Jen McDonough
July 8, 2011
My name is Jen McDonough and I am addicted to children's books. There I said it. I'm not sure that there is any 12 step program that will help me work out of this one. My classroom is filled with books. Books on shelves, in baskets, in the closet, on the floor...if there is a spot a book can and will fill it. My classroom library has looked the same for years as I refuse to give up books to make room. I just get new ones and shove them wherever they will fit. Parents clean out home libraries and I keep every book they bring me. It is time for a change. The next step is to take out the chairs and have the children sit on piles of books and I'm sure that is some kind of safety violation. So now I begin my recovery program. I have to start to let go.
The first step is to see what bins of books the kids are going to over and over and what bins of books are collecting dust. So I watch carefully during free reading time, scope out what books they are putting in their book baskets for the books of choice and pay attention to what books are causing the biggest arguments (you know those books that children run to before someone else can grab it). Those are the keepers. I realized after paying some attention, that the Curious George bin of books-though one of my favorite series-hadn't been looked through the entire year. For that matter, I hadn't really seen any of my First Graders with a Curious George book in their hand for several years. I brought it to a fellow Kindergarten teacher who was thrilled to add it to her classroom collection. Whew, one bin done! Now, just because this year's group may not go crazy for a series of author set does not mean next year's group may not love it. So I don't get rid of all the bins if they don't seem to be getting used, but I do take it off the book shelf and put it in the closet to bring out again later so it is not taking up serious bookshelf real estate!
Then I think about what authors, series and topics my kids are excited about and I bulk them up as much as I can. I go to the library, use every Scholastic book order point I have and mention to parents and kids that if they are cleaning out shelves at home and have these certain books we would love them. That way, I am not taking in every stray book that walks through the door but being purposeful about what goes on shelves.
If your classroom is filled with books, good for you! Research tells us that when children are surrounded by books, they will read more! Just be careful that the wonderful books you do have are not crammed on bookshelves so tight that kids can't pull them out or find them easily, that you don't accept every book sent in by well meaning parents out of guilt or hoarding issues (which is another article) but share the wealth with other teachers and make thoughtful choices for your classroom library. Celebrate reading with great literature, tried and true favorites and appropriate text for the students you teach. It is okay to let go of the rest!