The First Ten Lessons
Introducing the Classroom Library in Kindergarten and First Grade
Purpose: The lessons included here support the effective use of a classroom library. Classroom libraries provide opportunity for students to
independently explore texts for their own reading purposes. In kindergarten and first grade, students primarily browse books—revisit books read to
them by the teacher, for example. Students visit the class library to “read” books by studying pictures and illustrations and sampling part of the text.
Lesson 1 does not necessarily mean Day 1; lessons may be extended to meet the needs of the classroom community.
Anchor Lesson
Our Classroom Library
• We are all readers.
• The classroom library has many books from
which to choose.
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Key Concepts
Taking Care of the Class
Library
Readers Read Books in
Different Ways
How Readers Find
Books
How Readers Find
Books cont’d.
Learner Outcomes
Students will…
• visit the classroom library during center
time
• browse 2-3 book bins that have been preselected
• Books in the library are sorted and labeled
so readers can find what they are looking for.
• Each time a reader finishes a book, s/he puts
the book away.
• Books have dots/numbers on the back so
readers know where to return them.
• Readers have many ways to read books
(read the words, read parts of a page—as in
an ABC book, learn by studying photos,
examine illustrations, tell a story from the
pictures).
• Books in the library are sorted and labeled
so readers can find what they are looking for.
• Readers think: What will I read?
• understand the book bin labels
• browse 2-3 book bins that have been preselected
• use dots/numbers to return books to proper
bins at clean up time
• Books in the library are sorted and labeled
so readers can find what they are looking for.
• Readers have a purpose for reading and find
books to support that purpose. Readers think:
What will I read and where will I find that?
• express interests or purposes for reading
• identify where to look
• locate books they want to read from the
entire classroom library
• confirm that they know how to return books
after reading
• browse from 2-3 pre-selected book bins
• read books in different ways
• return books to proper bins at clean up
signal
Resources
• designated appropriate space for the
library
• books sorted into categories of interest to
K students
• bookshelves organized so that the most
requested book bins are easiest to access
• bins of books labeled with words and
pictures
• dotted and numbered bins/books
• examples of texts for use in demonstrating
the different ways to read books
• follow rules to visit the library
• locate books they want to read from 2-3
pre-selected book bins
• confirm that they know how to return books
after reading
DLT, 2010
The First Ten Lessons
Introducing the Classroom Library in Kindergarten and First Grade
Purpose: The lessons included here support the effective use of a classroom library. Classroom libraries provide opportunity for students to
independently explore texts for their own reading purposes. In kindergarten and first grade, students primarily browse books—revisit books read to
them by the teacher, for example. Students visit the class library to “read” books by studying pictures and illustrations and sampling part of the text.
Lesson 1 does not necessarily mean Day 1; lessons may be extended to meet the needs of the classroom community.
Lesson 10
Key Concepts
Resources
• Readers make choices when they visit the
classroom library (based on purpose for
reading).
• Readers can preview books to make
choices—“Is it interesting?”
• When we finish one book, we return it to the
proper bin and select another.
• There are many kinds of books in the world.
• Our library includes many different kinds of
books.
• What are we interested in reading?
• understand the expectations and follow the
rules for reading independently at the
classroom library
• examine covers and illustrations to select
interesting books to browse
• rules posted with illustrations or
photographs to support
• know the reading choices offered by the
classroom library
• share their ideas for other topics, characters,
etc.
• a form for recording reading preferences
(ex. choose a topic, draw a picture, and use
invented spelling to label)
Readers Have Favorites
• When browsing the classroom library,
readers like to reread favorite books.
• begin to identify and select favorite books
for rereading
• begin to think about ways to respond orally
to text
• a favorite text to use in teacher
demonstration: “I read a favorite book
today. It’s one of my favorites because…”
Sharing Time
• At the end of center time, we have a chance
to share something we learned from our
center work.
• Readers can share what they learned or
noticed during browsing in the classroom
library.
• We all do our best work when everyone in
the classroom observes established rules.
• We will add books to the library throughout
the year.
• To decide where to put a book, we think:
What is it mostly about?
• recognize that the sharing after centers is a
learning time
• share responses to text with others
following centers
• become accountable for the productive use
of time
• reflect on how well the rules for visiting the
library are being followed
• use the title, cover, and picture walk to
determine topic of book
• identify where to place the book
• create illustrations for book bin labels
• gathering area for whole class sharing
Readers Need Time to
Explore their Interests
Readers Read a Variety
of Texts
Lesson 9
Lesson 8
Lesson 7
Lesson 6
Anchor Lesson
Learner Outcomes
Students will…
Keeping it Going and
Growing
• new book(s) for the library (may be a new
topic students indicated an interest in )
• labeled bin and dotted/numbered book(s)
DLT, 2010