Extreme Classroom Library Makeover
Need a way to revive your students’ excitement for reading? Try getting students involved in reorganizing your classroom library of books. Mary Hall, fourth grade teacher at Sweetser Elementary, made time for her students to root through the book tubs and reorganize them. She called it the "Extreme Library Makeover."
Each student chose a tub. He looked through it to verify each book belonged in that tub--- that it had a common component with the other books (same genre, same theme, same author, etc.). If he found one that did not fit, the student moved throughout the classroom of tub-sorters and found a collection it was better suited for.
Mary noticed three key benefits from her Extreme Makeover idea:
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It was a great review of genres;
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It gave students some ownership in the literacy environment;
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It provided an opportunity for students to discover some books they didn't know were in the classroom library.
“They even asked if they could check them out right then,” Mary said.
