A classroom library should be inviting, comfortable, and highly visible. Let students know that book are valued and reading is important. A well planned classroom or home library can improve reading achievement.
Here are some simple tips to help create a successful, engaging space just about anywhere:
1. Space
- Try to find a space in the room big enough to encompass comfortable seating; this could include rug squares, bean bags, a soft rug, or comfortable child-size chairs or sofa.
- Choose an area that is easily accessible to students and used only for library and reading materials
- Make the library visible and decorate areas around the library
- Make sure there is ample lighting
2. Include Students in the Design
- Invite students to discuss the arrangement of the library
- Have students sort the books into categories; place books in a pile and let the students take turns suggesting which category they should be placed in
- Try to organize in groups that do not rely only on reading level, ie: genre, subject, series, ‘kids like us’, chapter books, etc.
- Make sure to include ‘Library Helper’ in the daily job assignments, and allow that student to decide which books are showcased that week
- Teach children how to care for books- model the proper way to hold the books while reading, make bookmarks that list the ‘good book care’ practices, such as: not bending the spine, not food or drink around the books, keep pens and markers away from books, don’t place items on top of the books that could damage them, etc
3. Arrangement
There are many ways to organize the books, however, the most important quality of a child’s library is that he or she can easily reach the books
- If using bookshelves, place book ends or decorative pieces in between groups of books- sometimes, looking at row after row of titles written on the spines of the books can be overwhelming to many children
- If books are in bins or baskets, make sure there is enough room for the children to look through the books without having to take them out
- Place some books on display all by themselves; try to choose books that are connected to something students are learning about in class
- One of my favorite ideas for a library design in a classroom with limited space is the use of rain gutters around the room (see below for more information)
4. Variety
- Offer a large variety of genre, reading levels, types of books, etc.
- Include audio books and read-along books – this is especially important for students who have language based challenges, such as dyslexia, speech, hearing, or visual processing difficulty, as well as ELLs and auditory learners
- As new books are added to the library, have a quick book talk or show the new book on a display for a few days before placing it in the library
- Include student and class-written books
Continue to update books throughout the year, rotating as needed and displaying new books weekly.
Show the students that their literary opinions are important; provide a recommendation page for students to share their favorite books. Ask them to answer a few questions about the book to entice the next reader. Keep a Top Ten List of favorite books monthly or every other month. Have regular book talks led by the students.
Find a great variety of auditory ebooks, visit: http://www.biguniverse.com/readkidsbooks/read-aloud
*Using Rain Gutters as Book Shelves
Rain gutter book shelves for the classroom are an inexpensive way to make books highly visible around the room, especially if space for a traditional library is limited.
The gutters can be cut to any length and once attached, place end caps on each end.
Gutters can be attached using screws (there are many DIY instructions for installing rain gutter book shelves online)
