3rd grade reading list. Happy Reading!

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat

Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish

The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald

More Adventures of the Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald

Me and My Little Brain by John D. Fitzgerald

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron

Stuart Little by E. B. White

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl

Mouse Called Wolf by Dick-King Smith

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Historical Fiction

The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds

Skippack School by Marguerite de Angeli

Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady

Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop

Sarah Whitcher's Story by Elizabeth Yates

The Corn Grows Ripe by Dorothy Rhoads

A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
you may want to discuss some of the negative language in this book; Simon and I used it as a read aloud instead of an independent reader

The Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale

The Backward Bird Dog by Bill Wallace

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

The Four Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright

Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright

Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze by Elizabeth Enright

Realistic Fiction

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes

The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes

The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes

by Eleanor Estes

Biography and Nonfiction

Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth by Nicola Davies

Shark Lady: The True Adventures of Eugenie Clark by Ann McGovern

Childhood of Famous Americans
Used in 2nd-3rd grades; my boys each read 25+ books in this series

Fairy Tales

The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

*Elijah went on to read and re-read every Lang Fairy Book (starting in 2nd grade and stopping around 5th grade)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Series by L. Frank Baum

I read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz aloud to Elijah in 2nd grade. On a field trip in 3rd grade he learned it was a series. He went on to read and re-read the rest of the books in the original series: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, ​The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz, Rinkitink in Oz, The Lost Princess of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda of Oz. Simon is enjoying this serires now as a 3rd grader. I am glad I added them to his 3rd grade reading list.

Do you have a voracious reader?
What books would you add to this 3rd Grade Reading List?

If you are looking for more lists for kids who love to read, please check out my Reading Lists for Voracious Readers page.

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40+ Books for a 3rd Grader Who Loves to Read - Walking by the Way

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I have received some comments and messages asking me if I plan to continue with the reading lists for voracious readers. I do! I have shared three lists so far: 5th grade , 6th grade , and 7th grade .

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This blogger reviews the various digital leveling tools available

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A few weeks ago, I shared tips for organizing your classroom library. The response to that blog post has been overwhelming! In the post, I explained that I sort the books in my own classroom library by reading level, as well as theme.

Sorting by theme is the easy part. We all know the importance of providing developmentally appropriate texts to students, but leveling an entire library can be a daunting task ... until today!

I have researched a few of the top tools (both free and paid) for aiding teachers as they level their classroom libraries. Today I bring you pricing information, photos of the tools in action, and my HONEST opinion of each resource so you can make an informed decision about what will work best for you as you level your own classroom library.

I was pleased to discover that several companies provide iPhone and Android apps that allow you to scan the barcode and receive leveling results within seconds! Free or paid, iPhone (and Android) apps are my favorite type of resource because they are the fastest and most efficient way to level your books.

I'll start by walking you through a few of the apps I recently installed on my iPhone. It is important to note that whether it was free or paid; no single app was able to identify and provide leveling information for EVERY book in my library. As you might expect, the paid apps sometimes provided data which was lacking in the free apps. In other cases, the FREE Scholastic Book Wizard app provided information about books that the paid apps did not! I would not expect a single resource to single-handedly level your entire classroom library, but each of the apps I successfully tested were able to level an impressive amount of books from my own library.

Scholastic Book Wizard App

Looking for a great FREE resource to help you get started? Start with the Book Wizard app from Scholastic! The app allows you to manually search (by typing the name of a tittle, author, or keyword). Most importantly, the app has a scanner that allows you to simply scan the bar code to quickly search the database for book information. I was pleased to discover that information for MANY of my classroom books was available in the app. A brief synopsis of the book is included on the "Book Info" screen as well as title, author, and book level information. The one (minor) downside was that the level information was presented in a rather tiny text. As a result, the book level didn't jump out at me, I had to really look at the screen to see it.

Bonus Feature: The Scholastic Book Wizard app also allows users to create an inventory of all titles in classroom library. You can also designate how many copies of the book you own and additional notes (such as where the book is filed in your library). I did not see any means to check books in or out. The list would mostly be a helpful tool for helping teachers quickly find a book or keep track of books they already own.

Level It App

My favorite of the paid apps was the Level It app. Just like Book Wizard, this app allows users to manually search for a book, or use your phone's camera to scan a book's bar code. This app also provides a description of the book with title, author, and level information. I loved how the levels are easier to discern with a quick glance at the screen. When I had a big stack of books that needed to be leveled, I appreciated being able to quickly and easily find this information so I could move on to the next book in the pile. This app is available for iPhone and Android users.

Bonus Feature: The Level It app includes a feature to inventory your classroom library, along with a class roster. This allows the teacher to create individual student profiles and the ability to check in/out books to specific students. This is not a feature that I can see myself implementing in my kindergarten classroom, but I know it is a tool that will prove to be useful for MANY classroom teachers.

Literacy Leveler App

The Literacy Leveler App by FikesFarm, LLC is similar to the Level It app, but a bit more basic. Priced at $3.99, this app is currently only available for iPhone users. It allows users to manually search by title, author or ISBN; as well as scan each book's bar code. Although the format of the app is simplistic compared to Level It (the other leading paid app for iPhone users) and did not include a book synopsis, I did appreciate the fact that book level information was boldly formatted and easy for users to see.

Bonus Feature: The Literacy Level app allows teachers to create an inventory of all titles included in their classroom library. It does indicate how many copies of a title a teacher possesses; nor does it allow teachers to make notes about each book. Despite its limitations, the library tool allows teachers to easily see a list of all books in their classroom library books at a given reading level with a quick touch of the screen.

Classroom Organizer App

Another free app for iPhone and Android users is the Classroom Organizer app from Booksource. The app allows teachers to determine reading levels, organize, and track books in their classroom library. The description of this app sounds amazing (especially for a free product). Unfortunately, the great features offered by this app are overshadowed by it's shortfalls for usability. I followed the instructions and got started by creating an online account with Booksource, but after nearly a dozen attempts, have not been able to successfully log in to the app. Some things should simply not be this much of a challenge. I'm sure it's a wonderful app, but I have yet to see it in action.

If you don't have a smart phone or you prefer to look things up on your computer (the new old-fashioned way), there are a few websites that can be equally helpful as you level the books for your classroom library.

A to Z Teacher Stuff Leveled Books Database

The Leveled Books Database at A to Z Teacher Stuff allows users to search by title or author to determine the reading level for student books. Teachers have the option of searching to find Guided Reading Level or Reading Recovery Level.

Although the database is not comprehensive (MANY popular titles from my classroom library are missing from the online resource,) it is free and helpful for some books. If you are just getting started, this is a resource that should not be overlooked.

Scholastic Book Wizard

If you love the Book Wizard app, you should know that this was the website that started it all. The Scholastic Book Wizard is a free website that allows educators to search by title, author, or keyword. Users can view a book's Grade Level Equivalent, Guided Reading Level, or Lexile Measure. The extensive database was my first step when I began to level my own classroom library a few years ago.

Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Book Website

For educators seeking a more official means of leveling their classroom books, the Leveled Book Website from Fountas & Pinnell is available as a subscription service. With a base price of $25 for an annual membership, group discounts are also available.

I Leveled My Books... Now What?

Once your classroom books have been leveled, you will want to make them easily accessible to your students. My own classroom library consists of two categories: books sorted by level and books sorted by theme. The box containing each type of book is clearly labeled, and each book contained within the box is given a small coordinating label. This way, students have a clear visual cue to help them return books to their proper location.

My Kindergarten Classroom Library

Find out more about my classroom library in this blog post. Learn how it's organized, where to shop for my favorite book bins and see the little touches I added to make it extra special for my students.

Classroom Library Labels

Organize your library in style with my classroom library labels. Available in {Black Series} and {White Series}, this downloadable product includes labels for a variety of levels and themes to suit your classroom needs. Classroom Library Labels can be purchased in my TpT store.

Do you have plans to level your classroom library this summer?
What is your favorite book leveling resource?

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Tools to Help You Level Your Classroom Library

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A few weeks ago, I shared tips for organizing your classroom library. The response to that blog post has been overwhelming! In the post, I explained that I sort the books in my own classroom library by reading level, as well as theme. Sorting by theme is the easy part.

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Adorable "Book Nook" from pinterest.

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A Blogger's post about setting up her library

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I'm here today to show you my classroom library. I meant to show it off in September but you know, life happened and 28 new fifth graders showed up in my classroom and I got a little busy.

Things have slowed down just a tiny bit now (not really) so better late then never, right?

Even though I teach math, writing and reading - secretly, reading is my most favorite time of the day! Reading is my passion. I've been a reader my whole life. I have memories of weekly library trips with my mom (where I was limited to 7 books a week - for real!), to proudly carrying Stephen King's 'The Stand' around on top of all my textbooks in high school, (The Stand is like the thickest book ever published - I'm convinced), to many, many late nights reading just one more page under the covers in my college dorm room.

Reading is what I turn to whenever I have the gift of extra time. And I love sharing my passion for reading with my fifth graders. Creating an amazing classroom library to me is how some people feel about traveling to Disney World!

To give you an idea of how long it takes to set up my classroom library each year, (because we have to box up every single thing for summer) here are a few before pics.

Unpacking that mess was a very LONG day! Who am I kidding, it took at least 3 days to organize all those books! I swear, I don't have a book buying problem. That's what I tell my husband at least. ;)

A few days later and the library looked more like this............

I'm a big fan of displaying books on the tops of shelves. I do a daily book recommendation and students also love to recommend books in our classroom. Those are the books that get displayed (for a very short time as they're usually snatched up immediately) on the book easels.

Here's a link to some reasonably priced book easels on Amazon if you're interested!

Organizing the books in our classroom library is one of my favorite parts each year. I love using book baskets so students can grab a basket of books by a certain author, or genre or theme or topic and browse through it quickly.

These are the labels I use in our library.

With the books organized into baskets and the labels finished, a place to hang our anchor charts, some lighting and fun seating options, our library is complete. Here it is!!

Thanks for stopping by our classroom library! Happy Reading!

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Show and Tell Tuesday - Library Labels and More

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I'm here today to show you my classroom library. I meant to show it off in September but you know, life happened and 28 new fifth graders showed up in my classroom and I got a little busy. Things have slowed down just a tiny bit now (not really) so better late then never, right?

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An adorable classroom library at Deer Park Elementary.

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Mrs. Cook's fourth grade classroom at Arbutus Elementary.

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Even MORE of Ms. Holland

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More of Ms. Holland

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Ms. Holland's second grade library at Gunpowder Elementary

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Mr. Greene's second grade library at Dundalk Elementary!

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"What does your library say to its visitors?"

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The Reading Coach

"The policy of having large classroom libraries was found to be 'one of the most important differential policies between high-scoring and low-scoring countries' . . . a powerful indicator for both nine-year-olds and fourteen-year-olds." So says an international study by the Australian School Library Association ( Report on the Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement).

Classroom libraries provide books to those who have none. They extend and reinforce curriculum, foster independent discussions, encourage exploration into unknown genres and areas of high interest. They include not just print volumes, but also computers and audio books. And they certainly are not limited to elementary school classrooms. I recently visited Dr. Reba Wadsworth, a Decatur, Alabama, principal, and went away inspired. Her library overwhelmed her desk, her bookcases, and her windows. With volume and variety, she proclaimed: "Reading is important and informative, fascinating and fun." What does your library say to its visitors?

An effective library collection contains more than "should" reads. It also holds the most intriguing, intoxicating, invigorating fact and fiction, rotated and revitalized regularly.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR LIBRARY?

Getting students to use a classroom library is critical to its success. Several times a year, place a box of index cards (Try Oxford Extreme Color Index Cards in lavender, orange, and chartreuse!) on a nearby shelf. When students use a resource, ask them to give it the one-two-three:
1. Write down the title and author.
2. Score the resource on a scale of 1-5; with five being the highest.
3. Compose a one to two sentence review. (How helpful was it? What was the best/worst part?)

The comments will help you cull out the duds and confirm the keepers. Set up a simple reward system to make the review process fun, and to encourage everyone to participate.

The questions below will help you evaluate the contents of your classroom library:

Do you have a library?
Elementary, middle-, and high-school classrooms all benefit from a library. Do you have a recommended reading list? Include titles from that list as well as complementary titles. Are certain areas of your curriculum sparse? Fill in gaps in the curriculum with books in your library. Students aren't engaged? Find titles to aid understanding (fiction on the Civil Rights movement or artists of the Renaissance, or theGuinness Book of World Records). Include high-interest or fun materials (like magazines or e-books).

What materials are in it?
Many young people have a limited view of reading that's reinforced when all they have to read are books. Include such magazines asNational Geographic or Sports Illustrated, how-to handbooks (on PowerPoint, word processing, and so on), and comic books. No money? Solicit small donations from local businesses or parents. Write a mini-grant. Start an inter-classroom cooperative, rotating materials to keep each library fresh. Collect menus from the newest pizza shop in town, and user manuals for basic software programs. Don't simply duplicate what your media center already has. Ask your media specialist for additional suggestions.

Do the materials match your students' independent reading levels?
Evaluate in the fall and reevaluate periodically as students progress. Do your students need predictable text? Books with sight words or decodable text? Challenging text, with such supports as graphs, pictures or sidebars? More engaging, complex reading? Match the range of readers inyour classroom.Always include picture books (some are appropriate for middle and high school). Investigate such genres as multi-cultural (Beautiful Warrior: The Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu, by Emily Arnold McCully, Levine Books, 1998); historical fiction (When Jessie Came Across the Sea, by Amy Hest, Candlewick Press, 1997); or biography (Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein, by Don Brown, Houghlin-Mifflin, 2004).

Does your library contain high interest materials for both boys and girls?
Include books written by women and men. For 9th and 10th graders, add your state's driver's license study manual. Find fiction that displays believable characters facing real issues (bothwithin and outside your students' experience).

Do you have supplemental materials to reinforce four major curriculum themes you teach each year? Does your library offer opportunities to explore further into areas of greater interest?
Connecting your library to major classroom goals promotes clear expectations. Some students need to hear information more than once, or in different formats, for it to "click."

Is the space inviting?
Ask a teacher or student from another class for an opinion: Can students reach the books easily? Are there enough materials with enough variety? Ask yourself and your students "How can I make our library more appealing?"

Have you set expectations and opportunities for students to use your classroom library?
Take 5-10 minutes daily or weekly to promote the collection and student selection. Use the library yourself (for research, read alouds, and book talks) so students see its value. Even the best classroom library is worthless if it just gathers dust.

With the above guidelines, you can create a classroom library students will turn to for information, research, pleasure, and comfort. Let the ideas expand your collection or create a new resource for your students. Most importantly, use your library to increase opportunities for student learning and engagement, and to turn them on to the power of reading.

MORE RESOURCES

See the following for more help choosing appropriate text for your classroom library:

For a more unique, appealing collection, also try books from small regional publishers, such as Peachtree of Atlanta, Georgia, Sleeping Bear Press of Chelsea, Michigan, and Rising Moon, of Flagstaff, Arizona.

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"The policy of having large classroom libraries was found to be 'one of the most important differential policies between high-scoring and low-scoring countries' . . . a powerful indicator for both nine-year-olds and fourteen-year-olds." So says an international study by the Australian School Library Association ( Report on the Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement).

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My favorite quote from this article: "A classroom library is the heartbeat of a teacher's environment."

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I believe that a classroom library is the heartbeat of a teacher's environment. It is the window into an educator's own personality, and it reflects the importance of literacy in the classroom. I believe that every teacher -- no matter what subject he or she teaches -- should have one.

The Categories of Book Hunters

We should provide access to books in our classes with the same differentiated approach that we bring to any other lesson, assessment, or activity because there are, I believe, four categories of students who pursue books.

1. The Book Stalker

These are students who will seek out the book they want, regardless of locale. They get a mere whiff of a good book in the air, and they pursue it. They understand how to choose books and seek out advice when they need it.

2. The Library Literate

These are students who won't or can't go to a store, but who are comfortable enough to go to the local library, perhaps seeking advice from the friendly face on the other side of the desk.

3. The Lunchtime Lurker

These are the students who may be comfortable only at the school library. This may also be the only place where they feel safe. Perhaps they escape lunchtime trauma by diving into the dark corners of the library's stacks, surrounded by countless books and those "READ" posters.

4. The Frightened Bibliophobe

And then there are students who are so frightened of books, of literacy, and of choice, that they feel comfortable only in their classroom library, reaching for books they know exactly where to find -- and trusting you, who understands their fears and reading insecurities.

And it's up to us -- the classroom teachers -- to attract all these students, like moths to a flame. My stacks have every genre and every level: picture books, chapter books, fiction, and nonfiction.

Lure Them Into Your Classroom Library Through Any Means Necessary

My shelves are also peppered with realia from my own background, giving life and texture to the look of the library. A Shakespeare action figure with a removable quill sits between a full-text edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the manga version of As You Like It. My childhood Clash of the Titans lunchbox bookends the fantasy section, and a knight rides among the historical-fiction section. A figurehead of Captain Morgan that hung in my room all through high school glares down at a sign that reads, "Any who dare not use the proper means of checking out a book." They're all there. Each little tchotchke has a purpose. Each helps entrap students in the web of literacy that is my classroom library.

When interest tapers off, I start classroom-library scavenger hunts with questions on the board such as the following:

Which book has a map of Guilder inside its front cover? (The Princess Bride)

Which author has written books in each of the genres in our library? (Avi)

Which book on Mrs. Wolpert's fantasy shelf inspired the book Peter and the Starcatchers? (Peter Pan)

What is the title of the biography about that fantasy book's author? (J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys)

How many books in Mrs. Wolpert's library have been written by author Mike Lupica? (4)

I have stickers on every book with icons representing each genre to help categorize the books correctly. That way, even a struggling student can select and return books correctly. When I inject new books into the stacks, either through my own purchases or donations, I select volunteers to decide which stickers to place on them, thus turning a chore into a mini-lesson all in one fell swoop.

Ripley's Believe It or Not has a sticker stating that this book is for classroom reading only (too many kids want to read it after finishing their work), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid has a seven-day-limit sticker on its spine.

Make Your Classroom Library a Part of Your Lessons

Weave your classroom library into your lessons, and make sure that it is an interactive part of your classroom.

Have the students pull golden lines from the books for a homework assignment.

Have them design persuasive ads and write reviews inviting other students to read a book that they may have loved. It doesn't matter the genre -- any class can be uplifted with related book reviews hanging from the shelves. Imagine a science classroom with a review of A Wrinkle in Time hanging in front of a copy of the displayed book. Imagine a math classroom with a review of Flatland or Math Curse luring in those readers. Imagine a review of Beware, Princess Elizabeth or a Dear America book highlighting the choices students have made in a history classroom.

Have students recreate book covers once they are done reading a book. As students submit them, hang these book covers on the walls to become a part of the classroom's costume. These art pieces will overwhelm the room as proof of your students' content-area literacy.

One day, the books may fall apart with use, but remember that there's no better death for a book than its having been read too much and by too many.

What are some of the creative strategies and lessons that you use to motivate students and inspire independent reading?

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The Importance of a Classroom Library | Edutopia

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I believe that a classroom library is the heartbeat of a teacher's environment. It is the window into an educator's own personality, and it reflects the importance of literacy in the classroom. I believe that every teacher -- no matter what subject he or she teaches -- should have one.

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Research to support the importance of Trade Books and classroom libraries.

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Scholastic teacher store has reasonably priced books. If your class participates in the reading club, this is a great way to earn free books for your library.

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Teacher Resources, Children's Books, Student Activities for Teachers | Scholastic.com | Scholastic

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Teaching resources, children's and teacher books, lesson plans, book lists, classroom resources, educational products from Scholastic for PreK to 12 teachers.

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Research to support why classroom libraries are important.

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Check out The Maryland Book Bank, a great place to get FREE books for your classroom.

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Lakeshore sells GR leveled fiction and non-fiction libaries. They are expensive but awesome!

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Ms. Behar's fifth grade library in a learning cottage at Dundalk Elementary.

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Tom Montgomery's fifth grade library make-over in a learning cottage at Halethorpe Elementary.

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Tips for finding books to fill your library without emptying your bank account.

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No matter what grade you teach, we understand-you want to have an awesome classroom library for your students to use. Having a wide variety of books not only fosters a love for reading, but caters to all types of learners.

The problem? Books can get expensive! Especially if you're a newbie teacher who is building your library from scratch. You're probably spending enough of your own money to make your classroom oh-so-awesome, and sourcing books should not be one of those budget pain points. This is why we asked our teacher audience for their best tips for building a library on the cheap. Here's what they had to say.

1. Go to library sales. "I got two boxes full of good books for $5. I still paid out of pocket, but it's worth it! Plus, library books often have reinforced bindings." -K. R.
Your public library might have an annual used books sale. "Mine has a set time where teachers get all the books they want for free." -KD H.

"Ask your local library for withdrawn books. They may end up giving them to you for free." -Karen G.

2. Volunteer. "I volunteer at the Scholastic warehouse sales in my area and they pay me in books." -Stacey M.

3. Reading round-up. "Each year I host a reading round-up. Kids bring in their old books and I give them a ticket to win a prize. In June I pick a winner. The prize is usually something I was able to buy at a yard sale." -Melody A.

4. Word of mouth. If other teachers know you're interested in growing your library, you'll come to mind when they are looking to retire old books. "I'm a second year teacher with about 1,300 books in my classroom, many of which came from other teachers who knew I was interested!" -Gabby M.

5. Do your research! "Use this awesome website -Book Sale Finder- to find local book sales. Many books are priced well under $1." -Sheena G.

6. Shop for free. "I went to Half Price Books. If you tell them you need books for your classroom library, they'll give you a form to fill out and have signed by your school. In return, they gave me two big boxes of free books." -Laura B.

7. Rummage-a-thon. It's summer-hit up those garage sales, or check Goodwill. And don't stop there! Consider talking to area community groups and see if they're willing to donate any books to your class. -Winnie H.
"Don't be afraid to ask your students' families for books their children have outgrown. They're usually very happy to give them away." -Mandy S.

8. Social media. "Check Facebook for local teacher groups that post items for sale. We have one and there are some great deals." -Ashlee H.

9. Keep your budget in mind. "Don't bankrupt yourself buying tons of books! Set a limit and buy your must-haves. Borrow anything beyond that." -Brita L.

10. Less is more. "Little ones read the same books over and over, so stick with some really good book choices. Quality, not quantity, will keep them reading!" -Shannan S.

11. Create a wish list. Jot down the books you know you want and need for the classroom and keep your eyes peeled. "Make a used book wish list and give it to your friends who love stopping at yard sales!" -Carrie W.

12. Improvise. "As you're building your library, visit your local library and check out books with the topics you're studying. The students will look forward to the new books that come in and out and it shows them the value of visiting the library." -Kendall A.

Need some more ideas? Check out our tips from last year-15 Free (or Cheap) Ways to Stock Your Classroom Library. And share any other ideas that come to mind in the comments below.

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12 Tips for Growing Your Classroom Library on a Teeny Tiny Budget

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No matter what grade you teach, we understand-you want to have an awesome classroom library for your students to use. Having a wide variety of books not only fosters a love for reading, but caters to all types of learners. The problem? Books can get expensive!

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Here is a great list of books that would be great additions to your library.

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See the books that teachers of grades 3-5 say are must-haves for your classroom library.

WeAreTeachers recently polled over 200 teachers about the best books in their classroom libraries, from their favorite read-alouds and fiction books to the top science, humor and poetry titles. Here's what teachers of grades 3-5 had to say:

Top Read Aloud Books

Also recommended:

Top Realistic Fiction Books

1. Dear Mr. Henshaw
Written by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. $5.39

2. Shiloh
Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. $5.71

3. Frindle
Written by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick. $6.29

4. Because of Winn Dixie
Written by Kate DiCamillo. $4.19

5. Hatchet
Written by Gary Paulsen. $6.29

Also recommended:

Top Mystery Books

1. The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, No. 1, Series)
Written by Rick Riordan. $9.79

2. Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds (Series)
Written by David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti. $3.59

3. Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective (Series)
Written by Donald J. Sobol. $4.49

4. Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock (Series)
Written by Carolyn Keene. $40.28

5. A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author (Series)
Written by Ron Roy, illustrated by John Steven Gurney. $3.59

Also recommended:

Top Fantasy and Science Fiction Books

1. A Wrinkle in Time
Written by Madeleine L'Engle. $6.29

2. Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark (Series)
Written by Mary Pope Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdocca. $4.49

3. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Series)
Written by C.S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. $16.29

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Series)
Written by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Mary GrandPre and Kazu Kibuishi. $8.98

Also recommended:

Top Historical Fiction Books

Also recommended:

Top Biographies

1. Who Is Barack Obama? (Series)
Written by Roberta Edwards, illustrated by Nancy Harrison and John O'Brien. $4.49

2. The Story of My Life
Written by Helen Keller. $2.25

3. The Story of Ruby Bridges
Written by Robert Coles, illustrated by George Ford. $6.29

4. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Written by Anne Frank. $11.36

Also recommended:

Top Science Books

Also recommended:

Top History Books

Also recommended:

Top Poetry Books

Also recommended:

Top Humor Books

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. $4.00

2. The BFG
Written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake. $6.29

3. The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Series)
Written by Dav Pilkey. $5.39

4. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Series)
Written by Rachel Renée Russell. $4.61

Also recommended:

Top Reference Books

Also recommended:

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Building Your Classroom Library: The Best Books for Grades 3-5 - WeAreTeachers

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See the books that teachers of grades 3-5 say are must-haves for your classroom library. WeAreTeachers recently polled over 200 teachers about the best books in their classroom libraries, from their favorite read-alouds and fiction books to the top science, ...

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Directions for making a crate bench. Costs less than $20 and takes less than 30 minutes!

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Phew, it's been awhile since I've blogged! I've been taking time to enjoy what's left of summer, and managed to sneak into my classroom and get a head start in there as well. ;) I wanted some extra seating for my library area so my students could really use the space. I didn't want to buy chairs or bean bags (too expensive), and I also wanted something that would help define the space. Here's what I came up with:

This project was SO quick and easy! It took me about 30 minutes, and cost less than $20 to make! I had the crates on hand, so that cut down the cost for me. However, right now at back-to-school time, these crates are EVERYWHERE!! I've seen them at Target, Wal-Mart & Big Lots in lots of fun colors. Anyway, on to the tutorial!

2" Foam (I got mine already in squares from Hobby Lobby, but you could also buy a roll and cut it)

& not pictured: Hot Glue Gun & a lot of hot glue sticks

First, zip tie your crates together. I used three zip ties to connect each crate.

Then, lay your fabric upside down on the ground. Place your foam in the middle. I ended up cutting a little fabric off that I didn't need. I have big plans for the scraps. ;)

I did the ends first - it was easiest this way. Make sure you pull the fabric tight, and just use hot glue to adhere the fabric to the foam. Then continue wrapping the fabric around the foam, just like you're wrapping a present! :) Just keep remembering that the fabric should be tight!!!

{My fingers were a burnt mess by this point ;)}

This is when I started getting excited!! I NEVER do any projects involving fabric -- I own a sewing machine that was given to me by my grandmother, but have zero clue how to use it. I might be able to stitch up some pants... maybe...if I really wanted to. Anyway, I was excited that this seemed to be turning out okay, since fabric is something I never work with! :)

{Excuse the boxes of books in the background!}

Then, just add it on top of your crates!!! I didn't want the cushion sliding around too much, so I came up with a quick and easy way to take care of that. I just looped some ribbon around the cushion and crate to "tie" it together. It does the job!

Here's the finished product -- complete with the ribbon! I love that it doubled as more shelf space for some chapter books. I'm loving it so far, and I'm sure my kids are going to love it too!!! :)

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Phew, it's been awhile since I've blogged! I've been taking time to enjoy what's left of summer, and managed to sneak into my classroom and get a head start in there as well. ;) I wanted some extra seating for my library area so my students could really use the space.

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This blogger offers good ideas for labeling your books and bins so that students know where books go.

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Happy Back To School time, everyone!

That's all there is to it. I know you are too.

That's why The Primary Pack is hosting a blog hop with lots of tips and giveaways just for you! This post is full of lots of good things, so make sure you don't miss anything. Our hop is a 3...2...1... BACK TO SCHOOL BASH because each member of The Primary Pack will be giving you 3 teacher tips, 2 giveaways (one on each of our blogs and one BIG one on the Primary Pack), and 1 freebie!

To enter our BIG giveaway, you need to head over to THE PRIMARY PACK first! As you "hop" through each of our blogs, you will collect a letter from each of us... 28 total. Those letters spell out a secret code that you need to enter our BIG giveaway! You will use the secret code to enter the rafflecoptor on The Primary Pack at the end of the hop.
You need to collect the letters from us IN ORDER, so please make sure that you start from the beginning of our hop. Click on the button below to head over to THE PRIMARY PACK and start our BACK TO SCHOOL BASH!!

For people that are visual like me and want to skip all the fluff in between the posts, here's a checklist for you to make sure you grabbed everything you need:

1. Read 3 tips.
2. Find out about the 2 giveaways (1 from me and 1 from The Primary Pack)
3. Grab the freebies.
4. Write down the letter at the bottom of my post.
5. Enter my Rafflecopter.
6. Hop on, friend.

First things first, I want to share 3 tips with you for organizing your classroom library! The best thing I did for my classroom this school year was reorganize my entire classroom library. It was a lofty project, but one that desperately needed to be completed.

Go crazy on the organization. I like to have my library bins match color-wise. I like to add duct tape that matches my classroom theme (my theme is a sweet shoppe so my duct tape is cupcake tape). I feel like the duct tape ties in all my bins together and makes them more unified.

I started the project at my house because I wanted to watch tv and hang out with my dogs while I did it. If you follow me on instagram, then you might remember seeing this picture where I was organizing on a Saturday night:

I know, I'm a wild one.

When organizing, I just pushed some furniture to the side so I could have as much space on the floor as needed. I created some fake labels (writing on scrap paper... So fancy...) and just started shuffling them around on the ground. That way, nothing was set in stone and I didn't waste ink printing labels I didn't need. Ain't nobody got money for that. Don't waste ink on labels you think you need, but then realize that you don't have enough books for that label.

My Own Rule Of Thumb: Don't create a tub for a certain set of books if you only have 5 books. I try to make sure I have at least ten books before I make a bin for a certain set. However, here's my exception. If I only have 5 Pinkalicious books, but I know I'm going to buy more because I absolutely love Pinkalicious (#truth) so I would make a bin for that. However, if I'm not in a hurry to add to my Splat collection (not true, I love Splat so much), then I wouldn't make a bin for him. I might just add those books to my Characters We Love bin. That bin is my "leftover" bin for characters that I just don't have much of, but love anyway.

As you can see here, my doggies were very eager to help out with the organizing process as well:

Here is the single greatest thing I did for my library this school year. I created sticker labels that match my book bin labels. We've only been in school 12 days, but I can already see the positive impact this is having on our organizational skills and the tidiness in my classroom. I took a moment to watch my kids as they eagerly book shopped, grabbing books and putting them back IN THE RIGHT BIN! It was the greatest miracle on the whole planet. I have rarely seen a child put a book back IN THE RIGHT BIN when they are shopping. It has totally rocked my world. These labels are printed on Avery 5160 labels and there's two book bin labels per label, which is 60 per sheet.

I organize my books by genre and AR level. My AR bins are exploding with books so if they fit in a genre bucket, then they go in there.

If you're an AR school, like mine is, create labels for your books. I learned this fun tip from my teaching partner. On your label, include the book title, AR level, and quiz number. Highlight the quiz number so the kids can easily find it. She also recommended adding some cutesy clipart to the label that matches your classroom. Mine is a piece of candy because my room is the sweet shoppe. Simple tip, but so effective.

Get organized by clicking the picture below!

Now, onto the giveaway...

MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS! IF YOU'VE BEEN SKIMMING THROUGH THIS POST, DO NOT MISS THIS PART!

I know you're busy and want to learn about the giveaway so I hope my little bold message helped you find the right spot :)

Remember, you have to head back to The Primary Pack to enter that giveaway.

You can also enter to win credit to my store! Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win!

Last, but not least... A freebie! Click the picture below for this back to school freebie!

Write this letter down:

Stay in order for the blog hop and hop on over to my sweet friend Kelly from Sweet Sounds Of Kindergarten for the next letter.

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How I Organize My Classroom Library (and a Back To School Bash Giveaway)

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Happy Back To School time, everyone! That's all there is to it. I know you are too. That's why The Primary Pack is hosting a blog hop with lots of tips and giveaways just for you! This post is full of lots of good things, so make sure you don't miss anything.

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If you know your students will struggle to maintain the organization of your library. Consider a book drop. Students can put their finished books in the bin and your "classroom librarian" can empty the bin returning the books where they belong.

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A great idea for when your books get a little too much love. Students know to put it in the hospital and not to run up to you when you are with a small group!

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I'm back to share a Bright Idea that has saved me lots of time!

A couple of years ago I ran across a picture on Pinterest, via The Daily Cafe, of a book hospital and it made think about how much I needed one for my class.

So I created my own book hospital:

To create it, I adhered scrapbook paper around a book bucket using Mod Podge. I used my Cricut to create the little owl cut outs and the letters.

If you don't have a Silhouette or a Cricut, you could easily whip up a label on your computer and attach it to a book bucket/basket to designate it as your book hospital.

At first, I had to remind my students to put books in the book hospital when they came to me with a ripped book, but now they know to place their ripped books in the book hospital instead of bringing them to me. I can fix the books as time allows or when several books have accumulated in the "hospital." I placed my book hospital right above my library so the kids can easily place books in there. So easy! Saves me lots of time!

If you enjoyed this bright idea, please consider joining me on Instagram and Pinterest for more great ideas.

For more bright ideas from a variety of other bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic that interests you. Thank you for visiting!

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Book Hospital: A Bright Idea for a Classroom Library

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I'm back to share a Bright Idea that has saved me lots of time! A couple of years ago I ran across a picture on Pinterest, via The Daily Cafe, of a book hospital and it made think about how much I needed one for my class.

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Interested in an F&P leveled library? This website will help you find levels for all your books!

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Book Wizard: Find and Level Books for Your Classroom | Scholastic

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Level your classroom library, create book lists, and find the right book at just the right reading level for students with Book Wizard.

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Cute examples of different classroom libraries to begin getting ideas.

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Our favorite part of setting up a classroom is creating the reading area/library! As you design your classroom, remember to foster a love for reading by creating a nook your students will really enjoy. Energize them with pops of color, playful patterns, and special furniture that brings out the joy in opening a book. In return, they'll get lost in a story and the space. We've gathered some of our favorite classroom reading nooks from around the web. These are seriously cute!

1. Welcome to Camp

Source: Our small-town Idaho Life

Drape your fabric of choice over a simple frame to create a tent your students will beg to climb into. Messy little hands leave a stain on the tent? Toss the fabric and try again - the base of this concept can be used year after year. Plus, if you bargain shop you can grab a deal on discount fabric. Now that's what we call glamping.

2. Say Aloha to Reading
Source: Schoolgirl Style
Give your reading nook a luau feel with a thatched tiki umbrella anchored in a bucket of cement. Surround it with colorful kid-sized Adirondack chairs and hang paper lanterns above. Real or artificial palm trees complete the blissful oasis.

3. Set Sail on a Reading Boat

We've seen different versions of reading boats, so the WeAreTeachers team decided to create our own. This reading boat was made from two big cardboard boxes. We used one box as the main seating area for the boat. Then we used the second box to shape the front of the boat. Next, we added a sail by using a PVC pipe, canvas (which came from dropcloth), and pipe insulation for the edges. Of course, we know students can be hard on pieces like this, so we made sure to safely secure the sail at the bottom of the boat with tape and extra cardboard. The entire piece really shows what you can do with the magic of cardboard!

4. Reading Rainbow

Create a scene that's both visually appealing and practical. These space-saving classroom reading nooks are ideal for classrooms with limited square footage. Design from the top with a fluffy gem-filled cloud to add dimension.

5. Upcycled Space

What teacher isn't looking for a way to save money? These upcycled tire seats are a great way to do it. Paint the tires and make simple padded seat cushions; the cushions lift off so books can be stored underneath.

6. Jungle Gym

Bring the outdoors in with a jungle-themed reading corner. A large tree is tucked into the drop ceiling and supported by the classroom wall to create an anchor for this design. Now all you'll need are beanbag chairs and a patterned rug to make the room come alive.

7. Chill Out With a Book
Source: Gillette News Record
More upcycling, this time with milk jugs. Rescue these ubiquitous plastic containers from the trash and use them to build an igloo instead. Decorate it with paper snowflakes and toss some pillows and blankets inside for a comfortable finish.

8. Once Upon a Time

Kids of all ages want a net for their bed. Think back to your childhood-am I right? These simple, white nets make a budget-friendly statement for the classroom, too. Hook it to your ceiling and drape paper star garland from the rim to create a fairytale escape.

9. Pretty and Practical
Source: Dandelions and Dragonflies

Maybe simplicity is your style. A patterned rug and bright-colored pillows will entice your student's senses. Design the space around a library shelf to create a unique open-concept reading corner.

10. A Magic Treehouse

Every kid dreams of a treehouse where they can read and dream in private. This peaceful corner is slightly elevated, but not so high that you need to worry about safety. Build an artificial tree above to add to the fun.

11. Starry Night Reading Fort
Source: Natural Beach Living
Create a twinkling corner of your classroom with this nighttime idea. Drape blue fabric (bonus points for blue fabric with stars) from your classroom ceiling, creating a fort. Use a strand of white holiday lights to produce an ambiance you'll appreciate as much as your students.

12. Construct a Reading Hut

We're not saying your classroom is a jungle, but if it sometimes feels that way, this reading corner might be just what you need. Knock together a simple frame structure and deck it out as a reading hut. A comfy chair and bins of books nearby, plus some plush animals for snuggling, make this a space a natural hit.

13. Pirate's Cove
Source: Clutter-Free Classroom
This theme can be easily customizable depending on the fabrics and craft paper you have on hand. A friendly skull cutout acts as the base. Or, ditch the skull and rework the idea to fit your needs by choosing different words for your banner.

14. Rub-a-Dub Reading Tub
Source: Aileen Hower's Blog
Reading nook bathtubs have been popular for years, and there's a reason why - kids love them! Visit architectural salvage shops to find an old claw-foot tub, then fill it with plump pillows and snuggle on in. Feeling crafty? You can paint the tub in vivid colors or even decoupage book covers all over it.

15. Let's Play House
Source: K is for Kinderrific
We know - not every teacher has time to build a house structure for their classroom, but you can still pull inspiration from this creative example. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you're out thrifting; maybe you'll find an inexpensive existing structure that you can repaint to fit your needs.

16. Milk Crate Cozy

All you need are bright cushions on plastic milk crates to create a comfy corner that's ideal for reading. Color-coordinate them with storage baskets full of books and add a few vibrant accents for an easy setup your students will love.

17. Grown Up Space
Source: Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits
Think about your own home: are there any pieces of furniture that you can repurpose for your classroom? Maybe you have a chair that no longer fits in your living room or an ottoman that gets very little use. Grown up furniture isn't off limits; tailor it to your students by adding colorful patterns and fun fabrics.

18. Reading Superpowers
Source: Brooke Butler/Pinterest
Reading is a true superpower in our book! Kids will think so too when they settle down in this corner of Gotham with colorful cushions and beloved superheroes all around. (Bam, zap, kapow... they can learn about onomatopoeia too.)

19. Color Me Happy
Source: Teacher Bits & Bobs
You simply cannot go wrong with color in a classroom. Think complimentary colors, but don't stop there. Classroom reading nooks are some of the few places you can really push boundaries when it comes to pairing different shades and tones. Go bold or go home!

20. Fort Imagination
Source: Little Miss Kim's Class
A little quiet goes a long way when creating a good reading space. This DIY fort is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to build from PVC pipe and fabric (get the complete how-to at the link above), and gives kids a place to block out distractions and focus on the book at hand.

21. Go Wild
Source: Polka Dot Teacher
Fill your reading nook with wild stuffed animals as a cuddly incentive for students. Throughout the summer keep your eyes peeled for animal print rugs, blankets and pillows to accent your space and start the school year off with a roar.

22. Dive In to Reading

Head under the sea and make a splash with this fun reading nook! Blow up a colorful inflatable pool and add a few beach balls for cushions. Throw in a few sea creatures and an ocean background, and you've got a vibrant space perfect for floating off with a good book.

23. Accio Books!
Source: Stephanie Sian/Pinterest
Harry Potter may be responsible for more fanatical readers in this new generation than any other character. Why not welcome him into your classroom? This magical reading nook is filled with details that fans of the books will love, and spark the interest of those who are reading them for the first time.
What does your classroom reading nook look like? Come share your photos and chat with us in our Facebook group just for teachers-WeAreTeachers Chat.

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23 Classroom Reading Nooks We Love (Seriously, So Cute)

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Our favorite part of setting up a classroom is creating the reading area/library! As you design your classroom, remember to foster a love for reading by creating a nook your students will really enjoy. Energize them with pops of color, playful patterns, and special furniture that brings out the joy in opening a book.