Dear reader,
When we talk with teachers about using decodable texts with early readers, there is one question we get again and again. Teachers ask, ‘How do these books fit with the other types of reading materials I have in my classroom library?”
There is not one simple answer to this question, so we thought we’d take you through some of the things we personally believe about the role of classroom libraries, and how different types of texts can fit into them to support kids’ entire reading lives.
Some of Our Beliefs About Classroom Libraries
Classroom libraries can be organized in lots of different ways: by series, author, topic, genre…but we believe that they should not be organized by level (see below for more information about this).
Classroom libraries should be organized in ways that are inviting and appealing to children. Ideally, kids should have input into how the library is organized.
Classroom libraries should, to use Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s term, provide windows and mirrors for children: that is, they should reflect the identities and interests of the children in the classroom, while also giving children opportunities to read about those who are different from them.
Children should have access to all parts of the classroom library, without gatekeeping by teachers.
Types of Texts You Might Have In Your Classroom Libraries, and Possible Considerations
Let’s take a look at some materials that exist in many classrooms.
So What Might This Mean in Practice?
Here are some of the questions we often think through when it comes to libraries.
What should I do with my leveled books?
We will write more about why we have moved away from leveled readers as a main teaching tool in a future post. However, we don’t think you should throw these away! You might choose to organize them by topic rather than by level. You may invite students to check out these books to read alongside partners, or even older kids or adults at home. You may also start to notice which of your leveled books are mostly decodable if students know certain phonics concepts (though this takes a long time to do!).
What if I’ve got a lot of decodable texts?
If you have more than enough decodables to use for your whole and small group instruction, you might decide to put some in the classroom library for kids to choose from—or figure out a system in which to match the decodables to the students (perhaps color coding). It is important to remember that these books will be most useful for independent practice if children already know how to read these types of words in isolation.
What really matters in this discussion?
Here’s what we think (and of course, our thinking is evolving).
We think what really matters is the materials you use with students when you are instructing them. So we choose texts very carefully when we are working on decoding instruction in large and small groups. To whatever extent we can, we provide these texts to students for rereading and additional practice when they are reading on their own.
When we invite students to select their own texts for reading, we do just that: we offer interesting and appropriate texts in our libraries and invite students to choose from them. We believe that if we are providing enough assessment-based reading materials to kids through our instruction, there is no need for us to constrain their choices.
Finally, during times of the day when we are instructing in small groups, we may set up our classrooms so that children are engaged in activities that reinforce students’ phonics knowledge in addition to reading/looking at/listening to books. (Let us know if you’d be interested in hearing more about how we might set up menus/work plans for reading time.)
What are your goals for your classroom library this year? How can you imagine decodable texts fitting into the reading lives your students already have? We’d love to hear what you’re thinking about!
Katrina, Kimberly, Lizzie, and Marie
I would love to hear how others manage book shopping. I want my kids to have time and be able to talk about their books as they shop in small groups. Time just always seems to be short.
I love this post! I’m heading back into the classroom after being a literacy coach for the last four years. I want to transition from the focus on leveled readers to decodable readers, especially in small groups, but also in my classroom library. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts about what the other students are doing while I’m meeting with my small groups. Thanks for always being so informative and up to date on research!