Class library is a wonderful way of ushering children into reading and writing. Let’s examine some ideas that shall make our class library engaging for learners.
- Variety of literature: A class library needs to be equipped with a variety of children’s literature, short stories, poems and reading material. Variety of children’s literature can include wordless picture books, fantasy stories, humorous stories, mysteries, tall tales, biographies, experiential stories, folk tales etc. Other reading material can range from catalogues, brochures, pamphlets , magazines, newspapers etc.
- Children’s work: Children’s projects, diaries, work , journals, self made books ought to find place in a class library. These material serve as excellent resources and personalize learning. Children can be encouraged to share the books they read at home and place it in the library for others to read. This inculcates a value of sharing in children and enriches libraries.
- Choosing material: Whose choice should prevail while selecting material for the class library? Both teacher and the student. It is worthwhile to visit resource room or the main library with children and allow them to select material for reading. You can also place a few books which you feel relates to the theme done in the class.
- Language: Emphasis of the class library should not be only English. The purpose is exposure to language, helping children become proficient readers and writers and learn language/s. Thus it must have stuff available in the regional language. Children draw parallels between languages and thus cross language exchange needs to be encouraged .
- Set classroom routines: It is important to allocate time for reading. Give at least 15-2o minutes of reading daily in the morning. Introduce this as a practice, it is important for you to read during that time to set an example and not engage with classroom chores.
- Issuing books: Books from the class library should be issued to inculcate reading habit in children. Children can select books on their own at times and home works can be carved around these books, if needed. Children should know both reading for pleasure and also reading for a purpose/ task.
- Sharing routines: It is also important to introduce sharing time where children share their reading experiences. This can be a whole class activity and can later be followed up in small groups. This gives children real stuff and audience to share.
- Response to literature: You can also engage learners in responding to what they read. This can be oral in the begining and can shape into written reviews later. However children need to engage with text again and again and you need to support their thoughts. The idea is their opinion about the read material and view point needs to be respected.
- Energizing libraries: With due time you shall also witness that level of engagement with libraries trip and this is a strong indication towards changing the stuff in the library. Make it a habit to replace books and stuff in the class library fortnightly.
- Drawing attention: At times you need to draw attention to the library by talking about a book you read, placing your comments in the reading log, planning your lessons and activities around the books.
- Nature of activities: You may ask children to read and narrate a story, make picture books using the characters of a story but altering the plot, frame riddles about the characters they studied and play a quiz, build story maps. Other literary activities may include writing an introduction for a book, making a poster, role play, letter writing. Entire gamut of genres we want children to explore can actually be blended with the stuff from the class library.
- Respect for books: Wear and tear of books is a natural concomitant when children use library. They should be engaged in mending books and thus tapes, scissors, glue should be provided to them. Replacing a torn book with money never inculcates in children the value of books as they do not see money as their own and are not engaged in the process of mending.
- Economic costs: Some people might just reject the idea of class library thinking it to be too expensive an affair, however it is not. Quality children’s literature is available in market published by National Book Trust, Children’s Book Trust, Eklavya, Pratham, Scholastic, Tulika, Katha amongst many others that can suit the running costs of the library.
One can attain miraculous reading and learning levels in a classroom if one allocates space for class libraries that is accessible to children. As parents one should demand the schools to provide this rich exposure to children right from kindergarten.
