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Interested in creating a classroom library like this one? Here are a few tips for making this reading dream a reality.
Select books that correlate with current units of study and give them room to breath. When there are a few featured books with their covers proudly showing, kids can’t resist taking a closer look.
Traditional classroom rugs aren’t nearly as inviting as this little beauty. A rug you wouldn’t mind having in your own home is the ticket for making young readers feel at home. A comfortable reader is more likely to maintain focus or take risks.
A few extras like plants, a leaf canopy, and fun wall décor emphasize how special this nook truly is. Kids appreciate these little touches…they will even invite their friends for an after school library tour…trust me.
I’ve been an elementary teacher for ten years, and love sharing tips and resources that make differentiated learning more manageable for you. Thank you for visiting.
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40 Responses
What an amazing library you've got! Your library area is as big as my classroom.
I love your blog!
Ilinca from GrumpyDumpling
Thank you Ilinca! How many Kindergarten students do you teach?
We have 13 kids. Here in Finland the limit is 7 kids/1 teacher. What about you 🙂
That's wonderful. I imagine the kids learn so much and are so well cared for by you. We have 25 kids /1 teacher. When I taught third it felt a lot more manageable than it does with second graders. 🙂
My kids are aged 2-4, so they still need quite a lot of help in solving conflicts, getting dressed, etc.
In Romania I used to have 18/1 teacher (2-6 y.o) and that's considered a small group in a private kindergarten. 🙂
Where, where, where did you get those giant leafs? I'm a preservice teacher and your classroom is so inspiring! I'd love to do a similar theme, but I cannot find those anywhere!
Ikea! Here is the link:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90306925/
Hello, such a gorgeous and welcoming classroom which has been well thought out. I also love the giant leaves you have in the library and interested to know where i can get them.
Thank you! The leaves are from Ikea. Here is the link:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90306925/
Your classroom is beautiful! How do you pay for all of it? And a question about your library-How do you keep track of your students checking the books out?
Thank you Patricia! Most of my books are from Scholastic Reading Club. I really encourage my students to order books for their home libraries through their website so we get bonus points that allow us to order free books for our classroom library. I don't have a tracking system, I use the honor system. 🙂
I brought my class library home for the summer to get serious about organizing it! Your suggestions are just what I am looking for, thank you so much. My space is smaller but I think I can make it work, thanks again, Paula @ educating children with disabilities.blogspot.com
Have fun decorating and organizing this summer Paula!
Your room is amazing … I am inspired! Where did you get your chair from? Thanks 🙂
Thank you Lynne! The chair is from Pier One. They no longer have that exact design, but they do have something similar here.
LOVE your library! I purchased the same leaves but had difficulty hanging them. How did you do it? Mine keep falling.
Hi Lindsay, I had to screw mine into the bulletin board. I just drilled right through the fabric on the stems and in one place on each of the leaves. 🙂
I tried to find the leaves you used but the link just takes me to IKEAs main website. Please let me know where you found them because they are EXACTLY what I am looking for to use in my first grade classroom!
Hi Courtney, thank you for letting me know the link need updating. You can find them here. Enjoy!
Absolutely love your blog! Your library is an inspiration. Im jumping up next year from 1st to 3rd and looking to revamp my new classroom to make it more “mature” and 3rd grade friendly. I love the paper flowers you have in your library, did you make those yourself or did you purchase them from Michael’s? I tried the link but it was no longer available 🙁
I would love to make some for my new room!
Thanks in advance
Hi Meghan,
Thank you! You are going to LOVE third! It looks like Michael’s discontinued the paper flowers I have in my library. Luckily, they sell them on Amazon now! You can find them here. I also used a paper craft kit that is still sold at Michael’s here. Thank you for letting me know, I was able to update the link. 🙂
Enjoy decorating your room!
Laura
Thank you so much!
Did your purchase the shelves for your classroom library? If so, where?
Hi Jennifer, the only shelf I purchased is the tall white shelf, which is an IKEA Kallax shelf unit. The rest of the shelves under the blue counter are built ins.
I would love to see a glimpse of books you have in each category! Working on sorting my books into different categories. I’m also a new teacher so would love some ideas of great books I’m not aware of yet. Just an idea 🙂
Hi Amber, thank you for taking the time to comment. I do several Instagram stories about my classroom library and how it is organized. I also have a list of my favorite books in this blog post, which may be helpful in getting you started. 🙂
Where do you put the label on your books?
Hi Holly,
I place the sticker book labels inside the book on the front cover.
Warmly,
Laura
Hi Laura! I am going to be a teacher a year from now. How did you build your classroom library? Did you buy all of your own books? How did you know what books to get? Thanks!
Hi Morgan, my classroom library started with donated books from the swim team I coached. From there, I started adding more books through the Scholastic Book Club program (their points systems can get you tons of free books). If classroom parents ever asked what I wanted as a gift, I’d ask for books or Amazon gift cards so I could buy books. I also wrote letters to classroom parents during my first years encouraging them to donate “outgrown” books to our classroom library. I used my school librarian as a resource for which books to gather, and then started getting a really clear idea of where to go from there based on what I saw my students reading most frequently from the local and school libraries. I have a list of my top recommended books included in this post.
Wishing you all the best as you begin your teaching journey. 🙂
Warmly,
Laura
Where did you get the library boxes from?
Hi Rachel,
The library bins are from Target and Really Good Stuff. 🙂
Warmly,
Laura
I love the color on the bulletin board above your reading area. Would you please share the color with me. Also is this paper or fabric. Thanks!
Hi Deb, it is Pacon’s rich blue colored paper. You can find it here. 🙂
Hello! Could you tell me where you bought all the tissue paper flowers/leaves on your bulletin board?
Hi Carrie,
Of course! They are from Michael’s and Amazon. 🙂
Warmly,
Laura
How did you get them to print black? I like that look!
Hi Michelle,
I have a black set in my shop. 🙂 You can find them here.
Warmly,
Laura