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Build a Classroom Library Your Students Will Love

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This year I get the privilege of teaching Language Arts and Writing. If you know me, you know I’m so giddy about this. I have a huge love for everything reading, writing, phonics, etc. So, when I planned out my classroom, my focus was literacy! And my library is the focal point in my classroom. Here are some tips to build a classroom library that your students will absolutely love!

IKEA is the perfect place to go to build your classroom library! There are so many storage options for you to choose from! I used the Kallax book shelves to create an L shaped reading area.

I found these stools and this cute kid table, as well. This is a perfect place for a few friends to sit and read to each other. I added a comfy couch, a rug and some pillows to put it all together nicely. My students were so excited when they walked in on the first day.

Create a System!

This space could turn into mass chaos if I’m not careful. The first few weeks of school is all about routines and procedures, and this one is a big on in my class! I worked really…really hard on organizing this library and I want to keep it that way.

First, I bought a ton of bins, of all sizes. Next, I grouped my books by various categories, subjects, topics and authors. A variety is always best. I created bright, easy to read labels to place on the back of each book and for the front of the bins. This way it’s easy for my learners to know where a book goes when they finish it.

Second grade means that I’m going to have students at all levels of reading. For the first time, I had to search for chapter books. My more advanced readers have a huge variety of chapter books. For these books, I created a letter and color combination. Along with those, I created categories of favorite subjects and authors.

All of this planning ensures that my library will stay neat, organized and easy to use!

Checking Out?

To make sure books stay intact, checked out correctly and put back in the right bin, students need to be taught. And that also means teaching them how to check books out. I’ve tried it all for library check out. But I found THE best procedure to check out books.

It’s called Book Source! It holds all 1800+ of my books in one place. When my students choose a book, they go to the iPad, check it out and then check it back in when they are done. It takes some time to put books into the system, but once it’s done, you never have to do it again unless adding more books! And guess what? It’s FREE!!

You want to revamp your classroom library? You can grab my Library Organization pack below!

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progress monitoring in the early elementary classroom for math, literacy and reading