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.