Introducing the Classroom Library in Kindergarten and First Grade
Lesson 1: Our Classroom Library
Objectives(s):
• introduce self as a reader
• share purposes for reading
• establish purpose for classroom library
Lesson Steps:
1. (Seated in/near the classroom library.) Today I want to introduce you to a very
important part of our classroom—the classroom library! What do you notice about
this special place in our classroom? Tell a neighbor sitting next to you. (Give
students a chance to share what they notice—books, bins, labels, stuffed animals,
etc.).
2. What might you do in a special place like this? (Encourage students to share their
thinking.) That’s why this library is such a special place! This library is filled with
all kinds of books that readers love. This will be your place to explore the books you
are interested in. That’s what readers do! They like to spend time reading and
exploring books.
3. I’m a reader, too. Let me show you what I like to read and explore. (Show and
explain purposes for different kinds of reading—recipes, novels, magazines, etc.).
Ex. I get information when I read The Reading Teacher. I learn how to cook
Salisbury steak when I read Taste of Home magazine. I read for fun, too! I like to
read stories like ____.
4. Where do I get all these texts that I read? (Explain in the mail, at the bookstore,
Amazon, trading with friends, gifts, etc.) I find things to read everywhere! You
could find things to read in the same places! But what do readers do when they are
in school? Where can you find the books you want to read? Our classroom library!
5. You can visit the library each day to browse books you are interested in. When I
browse books, I take my time to look at the books and choose one to read. (Model
picking up a book, looking at the cover, thinking what the book might be about,
deciding whether it’s interesting, etc.) When I’m finished with this book, I browse
for another. That’s how I spend my time here in the classroom library.
6. During center time, part of the class library will be open (Share 2-3 pre-selected
bins). Our library is so big, that we will just start with a few choices until we all
know the rules for visiting the library. What would you like to read about today?
Tell a neighbor sitting next to you.
7. I’ll be stopping by the library to see how it’s going. Happy reading!
DLT, 2010