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PODCAST - D323 Library Podcast @Student Book Choice

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PODCAST - D323 Library Podcast @Student Book Choice

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Ep 012 Student Book Choice

Ep 012 Student Book Choice

Come chat about student choice of books and how important it is to curate a collection that is safe and supportive for continued growth. Music Credit: Cheery Monday Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Ep 012 Student Book Choice  by D323 Library Podcast

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Ep 012 Student Book Choice by D323 Library Podcast

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Come chat about student choice of books and how important it is to curate a collection that is safe and supportive for continued growth. Music Credit: Cheery Monday Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Open a world of reading. Try Sora, the new reading app for students, by OverDrive.

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PINTEREST Board - 22 Library Book Choice Ideas

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PINTEREST Board - 22 Library Book Choice Ideas

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ARTICLE - 5 Tip for Helping a Student Find the Right Book

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ARTICLE - 5 Tip for Helping a Student Find the Right Book

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When I was a high school English language arts teacher, there was really no greater feeling than helping a kid find the book. When they wrote something that they truly owned and were proud of (an essay, poem, letter), that was a close second.

As teachers, regardless of age of our students, we contribute everyday in helping children fall in love with reading and writing. Those two things enrich our lives academically, yes, but also personally: Reading helps us make sense of the world. Writing gives us a voice in that same world.

More specifically, the book, in my own definition, arrives when a student is no longer learning to read but reading to learn. They've read a lot of "chapter books" for fun, excitement, and adventurous means. They are now emerging from adolescence and are in the early to mid-teen years. At this developmental place, they are beginning to seek to understand the world.

Once found, the book has a profound affect on them -- their emerging sense of understanding of life; it is often tragic yet hopeful and sparks empathy and speaks to the universality of the human experience. Franz Kafka's famous quote comes to mind, "A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us." (The ax for me was Hemingway's Farewell to Arms. I was 15.)

I Don't Know What to Read!

So, you may not be on a quest to help them find that life-changing tome, or you may work with younger kids who are just looking for an entertaining read. In any case for any reason, whether students are seeking a book from the classroom, school, or public library, here's a few things to keep in mind as you support them with their reading choices:

Tip #1: Get to Know the Student. The more I know about a student's background, her likes and interests, and what she has already read, the more I can help steer her towards good book choices. Research shows that students want guidance when choosing a book, so, of course always let students choose, but selecting three or four book to offer up for them to peruse and decide from is a suggested approach.

Tip #2: Experiment. You can't hate a book until you've tried it. So encourage them to try something first. In the past, he might have read only fantasy but you can suggest he take a look at a biography or a mystery series. Share your own story of genre switching, or even better, a story where a student went outside her usual genre and found something she loved.

Tip #3: Exposure. You can expose students by taking them to the school or local public library and creating a scavenger hunt that they can do in pairs, with quests like this: "Find a book by the author Walter Dean Myers. Write down the title."

The public or school library (even just the classroom one) can easily overwhelm a student. So tempting them with five or six different books that you display in the front of your classroom is a great help for those intimidated by those shelves with hundreds of books (and remember, students want suggestions!)

This is where Book Talks come in. Invite a student who has already read one of the displayed classroom books to give a little shout out to the awesomeness of that book. You can also talk about the author, using interesting facts to pique their interest. You can also do a "read and tease," reading aloud the first paragraph of the book or a part from the middle where there's some exciting action.

Tip #4: Permission to Abandon that Book. We do it as adults so why not invite children to do it as well? I never wanted a student to feel like she was disappointing me because I had suggested a book and it just wasn't clicking for her. Once students know that they have permission to abandon a book after reading it for an hour or for a week, then they are much more apt to experiment.

Tip #5: Time to Look. Again, reflect on how long as adults it takes us to find the right book. We have to give students time to thumb through, read back covers, think about it, and then change their minds and start the search again. I've seen way too many classroom libraries that function more as museums -- look but don't touch. End instruction early, spread out selected reading books (maybe the high-interest ones) or make "genre stacks" on tables and desks and let them go at it.

Providing students also with time to read is so important. During class? I know, in this standards-based instruction era it seems like there is hardly time, but we have to make time. In the words of reading instruction researcher and author Kylene Beers, the single best way to improve reading interest and reading ability is to read.

Resources
The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child Reading Reasons: Motivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School
How do you support independent reading and what are ways you inspire your students to read? Please share in the comments section below.

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5 Tips for Helping a Student Find the Right Book

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When I was a high school English language arts teacher, there was really no greater feeling than helping a kid find the book. When they wrote something that they truly owned and were proud of (an essay, poem, letter), that was a close second.

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ARTICLE - 6 Powerful Strategies on How to Choose Books to Read

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ARTICLE - 6 Powerful Strategies on How to Choose Books to Read

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There are no rules on how to choose books to read, but these strategies help children make appropriate choices. Each child is different so they can determine the best strategy to help them discover the best book for their needs.

Reading should be fun otherwise what is the point! As children get older they will read for learning, but we don't want them to lose their love of learning in the meantime. That's why we need to embed a positive attitude while they are young.

I know I am preaching to the choir, but don't push children to read what they are not ready for. You are only reinforcing the message that reading is a chore. When children choose a book they don't like, they can put it back and choose another one. The goal is for reading to be about pleasure not forced enjoyment.

Reading should be fun otherwise what is the point! For children reading should be about enjoyment and entertainment. As they get older they will read for learning, but we don't want them to lose their love of learning. That's why we need to embed a positive attitude while they are young.

If you are a parent, I recommend using a library, so your wallet doesn't get a big hit while your child explores their reading preferences!

What strategies do you use with your students to help them make good reading choices?

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6 Powerful Strategies on How to Choose Books to Read

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There are no rules on how to choose books to read, but these strategies help children make appropriate choices. Each child is different so they can determine the best strategy to help them discover the best book for their needs. Reading should be fun otherwise what is the point!

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100 Organizing by genre ideas | library organization, classroom library, school library

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Mar 28, 2017 - Explore Blair-Preston Public Library’s board “Organizing by genre”, followed by 1,102 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about library organization, classroom library, school library.

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SCHOLASTIC - The Best Ways to Organize Your Classroom Library Books

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SCHOLASTIC - The Best Ways to Organize Your Classroom Library Books

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For young readers to get the most out of their classroom library, it has to be organized in a way that makes it easy for them to find the books they want to read. Of course, there are a number of ways to do this, and if you're a new teacher, you may be wondering what method is most effective.

Plus, check out these 11 must-have resources for an effective classroom library.
Whether you're considering sorting your books by topic, level, or alphabetical by title or author, the questions and answers below will help you find the methods that are right for you.

What's the best way to organize nonfiction books?
Many teachers organize nonfiction books by topic, as interest in a topic typically outweighs reading level. For example, if a student has a high interest in a topic but is reading at a lower level than the book is geared toward, they'll still likely comprehend what they're reading due to their interest in the topic.

Should nonfiction be further broken down by sub-topics and areas of interest?
Depending on the number of books you have and the size of your classroom library, sorting your nonfiction books into sub-topics and areas of interest-for example, autobiography or animals-is an effective organization strategy. If you have a large and growing classroom library, your students will know exactly where to find the type of books they're most interested in and can further their reading by exploring other related topics.

What's the most effective way to organize fiction books?
When it comes to organizing your fiction books, it all comes down to personal preference. Many teachers organize fiction books either by level, genre, or alphabetical by author. Organizing your books by genre is a great way to help students determine which types of books they enjoy as well as introduce new storytelling techniques. If you choose to organize your classroom library books by level, our book wizard is a great resource for organizing books and adding to your library. Some teachers even choose to level half their fiction collection specifically for independent reading and set aside the other half as "free reading" books for students to choose from. This is another great strategy to encourage students to explore new topics and areas of interests.

Should students have a say in how their classroom library is organized?
Absolutely! Students will always want to be able to find the books they want to read as quickly and easily as possible. Once you choose and implement an organization method for your classroom library, check in with your students to see how it's working for them. They may have some tips or suggestions to help make their classroom library even more effective.

When it comes to organizing the books in your classroom library, these strategies and suggestions are a great starting point. How you ultimately decide to organize the books in your classroom library will be determined by the space you have to work with, the number and variety of books you have, but most importantly, by your personal preference and what works best for your students.
Get more great classroom library tips from the in-house Scholastic librarian here.

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The Best Ways to Organize Your Classroom Library Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For young readers to get the most out of their classroom library, it has to be organized in a way that makes it easy for them to find the books they want to read. Of course, there are a number of ways to do this, and if you're a new teacher, you may be wondering what method is most effective.