Breaking News
|
- Mark your calendar for scary savings at our spooky Halloween Sale! On the web, October 28-31!
- Our Fall Catalog is now available online!
|
| Choosing Books for a Leveled Library | |
"Research shows that students in classrooms with high-quality classroom libraries read 50 percent more than students who do not have access to a library in the classroom (Hunter, 1999). . . Unfortunately, many new teachers struggle in practice to build a high-quality collection and effectively utilize a library to meet the needs of all the learners in their classroom."
--Catapano, Fleming, & Elias, "Building an Effective Classroom Library" (2009).
How Many Books? Many experts suggest at least 10 books per child, with a minimum of 100 books, in a classroom library. A classroom of 750 books, as recommended by some specialists, is not built in a day, or a year. Better to start small, with a quality collection, and add on.
What Kind of Books? An even mix of fiction and nonfiction, containing a wide variety of genres, will entice children with different interests. Picture books (appropriate for students' age) can draw in reluctant readers. The various leveling systems offer suggestions for a range of levels appropriate for a particular grade, but this can vary depending on the school.
"Girl book" or "Boy book?"
"The heavy black cannonball bounced twice over the spongy mat of heather before decapitating the man to Rory McGregor's left."
--John Wilson, The Flags of War
Generalizing: boys like it exciting! Violent, gross, even gruesome books (within the bounds of taste) can hook boys on reading. In general, boys prefer informational texts more than girls do, and "escapist" genres like science fiction and humor more than narrative texts. Girls tend to prefer narratives, with a more gradual development of plot and character, although of course many girls also enjoy nonfiction and humor. A good library will include a mix of books that appeal to both genders. (Girls will read "boy books," but boys are very reluctant to read "girl books.")
Learn more. The links below offer a tremendous amount of information on selecting books for your library, and getting the most from your collection. | |
| |
| Downloadable Activity: My Reading Journal | | Give students a way to record the books they have read. Created for the needs of primary students, there is space here to draw a picture, write a little about the book, and even give it a rating. Download and print this page from My Reading Journal for your students. |
| Book Selection Links | "Choosing and Using Kids' Books" (ReadingRockets.org): All sorts of links to everything you ever wanted to know about selecting books, setting up a classroom library, testing reading levels, and more.
"Building An Effective Classroom Library" (Journal of Language and Literacy Education) Research findings, checklists to evaluate your library, tips and lists for book selection, organizing and running the library, and integrating the library with literacy instruction.
"How to Interest Boys in Reading" (Michel-Adrien Sheppard) Catering to boys' reading preferences (think "excitement").
|
|
Product Spotlight: Single-Level Mixed Reader Sets | |
As a busy teacher or specialist, it's hard to find the time to check websites and book lists to find the most appropriate books for your classroom library. How do you balance genres, levels, and interests, while making sure every book is the best possible selection? We have done the work for you. We choose each book in our Leveled Libraries and Single-Level Sets based on quality, balance of genres within the set, appeal to boys and girls, and age-level appropriateness. We check reviews from sources such as the School Library Journal, Booklist, The Horn Book, and the New York Public Library, as well as teachers and parents. Because no titles are repeated between any of our leveled sets, you can create as large a library as your budget and space will allow, without receiving any duplicates.
Our Mixed Reader Sets, new this fall, offer five fiction and five nonfiction titles at each level A through Q, giving you the ability to choose exactly the levels you need in your classroom. Fiction genres include picture books, realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction, folk and fairy tales, mystery, poetry, humor, and more. Nonfiction genres include life, earth, physical, and space science, geography, biography, and history. Not every genre is represented at every level, but each level offers a good mix. See all titles and levels Sale! All Sets 10% Off--This Week Only! |
| Web Special | |
| Our specials now change weekly! Check primaryconcepts.com every Monday for this week's savings.
| |
Levels A through P
103 books in all!
Was $540.00
Now $486.00
Save 10% this week only! | |
| Next Month's Topic: Response to Intervention | |
What's new in the RTI world? We'll offer links to what the research is showing and what other districts are doing. Plus offer you a sneak preview of our new RTI program, The Road to Reading! |
Quote of the Month
| |
I can read in red. I can read in blue.
I can read in pickle color too.
I can read in bed, and in purple. and in brown.
I can read in a circle and upside down!
I can read with my left eye. I can read with my right.
I can read Mississippi with my eyes shut tight!
--From I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!, by Dr. Seuss |
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your colleagues and friends.
Copyright 2010 Primary Concepts. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email from Primary Concepts because you purchased a product or subscribed on our website. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add news@primaryconcepts.com to your address book today. To no longer receive our emails, click "SafeUnsubscribe®" below. | |
