As you prepare for the upcoming school year, take some time to go through your classroom library with a critical eye. Our classroom libraries should entice students to read. Does yours?
Consider your library from your students’ perspectives:
- Is it visual appealing, well-organized, and inviting?
- Is it limited to one genre or does it have an adequate range?
- Can you find the poetry, the picture books, the novels, the graphic novels, the non-fiction, and the magazines–no matter your grade level? Where are the gaps?
- Are the books within your library truly diverse? Can all of your students’ see themselves represented?
- How much of the library have you read? Can you easily talk to your students about the books within your library?
Classroom libraries can bridge the gap for students who don’t have access to books. They can broaden our students’ experiences and foster a sense of empathy as they read about the plights of others. They can help our students explore and confirm their identities and their places in the world.
Classroom libraries, just like the books within, have the potential to change lives. What will you do this year to intensify the impact of your classroom library?