Borrowing Books in First Grade
Using the Home-School Connection to Develop Independent Readers (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 1: Beginning LiteracyStage 2: Consolidation / Fluency
Ages:
5-8
Grade Range:
K 1st 2ndFood Groups:
Primary: Motivation for Literacy Secondary: Classroom Tips
Transcript
In the classroom, I also have books that are not used for Daily Five. These are not leveled books. They are books that are appropriate for the first grade but they are sorted in a different way. You can see that here we have fiction books, non-fiction books, books related to science, insects, animals, The Best Part of Me, which is creating values and character, things like that. There are a variety of topics that students might be interested in. These books are used in other times in the classroom and also in the Borrow A Book program, which is books that my students will take home once a week. They take home two or three books and with a written response sheet, and they put them in a bag that looks like this. They have a sign here, the day of the week they are allowed to bring those books back and get new books. That way, I don't have the whole classroom exchanging books anytime they want or at the same time. This happens only once a week for every student. At the beginning of the year, I send home a sheet with the first newsletter explaining the exact day of the week when their child is going to have their show and tell, or their Borrow A Book, or any other things that happen once a week for example. So they can support their child, especially at the beginning because many students are not aware of their responsibilities or what day of the week they have to do certain things. While this happens, they develop this sense of responsibility and awareness of what to do what day. The Borrow A Book system goes home because this is the opportunity for my students to read with their parents. They can read on their own too if they're that kind of readers, but sometimes they are beginning to read and they need the support of their parents. I also of course, send home strategies for their parents to use with their child using these books at home.
Related References
Activity Objective
The goal of Borrowing Books in First Grade: Using the Home-School Connection to Develop Independent Readers (Virtual Tour) is to facilitate students choosing their own books to read at home through a well-organized classroom library and Borrow-A-Book program. This teacher has a section in his classroom where books are organized by topic instead of level. Students are encouraged to pick books they are interested in to read at home with a family member or by themselves in order to develop their motivation for literacy outside of the classroom.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Put a sticker on the cover of every book to indicate reading level. - Zippy bags help students keep their Borrow A Book items in one place. They are also inexpensive and easy to replace.
Other Recipes by this Teacher
What are We Doing in Class Today?: Motivating Beginning Readers with a Daily Schedule (Virtual Tour)
K - 6th
Literacy CAFE in First Grade: Fostering Independence using a Menu of Strategies (Virtual Tour)
1st - 3rd
The Daily 5 in First Grade: Engaging Students with a Balanced Literacy Approach (Virtual Tour)
1st - 3rd
Predicting and Inferring: Scaffolding Comprehension Strategies using an Explicit Framework (Virtual Tour)
1st - 3rd
Revising and Editing in First Grade: Using Success Criteria to Focus the Writing Process (Virtual Tour)
K - 6th
