Like any library, our classroom library should be filled with a
wide range of texts, both in terms of genre and difficulty. It
should also be purposefully arranged and thoughtfully organized
so that our students have a permanent, welcoming space where
they can read, check out, trade and order books that will engage
them. Early Literacy Education scholars D. Ray Reutzel and
Parker C. Fawson take it a step further: They suggest that the
classroom library should literally be “the backbone of classroom
activity,” a space where “much of what goes on each day draws
from or occurs in or around the resources.” We’ve been reading
their book, Your Classroom Library: New Ways to Give It More
Teaching Power and liked it so much that we thought we’d share 5
of their teacher-tested, research-driven strategies to consider
as you design (or redesign) your classroom library: 5 Tips for
Creating an Effective Classroom Library 1. Library texts should
relate to all areas of your curriculum The primary function of
any classroom l