Creating a Bookroom Using Student Data Presentation By Virginia Coffey & Ellen Shrum Virginia s Early Reading Interventions Symposium April, 2008 Why Establish a School-Wide Bookroom? School-based vision Support teachers, support teachers, support teachers Collaboration Financially Professional development Larger and more comprehensive collection Time Where is Students Reading Level Data? What School Resources Do WE Have? Materials Books (Leveled readers, basals, big books...) Instructional resources (Lesson plans, activities) Organizational resources (Bookshelves, tubs, label maker...) Personnel Colleagues Parents The community Money (Title I funds, grants...) Time What Other Resources Can We Access? PALS Web Site Reading First Web Site Print Resources Fountas & Pinnell (Matching Books to Readers) E-Resources Grants (See web site handout) Web Sites (Handout) Vendors (Handout) Now What Do We Do? Find an organizational plan that works for your school. Be sure to involve all colleagues in this planning stage. All aboard! ( Buy-in ) Analyze space and needs System for storing System for inventory System for checking-out System for returning System for maintaining and adding resources 1
Location In the Reading Specialist s room Needs In the library Small Group Instruction Phonics Features Read Alouds Off the library Poetry Text Sets On the back of the stage In a closet Vocabulary Fluency Storing System Inventory Checking-Out Returning 2
Maintaining and Adding Resources Handouts PowerPoint slides Resources: Instructional, Leveling, Funding, and Author Web Site Addresses Resources: Publisher Web Site Addresses Resources: Organizational Supplies Web Site Addresses Remember that you will find all these handouts (and many more resources) on the Reading First web site. Log into your free account. Click on the Professional Development link; then locate Bookrooms Yancey Elementary Bookroom Meeting the Instructional Reading Level Needs of One School Gathering the Plants (Books) Narrative by Instructional Reading Level Emergent Beginner Instructional Expository by Instructional Reading Level Emergent Beginner Instructional Landscaping-the Essentials Buy-in from the staff A working organizational plan for: Planting (the start-up) Growing (the book sets to have) Maintaining (efficient and teacher friendly) Feeding and weeding (adding and deleting books and lessons) Getting books into children s hands Gathering the Plants (Books) Phonics Features emphasis Word Study in text Word hunts (stacking the deck) Fluency Reader s Theater Poetry Resource Books 3
Supplies for planting (organizing) Gallon size baggies or rubber bands Library pockets Wide clear tape Index cards (on each book set, on basket) 1/4 inch colored dots Baskets or something to put books in Labels to print out (2 each book set) Labels on each book Reading Level Bookroom or Phonics or Fluency Property of stamp Initial Planting Guiding question How can the books/resources be organized in order to make it efficient for the staff that will be using the bookroom? What we did- Reading Level (separated by expository and narrative) Fluency Reader s Theater by theme-grl indicated Poetry (may or may not be leveled) Resources Phonics Features organized according to PALS spelling Each book has the GRL sticker on it Yancey Bookroom RL-Narrative and Expository Phonics-organized by PALS spelling feature Fluency 4
Fluency resources Check-out system Processing the Books Processing continued Check packing slip Stamp with school I.d. Level books (several publishers level their books also see the list of our favorite sites) Put in a baggie with library pocket and index card taped to outside Color code according to category Create 2 labels 1 for the index card 1 for the library pocket on the bag Title Publisher SOL: Get the books on the shelves! Label on index card and pocket GRL: Author Alphabetize by title within each sub category Alphabetize by Title 5
Growing Tips Returning Books Return index card to book set Sort books by colored dot Alphabetize by title in the designated place Misfits Basket Missing books, missing cards, misfiled book sets Volunteers Help with initial labor for setting up bookroom Assist staff with returning books Getting books into children s hands Know your instructional goal when choosing books Use PALS data to determine instructional reading level Match Books to Children Instructional reading level Subject matter Text structures Create a system where books you read in guided reading can go home for practice reading Enhancing Book Sets Create a lesson plan for each book title Include: Before, During, After reading Focus: Time-on-task for reading Ensure appropriateness of lesson for level of book Establish a system for sharing the plans Can include them in the bags (we do) Can file a hard copy in file cabinet Can put on a share file on the server Gardening to-do list at Yancey Increase book sets that support content SOL Enter bookroom into a database Identify number of books in each set Continue to add and weed lesson plans Weed out titles that don t meet instructional needs (i.e. Dr. Suess) Aim for quality of plans Add and tweak plans to enhance instruction 6