Classroom Library Linky Party

Amy, over at Literacy and Laughter, is hosting a linky party on classroom libraries.  Be sure to head over there to check out all of the other great photographs of how teachers organize their books in their libraries.

I love, love books!!  I try to pass that on to my students too.  If they know anything about me, they know that I read EVERY day, that I LOVE to read, and they know what I am reading at any given time.  The above two pictures of bookshelves are a wall of books for the students to read and check out.  I have them grouped into baskets.  Because I service such a range of grade levels (k-5), I have found I need to group the books according to reading levels.  If I were still in the classroom, I would group them by genre, authors, themes, etc...  I level the baskets with letters A-Z.  Most letters I have multiple baskets of for the students to choose from.  As students increase their reading skills, I adjust their baskets.  I also like to give them a range of baskets to choose from.  This gives them lots of books to be successful.

This photo shows my checkout system.  Each student has a pocket on the chart with their name.  Inside the pocket is a card (the colored cards-green, blue, purple, yellow) that has the basket letters each student is reading out of.  These cards stay in the chart all year.  That way the student doesn't have to try to remember what baskets they are in and their levels get switched quite a bit.  So that also saves my sanity!  Inside each book on my wall of books is a pocket with a check out card.  Students sign the card and date it, then stick it in their own pocket on the chart above.  That has been the easiest way that I have found for me to keep track of who has what book and for how long.  When they bring back the book, they get the card out of their pocket, it goes back into the book and since the book is labeled on the front with the same letter as the basket it goes it, they can put it right back where it belongs.  Just takes a bit of training at the beginning of the year, then they are good to go!

This one of the students' favorite places to read.  They love these chairs!  They can rock and read in them!

Here is another reading area for students.  They enjoy these chairs that sit up high!

This is our carpet area.  We meet here a lot when I read aloud to the students, work on the wipeoff board, or work on the pocket chart.  Students love to stretch out on this carpet to read.

This is my "blessed books" basket.  When I read books out loud, I place them in this basket for students to look at and read later.  It is a way of building up interest in the book, helping students become familiar with it, and then they can read it on their own or with a partner.

Thank you for visiting my classroom library and reading areas!  Don't forget to go to Literacy and Laughter and join in the linky party!