CLASSROOM LIBRARY BOOKS HOW TO

Tammy and Clare want this book to impact the lives of teachers and students directly so they are donating all author royalties it generates to the Book Love Foundation.īook Love is a not-for-profit organization founded by Penny Kittle with one goal: to put books in the hands of teenagers. Teachers must have easy access to what they need, when they need it, because in the life of a reader the right book at the right time makes all the difference. It’s All About the Books will help you transform how you organize books across the entire school to make each teacher’s book supply seem endless in the eyes of a reader.

CLASSROOM LIBRARY BOOKS HOW TO

From design, to inventory, to organizing, purchasing, and using these books in the classroom-they demonstrate how to make the most of what you have, and how to get what need on a budget.Įvery child deserves the opportunity to become a lifelong reader.

Each chapter includes photos, resources, book lists, and a step-by-step outline of the process so you can get started right away. Getting started with designing and provisioning classroom libraries and bookrooms to support lifelong readers involves collaboration, planning, and some elbow grease! It’s All About the Books is a practical yet detailed guide to creating a system where classroom libraries and bookrooms work seamlessly together to make it easy for teachers to find books to engage and scaffold all students in a school community. In It’s All About the Books, Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan share the systems they have developed over the last 15 years to create classroom libraries and book rooms that support both student choice and instructional goals. Lifelong readers need passion, agency, and a sense of inquiry in their reading lives. “We also recommend books that represent diverse characters and storylines where kids can learn about themselves and others,” Appleton added.The term “lifelong reader” is more than a slogan or jargon in a mission statement. “The checklist gives them the guidelines to build a library from scratch or to enhance an existing one.” Classroom libraries with at least 10–20 books on a revolving basis are designed to maintain students’ interest and engagement. “We know that educators are strapped for time and money,” said Julianne Appleton, director of research and insight at First Book. When creating the checklist, First Book and Neuman sought to take the guesswork out of constructing a high-quality classroom library. “When given our checklist, they realized it wasn’t as good as they had thought it didn’t have cozy areas to read, multiple levels of books, or books of diversity,” she explained. Perhaps the biggest surprise that came out of First Book’s survey, according to Neuman, was how highly teachers had initially rated their libraries. First Book’s survey also called attention to a lack of robust collections, revealing that 54% of educators had 10 or fewer books in their respective classroom libraries. In addition, 47% of the respondents said it took more than six years to build their libraries, and 28% noted that it took at least 10 years to obtain enough books for a well-stocked library. Among the key takeaways: 96% of teachers personally funded some or all of their classroom libraries, spending an average of $346 on books and other literacy materials. To gain a better understanding of the current state of classroom literacy in the U.S., First Book surveyed more than 1,200 registered member educators working in Title I (or Title I-eligible) schools about students’ accessibility to books for independent reading. “People don’t realize what a classroom library should look like, and we wanted to support our teachers in designing one,” she said. Department of Education’s finding that 2.5 million children are enrolled in districts without school libraries. As further evidence, she pointed to the U.S. “Kids living in poverty come from book deserts,” said Neuman, professor of teaching and learning at New York University, who led this research study. The Literacy Rich Classroom Library Checklist, which helps assess a library’s functionality and usefulness, was released last month in conjunction with a nationwide educator survey, providing greater insight into the struggles and financial challenges pervading low-income school systems. Focused on creating more book-filled classrooms across the country-particularly in underserved communities-Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit First Book, along with education researcher Susan Neuman, has launched a tool to assist educators with designing libraries that maximize their potential.

Classroom library books