2/12/2023 0 Comments Classroom library books![]() I had some idea which students had them because of conferences and blogs, but we (as a community) became lax in our procedures because book check out with over 30 kids in a 41 minute class is frenzied. I posted this list on the whiteboard the last week of school, and many of these books were returned however, after a year of sharing books, 1) the condition of the books suffered (not much caring), and 2) my systems for processing and tracking books failed miserably.Īfter posting the list of disappeared books on the whiteboard the last week of school, many of these books appeared. When I added up the cost, I was out close to $500 in books (and that’s just what I tracked). Students who had never finished a book on their own had read 20 books students who loved to read read over 50 many just loved the calm time to get lost in the book ( unconscious delight) and I did my best “teaching” during that time when I could confer with students one-on-one about their reading experiences.Īt the end of the school year, however, many of my new books were in tatters and quite a few were disappeared. I read Donalyn Miller’s Book Whisperer and Penny Kittle’s Book Love last summer and, with grant money from the Bokor Foundation, I made time in class for students to explore, read, and talk about the books that they wanted to read when they wanted to read them. The beautiful collection was not used to promote free, individual reading because I did not use the library in that way I did not make time and space for students to explore and read books - until last year. I’d even hide certain books in boxes until we started a unit on immigration, for example, in which case I’d take out the book boxes filled with stories of immigration - because I decided that students were ready for these stories at this time. I inherited hundreds of book from my mentor Diane DuBois, and for a few years I used these books to supplement the curriculum. My classroom library is my curriculum, finally. “We also recommend books that represent diverse characters and storylines where kids can learn about themselves and others,” Appleton added.Sarah J. “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.
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