How to Organize Books

It's much more exciting and fun to read when books are organized in a kid-friendly way, whether at home or at school.  Having to choose a book from a big pile or from a group of books all stacked together on a shelf is a daunting task for many kids.  Here are some suggestions that have worked well for me.

1)  I divide my classroom books into categories such as mysteries, people books, non-fiction animal books, fairy tales, etc.  I store each group of books in a plastic shoe box (usually available for about $1 at Wal-Mart or Target).   Then I put a matching colored round sticker on the top corner of all the books in each set so that the children will remember which box to return the book.  I've found that it is cheaper to just buy a set of white round stickers and then color them whatever color I want them to be with a marker.  That gives me more options on what colors I can use also. 

A tub of "people books" with blue sticker labels so the kids know where to return them.

Part of our classroom library divided up by category.

2)  Sometimes it is nice to have a section of books divided by reading level so that children can choose a book that they know will be just right for them to read.  You can either level the books yourself (you start to get a pretty good idea of levels just by looking at them after awhile), or there are several websites that have lists of leveled books you can search through. 

Books labeled according to reading level.

3)  I like to keep a shelf open for seasonal and holiday books.  That way the kids always have something new and fun to look at throughout the year.

Halloween books on my seasonal book shelf.

Name Tag Tips

This year I tried two different things with my students' name tags.  First of all, I made a name tag template on my computer so that I could just type the students' names in and print the tags off.  It has worked out great because I didn't have to go buy name tags, I had the option of making the tags any color or design I wanted to match my room, and the names turn out perfect every time.  :)

Another thing I changed was how I attached the name tags to the desks.  I got so tired of taping down the students' name tags on their desks over and over again last year.  I tried using magnets to attach the tags to the sides of the desks, but that really limits how you arrange the desks.   So this year I finally decided to use velcro.  It works great!  The tags stay on just fine, and I can pull them off and switch them as needed when students move in and out, or when someone spills on their desk . . .

 

How to help kids pick a "good fit" book

      I often get asked how to help kids pick a book that is a good fit for them.  As teachers, we usually have access to many books that are already leveled for our use.  This makes it much easier for us to pair a child up with the right level of book.  Parents rarely have that advantage, however.  And truth be told, many times teachers have their own classroom libraries or other collections of books that aren't leveled either.   So how do you find a book that will be just right for a child?  I am a big proponent of teaching your child how to pick "good fit" books all by themselves.  It takes a little training, but they are very capable of it.  Here are a few tips that might come in handy:

1)  Size does matter.  In general, you can tell a lot about the difficulty level of the book by the size of the font.  Usually, the bigger the words and the font, the easier the book.  So if your child is a beginning reader, watch for books with few words and a big font.  As your child progresses in their reading, slowly graduate to a smaller font size, more words, and fewer pictures.

2)  Teach your child to follow the five finger rule.  Turn to a random page in the book and have your child read it aloud.  For each word that they cannot read, have them hold up a finger.  If they get to more than five fingers (five words that are too difficult for them) on one page, that book is probably too high of a reading level for that child.  Try again with something that is a little simpler.  If they don't hold any fingers up, that book is probably too easy for them and they should try something a little more challenging.

3)   Teach your child not to be embarrassed if they are on a lower reading level than some of their friends or classmates.  Sometimes kids will try to read books that are too hard for them because they want their friends to think they are smart.  This can be damaging to the child because it is frustrating to not understand what they are reading and it makes reading a chore rather than a reward.  To avoid falling into this trap, in my school class we talk about how to choose a "good fit" book.  Just like we all wear different sizes of shoes, we are all at different levels in our reading.  You wouldn't want to walk around in your dad's big boots all day.  It would be very uncomfortable and difficult.  The same is true with reading books.  It's not fun to read a book that is too big (too hard) or too little (too easy) for you.  Reading is best when you find a book that is just the right fit for you.

4)  Help your child find books that are interesting to them.  No one wants to read about things that they think are boring.  If your first-grader likes bugs, go into the nonfiction section of the library and check out some simple books on bugs.  If your fifth-grader is into sports, find that section in the library.  If your third-grader is obsessed with pets, there is a section for that as well.  I have found that when a child hates reading,  many times it is because they aren't reading something that captures their attention.  Finding a book that is just right for them goes a long ways towards solving the problem.

Halloween Fun

Holidays are a fun and exciting time for kids of all ages, both the young and the young at heart.  Most of my favorite memories from when I was young revolve around the holiday season.  Since kids spend a good amount of time at school throughout the holiday months, I think it's important for teachers to get involved and participate in fun holiday activities along with their class.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that learning and staying focused on academics aren't an extremely important part of school.  But I think it's easy to forget that after all is said and done, kids are still just kids.  Along with all of the hard work and learning, there needs to be at least a little bit of time left over for developing creativity, building friendships among classmates, and having some good old-fashioned fun.   Here are some of my favorite costumes from the past few school years.

Sarah Palin

The 80's rock!

Decorating the classroom for fall.

Ten Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

1.  Don't be embarrassed about a problem your child has in school.  Trust us, we've already seen it all.  :)  We're not going to think less of you as a person or a parent if your child acts out or has a problem.  Just be upfront about it and work with us on it so that we are on the same page.

2.  Don't send your child to school sick.   We would much rather prepare makeup work than have a child throw up on the carpet or cough on everyone.  We do use hand sanitizer and clorox wipes daily, but sickness tends to spread quickly in schools, and this is one case where sharing is not fun.

3.  If possible, let us know if you are dealing with major changes or difficult situations that might affect your child (like a divorce, moving, parents leaving town on a trip, etc.)  You may not realize it, but these situations often cause your child to act out at school, and it helps us to know how to help him or her if we are aware of what is behind the behavior.

4.  Don't ask us to talk about or give opinions on other teachers at the school.  It is not professional to discuss our coworkers in that way, and it puts us in an awkward situation.

5.  We really do care about your child.  We see them more than you do on some days, and we get to know them quite well.  Please know that we have their best interests at heart.

6.  We are teachers, not miracle workers.  We are doing the best we can, but sometimes we can't turn things around for your child in just a day, a week, or even a month.  Some things just take time.  And often it can't all be done at school.  Take the time to reinforce areas of weakness with your child at home, whether they be academic, behavior, or social problems.

7.    Please try to avoid missing school for vacations and trips if at all possible.  It puts a lot of extra burden on the teacher to have to prepare work for your child ahead of time and then help them make up missed assignments, quizzes, and tests when they return.  We do our best to be there at school every day, so please help us out by doing the same in return.

8.  If you are coming in to the classroom to help as a parent volunteer, please be professional.  It is distracting to the students to have parents come in with ringing cellphones, noisy younger siblings, inappropriate dress, and other distractions.  We appreciate your time, but please help us maintain a learning environment in our classroom while you are there.

9.   Sometimes a quick thank you note or small gift can mean the world to a teacher.  Teaching, like parenting, is often a thankless job.  Knowing you are appreciated makes a big difference.

10.  Teachers are just people, too.  If you think we have overlooked something or made a mistake, it's okay to check with us.  We may have a good reason for what we did, or we may have made an error.  Either way, you'll feel better if you understand what is going on.  And if we did make a mistake, cut us some slack--if you had 24 kids at home to clean up after, discipline, teach, care for, and love, you might not do everything perfectly either . . .

3D Pumpkins!

These 3D pumpkins were so fun to make and the kids loved them!

Welcome!