My students share their favorite books in formal "Book Talks," write blog posts about books, and consistently donate copies of their most treasured titles to the class.
I teach 5th graders who range from being 1-2 years below grade level to 2 years above grade level.
Those students who are eager readers model their proficient reading behaviors for the students who have not yet discovered the joy of losing themselves in a great book. My demographically diverse group of kids love to share and talk about their favorite books.
In fact, students consistently report that they love to read books that their classmates have talked about it class, preferring the suggestions of their peers over their parents' and teachers.'
My Project
All of my students are required to give one "Book Talk" each semester. As part of this assignment students bring a copy of the book to put in our classroom library--either as a donation or a loaner copy. The problem is, that we only have traditional bookshelves where kids can see the spine of the book, but not the cover. Students can't easily access and locate the books their peers share because we simply don't have space on the shelf.
I want to see all of our favorite books, displayed in a shelf where kids can easily see the titles and covers. I want kids to be excited about seeing their books in our display case and share that excitement about their books with their classmates because kids are much more likely to pick up and try out a book if they've heard about it from another student.
Needing a new bookshelf may seem like a minor request, but it will make a difference in the lives of my struggling readers--those kids who read because someone makes them and haven't found the joy in choosing a great book.
I want to display our favorite books beautifully, in a way that invites a child to come pick-up a book, be enticed by it's cover, and dive in!
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