Developing A Library That
Supports Early Reading
Rebecca Corwin Shrader
Vicki 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 designed
to show children that written language is worthy of their
interest and attention and gets them excited about learning
to 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 help
me find more?”
“Can you find any letters in your
name on this page?”
“Show me the longest word on
this page.”
“Point to where I start reading on
this page.”
TALKING about print
Goal: dialogue about print
“This is the letter S, what do you
think it looks like?
“I see an upper case T and lower
case t, how are they different?”
“This story is about a cat, what
do you think this word might
Be?”
“This is the longest word on the
page, 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’s
sensitivities to the phonological (SOUND) structure of
language….
…Children who enter kindergarten with betterdeveloped Phonological Awareness make greater gains
in 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, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)
Display and use books throughout
the entire classroom!
• Include autobiographies of
famous or local artists, or nonfiction 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:
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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