How can I organize my classroom library?

i help a teacher friend organize her classroom several times a year. We use plastic shoeboxes without the lids. We put them on the shelf and put the books in them.

Children's books are usually about teaching a lesson. Sort by category...friendship, manners, safety, kindness, chores, pets, self esteem, growing up, parents/relatives, etc., and group them together. Then if you have a series by a certain author or character, group these together.

Get some colored dot stickers to put on the front left corner or spine and when they are returned to the shelf, they go in the area (preferably a bin) with that same color dot.

Sorting these books will be a good teaching lesson for the kids as they will grow up and have to know how to sort and organize. Putting them back in the proper place is an excellent lesson.

Hi

Thank you for teaching young minds! I have many friends that are teachers and they are always looking for creative ways to set up their reading nook. I don't know how much floor space you have; so tried not to monopolize that.

• A reading tree.. this pic will give you an idea but could be simply made with a 4x4 or 6x6 trunk and use 1x10 for shelves cut on an angle with miter box to get the slant upwards.
• Reading benches with pullout tubs is another 2-fold solution. http://sunsandsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2014/07/classroom-project-crate-bench-tutorial.html
• A hanging shoe holder turned to library reader wall that could be decorated by painting etc (make sure your ceiling can hold the weight or build a wooden stand to hang them from.
• Over the door hanger .. Top storage units would be yours and lower for the kids..
• A soft back storage rack for special large chairs tor the Books of the Week and or Books for special study focus of the week.
• Add Tubs with a chalkboard label

You could use bins and organize by level. Or, I used to get a bunch of crates and zip tie them together into shelves. It worked so well and was so inexpensive (as long as you can find the crates).