Sara Malone - November blog post #4 - "Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library" by R. Routman

In my classroom last week, we had the word "read" as one of our spelling words. How fitting, I know! As I was giving the spelling test, I called out the the word "read" and then gave them my example sentence..."Mrs. Malone loves to READ books to my boys and girls." As soon as the sentence came out of my mouth, almost the whole class replied in unison, "We know, we know! You always tell us that!" Quite honestly, it just made me smile to hear their response. :)

I am constantly reminding myself that even though I am a parent of young children and I deluge my children at home with books and more books and the public library is sometimes like our second home - these children in my classroom may have very limited contact with books outside of school. I have an obligation to my students to give them easy access to books while they are under my care. I recently taught a unit on Dr. Suess books and was thrilled to have so many of my students beg to take home a book from my Dr. Suess basket. I had to totally let go of my inner voice saying "I know this kid's house is probably filthy and this book is going to come back with jelly and snot on it and eight missing pages." What's more important? That this kid got to read a treasured book at home? Or the fact that I was too prideful to allow him to take it?

In reading Routman's chapter "Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library", she totally reinforced all of the main components that a good classroom library should have. The essentials of having easily accessible books, inclusion of favorite authors and illustrators, an array of genres, a comfortable place to read and relax, and most of all...plenty of choices. I love the idea of having "Book Talks" on new books or additions to the classroom library. I often do this with particular books that I bring to school from the public library. There is an allure to new books that are "advertised" by the teacher. They students clamor to read it throughout the week and I love that.

I also appreciate how Routman emphasizes the huge importance of having books displayed in a way that they are accessible and visible, especially to young readers. (I loved the rain gutter displays mentioned in the chapter!)  As I was organizing my classroom this year, I was complaining about not having room for a kidney table to use with small groups. My room is simply too small. A friend came by to visit and I was telling her how I wish I had room for a kidney table. She said, "Just get rid of all those bean bags and pillows back there." She just didn't get it. I looked at her like she had three heads. Having a comfortable reading center trumped having a kidney table.

I hope that my students remember that Mrs. Malone always had many books for them to choose from and that they didn't have to wait until Library day to take home a neat book. I hope that my students always feel comfortable with books in my classroom and that they keep their enthusiasm and excitement when they are being nourished by a good book.