Holly Hanna - Blog Post #3 - Routman, Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

As a student, I remember the excitement I felt when it was "library day" at school.  I loved going to my school library to choose new books to read each week.  I remember my mother, who was also a teacher, taking me to our hometown library to get my first library card of my very own.  I remember buying books at the mall bookstore that lined the shelves in our living room once they had been read. Reading was clearly important in my household.  My parents valued reading for information and for pleasure, which really made an impact on me as an beginning reader.  I remember having books in my classrooms, but very few aside from our textbooks.  I can't imagine how many books I would or could have read if I had been exposed to even more books throughout the school day.  Although I was blessed to grow up in a home where literature was present and valuable, I think of all of the students in my own classroom who do not have that same access to books at home.  Not all children have transportation to public libraries or money to purchase their own books.  This leaves a child's school and teachers responsible for every exposure they have to literature.  Routman states that "the availability of reading materials greatly impacts children's literacy development."  She also writes that "the better the libraries, the better reading achievement as measured by standardized tests". Therefore, it is critical that books are available and classroom libraries are extensive for low-income students to have the same opportunities for growth as a reader as other students who are exposed to more books at home.  Routman also suggests providing lots of choices for readers that are interesting in an attempt to encourage struggling readers.  I love the idea of simply talking to students about what they like to read and then filling your classroom library with those titles or topics.  I agree with Routman's idea that comprehension is affected by a reader's level of engagement.  My students are definitely more engaged when they are reading books that interest them.  

Just as school libraries are organized, classroom libraries should also have organization for children to easily access books they want to read.  Books can be organized in a variety of ways (genre, topic, author, reading level, etc.).  In my current classroom library I have a lot of books on all reading levels - from beginning readers to chapter books.  I have a variety of genres and authors.  This year, I organized my library by genre and by reading level.  However, my greatest challenge with library organization is keeping it organized.  When students do not return books to their designated place (shelves and labeled bins), the library becomes unorganized very quickly and students have a very difficult time locating specific book choices.  My plan for the library is to organize books with stickers.  Students will return books to bins that have a sticker that matches the one on their book. Routman suggests having students help with library organization because it helps students "take pride in their library".  This is something I will definitely try in my classroom.  My students (especially my girls) love to help with all sorts of "teacher" duties and this is one way they can be a valuable helper throughout the day that could make a huge impact on the accessibility of books for every student.  I plan to form a "library committee" of students to help with this process.  

Another topic Routman discussed in this chapter is an on-going lesson in my classroom:  Teaching students how to care for books.  I often share with students how I love and respect the books I read because I want them to last for a very long time.  The longer my books last, the more children will be able to read and enjoy them.  I teach students how to take care of books, but still have to regularly remind them to use clean hands when reading, to not leave them on the floor, to put books back in the library when they're finished instead of stuffing them into their desk, and to use bookmarks instead of bending pages.  Rules and expectations for books are an important part of students having full access to our classroom library.  I want students to feel ownership of our books, but that also must mean taking care of them.  I try to model this every day when doing read alouds or using books for instructional purposes.  

This chapter reminded me that it is critical for me to continue to expand my classroom library for all students.  Making books accessible to students plays a key role in their overall academic achievement and whether students become life-long readers.  My goal is to give students the tools they need to feel successful as readers, and I can do this by creating an inviting, extensive library for them to enjoy!