Our school has been blessed with having multiple copies of lots of different books. We house them all in our Literacy Library.
Years ago, we made a decision to do away with reading workbooks and we were allowed to spend some of that money on ordering books.
We bought matching bookshelves and lined the walls with them. Each set of books is kept in cardboard magazine boxes. My paraprofessional typed up book labels for each box. On the side of each box is a library pocket and card. Teachers just sign the card when they want to borrow the books from that box.
The books are organized by approximate grade level. By having access to the Lit. Library, teachers can have so many choices of reading materials for their students. It helps to have a range of levels to choose from so that we can better match up the right books to our students for those years that you may have students far behind or far ahead of grade level.
We keep track of all our books in a notebook. The books are listed in alphabetical order with the book level also listed.
Does your school have anything like this or does each teacher keep all their books in their own classroom? I would love to hear how your books are organized!
Hi Lori,
ReplyDeleteAbout 8 years ago we got a new administrator who brought the idea of leveled reading to our school. Before that, we had been teaching reading whole group through the anthology. I teach first grade and can honestly say I never felt effective until I started doing leveled reading. That administrator also put money aside to help our school purchase a huge library of rigby and wright books that were all leveled and organized. Now comes the sad part...we have a new administrator who wanted us to use a scripted program for teaching reading. He wants the program to be research based. I have tried to share how much goes into a lesson when you pul your little leveled group, but he doesn't hear me. Is there any reasearch out there supporting a balanced approach to teaching reading as opposed to all phonics?
I am desperate. Thanks for your advice.
We, too, have a literacy library like you're referring to, but it's a bit more haphazard, thrown together by resources we had on site. The books are leveled. We also got a new reading program a couple years ago that includes leveled readers, and we have some intervention kits that are included level readers as well. We have a "plethora" or material, too much it seems sometimes. Plus, the time it takes to plan a guided reading lesson is enormous. The best decision we've ever made is to use Read Well with our K/1 classes. It has been the easiest program to implement and comes with everything you need to teach reading.
ReplyDeleteWhat i have learned
I have books in my room, but we also have a closet of books galore. Our problem is that it's not very organized anymore. There's no one who has taken charge of it and kept it in good shape. Honestly, the teachers haven't been great about doing their part when returning books either. Too bad we couldn't hire you to visit for a few days and get us back on track!
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First
Guided Reading and Balanced Literacy allow students to have reading instruction tailored to their interests and needs. Our district has a vast Literacy Closet with books from A to Z. While I understand the frustration of planning for guided reading groups, how else can you be sure to meet the needs of your readers? Within one second grade classroom, you could have readers ranging from Level E to Q! How could a scripted reading program meet their needs? I think your administrator should come and witness you read with your different groups to see that they are all unique and can't be expected to have success without consideration to their needs.
ReplyDeleteI would love this!! We have begged our school not to order reading series/workbooks because we hate them and to order quality literature instead. I wish the would listen and do something like this!
ReplyDeleteVickie
http://plantspress.blogspot.com
I also wish our school would go to leveled books and also guided reading. Our reading teachers teach to whole group with the reading book and workbooks, and they would be lost without them.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have as many books as you, but they're organized by levels in tubs in a cupboard. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who uses them, though. Ha ha!
ReplyDelete❀Barbara❀
Grade ONEderful
Ruby Slippers Blog Designs
I love having our leveled library, but it needs to be refurbished. So many of the books are torn up or missing. The other problem we have is that so many teachers have not claimed book sets as their own.
ReplyDeleteStop by my blog because you have been boo'ed! Join in the fun linky!
Andrea
Reading Toward the Stars
Teachers in my elementary school have a collection of leveled books in their classrooms. However, sometimes teachers use all the titles in their collection, and their students still aren't ready to move to the next level. That is when the "book room" comes in handy. We have a room designated for leveled books from which teachers check out additional books. What a great resource!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the fancy wooden bookshelves your school purchased. Your library is well organized. Thanks for sharing. :)
Read with Me ABC
Oh I just had an idea to share...
ReplyDeleteWhen teachers take books out, they slide a long piece of laminated card stock into the spot where they took books. The card stock for each teacher has their name on it and is a different color. Then, when teachers go to return books, they can quickly find where to put them away. This idea is a time saver and helps keep the book room in order!
Read with Me ABC
jbales, I am so sorry to hear that your admin is having you use a scripted program. It would probably take you and your team together to talk to your admin and convince them to change. Linda Dorn or Fountas and Pinnell would be good ones to use for research if you like leveled groups. There is a lot of research out there. Or Four Blocks for whole group. I sincerely hope that you can can convince your administration to let you change!
ReplyDeleteJessica, we have a lot of materials too and I cannot take credit for the organization of our lit library. My paraprofessional did a lot of the organizing of the books for us. That helped a lot, because as you said, putting the lessons together does take a lot of time. :)
ReplyDeleteTammy, our teachers sometimes forget to return the books too. So much to do, so little time! I can't take the credit for organizing. My paraprofessional helped us out on that! Now, she and I go in and straighten once in a while and that helps.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, we use Reading A-Z also. Huge help with having even more materials to choose from. And I agree with you about the scripted programs! :)
ReplyDeleteVicki, when we did away with workbooks years ago, it was the best thing we could do for our reading! I love good quality literature with authentic reading activities over workbook pages any day!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Lee Ann, so much more can be done without the workbooks. I haven't used workbooks in many, many years and can't imagine having to go back.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine tubs work very well too, Barbara! I think sometimes we teachers forget to use all the resources that we have! :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea, some of our books are getting worn and are falling apart too. Some of them need to be replaced. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWendy, I LOVE that idea of using different colored card stock to mark your place!! I am forever searching where to return the books that I have borrowed and feel like I am wasting precious time doing that! Thank you for sharing that!
ReplyDeleteLori, we use Reading A to Z as well. We have a file cabinet of already printed sets. For our leveled books, we purchased a large amount from Benchmark Education. There are loads of resources on their website. Another popular set we have is from Mondo publishing. They are Safari "magazines" with a fiction article, nonfiction, poem, and reader's theater all on similar topics.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these sets of books have teacher's guides which are a big hit with our staff. I know that we spent quite a bit of money on these books in place of a new anthology purchase. I don't think you could really get the variety you need unless that happens.
Good luck!
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