How to organize your classroom library

Read to self time, private reading, independent reading, or whatever you choose to call it is so important for kindergarten students to learn how to read.  It’s the time where students actually GET TIME to practice reading real books.  Not worksheets, not task cards, not passages, but real, live books. If you’re not sure how to organize your classroom library, this post is for you!

Build Up Your Library

It’s so important for your kids to have access to a variety of different books so they are engaged and can build their love of reading.  If you’re a new teacher, it can feel overwhelming to start building your classroom library.  Veteran teachers have TONS of books, and you’re lucky as a new teacher if you get a few leveled books for your classroom library.  But don’t worry, lots of teachers get books at garage sales, libraries, and used book stores.  There are plenty of affordable ways to start building up your library…and remember, it will continue to grow over the years!

Once you have different books in your classroom library, it can be hard to keep up with organization.  I like my library to be about 50 percent books sorted by level, and 50 percent books sorted by theme (cats, dogs, nonfiction, etc.).  This way, my students can have books at their reading level, and can also find books that just plain interest them. I love having a variety of different books for my kids to read, but I don’t want to be the one organizing them all the time, and I definitely DON’T want my library to become a mess!

Organization

So here’s how I keep my library organized and my kids independent, and it’s super simple.  The bins in my library are labeled with either the level or category of books that are in that bin. 

And all of the books have a sticker on the back left-hand corner that match the label on one of the library bins.

Then, when my kids go to put their books back before they shop for new books, they just match the sticker to the bin. It’s that easy! No more “Where do I put this book?”!

Damaged Books

Now, it’s inevitable that a sticker’s gonna fall off a book, a cover’s gonna rip, or a page is gonna fall out of a book.  But it’s still easy for my kids to stay independent and not have to interrupt me.  I have one basket labeled “book hospital,” and my kids know that no matter what the problem is, if there’s something wrong with a book, it goes in the book hospital.

At the end of the day, I can go through the basket and fix whatever I need to, but during teaching time, it keeps my kids independent, and the piles off of my teacher table. And that’s a win, win!  

So, are you ready to organize your classroom library? You can make your own library labels or click here to get everything you need right now!

[This post is part of a blog series. Click to read about how to get books for your classroom library]