Heather Register-January/February Blog Post-Routman Chapter 5-Organizing an Outstanding Classroom Library

Heather Register-

Regie Routman-Chapter 5 Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

I’ll be the first to admit that classroom library organization was never my strength. I started every year of with grand intentions of keeping it organized, changing out the books, and enlisting the help of my students in keeping it in order. Ultimately, my efforts dwindled and my dream library became a mess. This chapter reignited my desire to help others develop organized and useful classroom libraries. One statement that Routman made resonated with me, “..while we have poured thousands of dollars into commercial programs, technology, and test preparation, it is rare for funds to be allocated for classroom libraries.” Luckily our district sees the need for a classroom library and has provided texts to supplement our efforts. However, as we’ve discussed in our after school meetings, it still frustrates me that so much money is spent on textbooks and their accompanying accessories when most times, they aren’t used in the classroom. If a textbook isn’t aligned with our standards or simply isn’t constructive when planning instruction, it ends up in a cabinet somewhere. It seems to me, as my colleagues have mentioned, that the money would be better utilized developing more independent reading libraries.

            A second point that Routman makes is that, “access to interesting books is especially critical for struggling readers.” I get it. Differentiating instruction for students of all levels is difficult. Having a program given to me to teach from is easier, but is it better? I don’t think so. What I know about my kids and what I know about my instruction is far more important than trying to take the easy route. I’m so proud of some of our teachers who are leaving their comfort zones and making reading more meaningful for all of their learners. It’s hard to leave a basal reader where it seems the skills are outlined for you to plan and deliver instruction from books that you’ve made up on your own. Hard, but vital.

            Finally, an idea that I’ve seen come into play repeatedly this year is the idea of organizing classroom libraries by level. Routman states that “Students do not naturally gravitate to leveled or overly structured collections.” Many of my teachers are taking the steps to organize their libraries and are involving students in the decision making process. Many of their students are requesting that libraries be organized by level. Teachers are taking the appropriate steps to include student voice and this is what they get. I’ve discussed with some that levels might be all their students know at this point. A good next step would be to show students other ways to organize texts. This chapter gives great suggestions on how to encourage students to see books as more than just levels. We need to give students the language and experience to help them see beyond levels but to help them see the value in finding books that are just right for them.