A couple of weeks ago, I played hooky from work to spend the day with my best friend, Karen. (Okay, I took a vacation day, but it felt like I was playing hooky! 🙂 ) We’d been looking forward to a final summertime girls’ day. Our plan was simple: get out of Dodge and be on the lookout for classroom treasures. (Karen 
is teaching third grade this year.)
We hit the mother lode at a Goodwill store about 90 minutes out of town. There we found a jaw-dropping supply of every kind of book imaginable! Lucky for us, the books were neatly sandwiched on the shelves of three giant bookcases. About an hour later, we giggled our way to the car, ecstatic over the two giant bags of books Karen had purchased for her classroom library for a mere $12!
I’d love to hear about your classroom library. Is it a place your students frequent? What tips do you have for sustaining student interest in books in an age of increased technology?
Curious as ever,
Diane
I’m a preschool teacher so I have different centers in my classroom and a set of appropriate books in each one. The way the children help me keep them separated is that each set of books has a matching bin and letter. For example, all of my science books are in a yellow bin in the science center. I used a die cut machine to stamp out lots of yellow lowercase s’s and I use clear packing tape to tape a “s” to the lower right corner of each science book so that when a child borrows the book they know the “s” stands for science and the yellow science books go back to the yellow bin.
Math center is green, block center is blue. I even have cook books and menus that have red “d’s” on them for my dramatic play area. Not only does this help the children be more responsible for helping keep the room tidy, but it helps with color and letter recognition!
I loved your idea Sarah. I also teach PreK.
I also keep books in every area of my room. The ones in the house area I often cahnge to the theme we are learning about. I have seen the use of these books pick up since I started doing that.
I pick up books at my local library book sales. I get them at great prices and always find lots.
I buy my books from Scholastic, garage sales, and Goodwill. Never got a deal like your friend though.
I teach Early Childhood Special Education and do themes for 1 or 2 weeks. I put books to go along with the theme. They can read them after snack and during Centers.
Ditto on Sarah’s idea. I have spent the last two weeks getting my room ready for the new year and Sarah’s idea will help me with one more piece of the puzzle called organization. Thank you so much!
I do the same thing that Sarah does, I just have a different system.
I love hearing that other teachers have books in each center, too.