A school can contain several types of libraries.
Four are described below.
Classroom Library
The classroom library is organized according to features of books, not including gradients of diffi- culty. The children work with the teacher in developing a classification system for organizing books. The categories are recorded on anchor
charts that are hung in the classroom as a handy reference for locating books. Books are kept in tubs, baskets, or other containers, all of which are clearly labeled to help children in locating mate- rials. Spotlighted books are placed on shelves with covers facing outward to attract children’s attention. (Figure 6.4 shows one arrangement for a useful classroom library.)
Curriculum Library
The curriculum library is a schoolwide book room that includes a range of reading materials, including Big Books, sets of leveled texts for guided reading, sets of trade books for literature discussion groups, poems, plays, literacy task cards, and other curriculum materials that support reading. Teachers work together to orga- nize the curriculum library, coordinating books into class sets and designing a schoolwide system
Figure 6.4 This U-shaped classroom library is the centerpiece of Vicki Altland’s third-grade classroom at Sallie Cone Elementary in Conway, Arkansas.
for checking out books. Each year the teachers should evaluate the library and decide on new materials to add to it. (Figure 6.5 shows a photo of a well-designed curriculum library.)
Guided Reading Library
The guided reading library is a collection of leveled texts kept in the classroom (generally behind the teacher’s desk or reading table) for purposes of guided reading groups. The teacher checks out the guided reading sets from the curriculum library and returns them when they are no longer needed. It is important to empha- size that information on book levels are for the teacher only; children must check out books by literary category, notlevel.
Professional Library
A professional library is a collection of teacher books and materials, including both single copies of titles and multiple sets for literacy team meet- ings. These are usually kept in a separate section of the curriculum library.
Closing Thoughts
This chapter has described how the reading workshop can provide a context for learning about books, thus increasing students’ reading comprehension. Here are the key points of the chapter.
A reading habit is a critical condition of reading achievement. Volume reading and reading habits are directly related. The classroom schedule must include large blocks of time for reading.
The reading workshop is an ideal way to provide differentiated instruction. The format allows teachers to address the diverse needs of learners, and encourages small-group, whole-group, and individual instruction.
In order to attain deep comprehension, children must learn how to select books. A classroom library is an important resource for learning about books. Children should be involved in orga- nizing and managing their classroom library.
Figure 6.5 In Sedalia, Missouri, the teachers at Skyline Elementary have organized their curriculum library to include thousands of leveled texts with a teacher checkout system for schoolwide use.
In preparing to write this chapter, I reread James Britton’s book Language and Learning: The Importance of Speech (1970). It’s been a couple of years since I last read the book, and I am surprised to find that it feels like I’m reading it for the first time. In a sense I am, because the last time I read this book, I read it differently. (I had a similar experience when I reread The Graphs of Wrath). Today, as I reflect on Britton’s words, I find myself interpreting his work through a new lens—a new goal—that is, how his theories of participant and spectator might apply to my beliefs about literature discussion groups. Consider this example from Britton’s work—a conversation between friends as they wait for the morning train:
From time to time a friend and a neighbor of mine catches the same train as I do in the morning. We meet on the platform and the whole body of past experience of each of us offers to each of us a vast area from which to choose a topic to start the conversation. Since neither of us is a complete bore, we shall not choose what currently preoccupies us unless it happens to be something that would be likely to interest the other. Initial silence probably indicates that our individual preoccupa- tions were not in an area of common interest. In that case, we are likely to cast our minds back to the last time we met: as a result of this, he may say to me, “How did your date with X go? Did you find him in the end?” and I shall embark on the story of my meeting with X, perhaps bringing out all the difficulties and frustrations I had in tracking him down.
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Creating Literature Discussion Groups
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Britton’s example implies that several underlying rules guide a productive discussion. The discus- sion between these friends is a joint responsi- bility; each member works to maintain the atten- tion and interest of the other. As I think about this, I am reminded of how Barbara Rogoff (1990) describes conversation as a language dance—a set of well-orchestrated moves that are regulated by the desire to construct meaning. Neil Mercer (1995) calls this the co-construction of knowl- edge, implying that meaning is negotiated through group interactions. In Britton’s example, the two friends shared a common set of experi- ences, thereby providing the raw material for choosing a relevant topic to discuss. Their silence was a signal that a new topic was needed. This makes me think about the social side of talking, and how the desire to communicate with others about a common event is a human response. As I reflect on these theories, I wonder how they support teacher-student interactions during liter- ature discussion groups. Britton’s concept of participant and spectator applies to the shifting roles of teacher and student as they negotiate meaning for a particular text. From Britton’s perspective, the spectator is an observer—the listener; the participant is the speaker—the language user. Yet in reality the roles are not so clearly defined, because the participant is also a spectator, listening and reflecting on his or her own language as it represents the intended message. As participants in a literature discus- sion group, teachers must be observant of how much they add to the group’s understanding. As in any good discussion, the dynamic interplay between listening and responding is a critical component of constructing deeper meaning.