Developing A Library That Supports Early Reading

Rebecca Corwin ShraderVicki Jacobs

Let’s get to know each other!

What is your favorite book from childhood and why? Take a few minutes to reflect.

Essential questions• How do we intentionally select books, and why?• How can certain books help support literacy strategies?• How can our classroom library inspire a variety of reading

experiences? What does this look like?• What do we do with all these books once we get them? How

do we organize/display them?• How can teachers find free or inexpensive books?

You tell us…

How and why do you choose books and how are they used in your classroom?

Multiple texts support Children’s learning

• Narrative books – stories that have characters and a plot.• Informational books –

books that contain factual information, usually non-fiction books.• Other types – poetry,

menus, phone books, song books, graphic novels, biographies and interactive books.

Literacy skills to consider when choosing books…

• Print referencing – drawing attention to text by pointing to and talking about letters/words.

• Vocabulary - introducing , defining and using new words.

• Phonological awareness – the detection and manipulation of sounds.

Why is print referencing important?

“Print referencing techniques are simple strategies designedto show children that written language is worthy of theirinterest and attention and gets them excited about learningto read!”

(Jaclyn Dynia, PhD., Crane Center For Early Childhood Research and Policy)

POINT to and TALK about print!POINTING to print

Goal: drawing attention to print“This is a letter T.”

“This is the letter S, who can helpme find more?”

“Can you find any letters in yourname on this page?”

“Show me the longest word onthis page.”

“Point to where I start reading onthis page.”

TALKING about printGoal: dialogue about print

“This is the letter S, what do youthink it looks like?

“I see an upper case T and lowercase t, how are they different?”

“This story is about a cat, what do you think this word mightBe?”

“This is the longest word on thepage, what makes it so long?”

Look at the books at your table. What books would you choose to practice print

referencing and why?

Vocabulary is important…• Vocabulary knowledge is strongly related to reading

proficiency and ultimately school achievement. (Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L., 2002)

• Multiple opportunities for children to interact with target vocabulary in meaningful contexts can result in increased vocabulary learning.

(Coyne, Simmons & Kame’enui, 2004)

• In order for vocabulary intervention to have a measurable impact on general vocabulary, children must acquire SEVERAL HUNDRED word meanings that would not otherwise be acquired.

(Biemiller, A., 2005)

Watch how this teacher introduces new words…

vocabulary video

Which books would you choose to introduce new vocabulary?

Phonological awareness is important…

“Phonological Awareness describes children’ssensitivities to the phonological (SOUND) structure oflanguage….

…Children who enter kindergarten with better-developed Phonological Awareness make greater gainsin early reading instruction.”

(Laura M. Justice & Anita McGinty, The Ohio State University, 2009)

The Phonological Awareness Continuum

Which books are best for rhyming?

Now that we have all these books, what do we do with

them?

Ways to organize…

•Group by author•Group by theme (art, building, space,

animals, etc.)•Group by genre (graphic novels, non-

fiction, poetry, etc.)

Display and use books throughout the entire classroom!

• Include autobiographies of famous or local artists, or non-fiction books about color and shape in the art area.

• Include books about historical buildings, an autobiography of a famous architect, and construction picture books in the block and manipulatives area.

• In the housekeeping area, display cook books, menus, magazines, newspapers, sales ads, and old phone books.

• In the science area, include books about weather, plants, animals, space, etc.

Where can we get more books?

Ideas for free or inexpensive books…

• Ask your local church or service group to sponsor a book drive.• Contact your local bookstore to have a book drive or

receive donations. (I know Half-Price Books can help).• Check out Goodwill or other thrift stores on half-off day• Go to library sales. They often sell discarded books that

are still in great shape.• Garage or tag sales.• Send a “wish list” in your monthly newsletter of books

you’d like to have donated.• Get your TEACHER library card! No fines and you can call

ahead to have your books pulled to save you time.

Other options…

Check out these non-profit organizations. Some of them may require that you pay shipping and handling, but the books are free:

• First Book (www.firstbook.org)• The Heart of America Foundation (www.heartofamerica.org)• The Literacy Empowerment Foundation (www.lefbooks.org)• Books for Kids Foundation (www.booksforkids.org)• Scholastic Book Grant (www.scholastic.com)• Kids Need to Read (www.kidsneedtoread.org)• Roads to Reading (www.pwirtr.org)

Book Raffle!!!

Put your name on a post-it and we will choose a winner before you leave!

Thank you so much for coming!shrader.rebecca@gmail.com