Classroom Close-Up
30
“It’s my shopping day!” Bryson shouts as he hurriedly unpacks his backpack. He quickly puts away his lunch and homework folder and runs to the shelf labeled “Shopping Cards.” He is met there by Sophie who eagerly fishes her shopping card out of the box. Bryson gets his shopping card out next and begins shopping around the classroom library.
“Shopping” is a
word used in my
classroom to de-
scribe the act of
choosing books
from our classroom
library. Book shop-
ping is a classroom
favorite for my stu-
dents. They shop
with purpose and
create a book bag balanced with “just right” book levels and genres of interest. They know exactly what books to keep and to put back when shopping, and they know where to head in the classroom library to shop for new ones.
Throughout my years of learning from the pros and also from experiencing many “oh no” moments, I have been able to create a shopping environment for my first graders that sets them up for success. However, book shopping has not always been a highlight in my classroom. In previous years, I experienced many mishaps with students shopping for books.
My Shopping System History
I remember the summer I finally scavenged and scrounged up enough books to set up my very own classroom library. I decorated my library with the cutest baskets I could afford (aka Dollar Store baskets), shelves that were from my childhood bedroom, and basket labels I snagged off the Internet. I remember beaming at my classroom library with pride that summer and envisioning the wonderful book shopping that would take place during the year.
Man, was I in for a rude awakening! At the start of the year, I gave my first graders a quick overview of my expectations about choosing books wisely and then sent them on their merry way. Before I knew it, students' book bags were stuffed full of books that were not on their right reading level and often not even on topics that really interested them. Books were simply props students held during Reader’s Workshop. The borrow-and-return system bombed. It was quickly evident that book shopping was not an effective part of our school day.
Over time, however, I learned how to make book shopping work, so I now want to share my six tips for a successful system.
The Power of Choice in the Classroom Library:
6 Tips for Creating a Successful Shopping System
by Allison Nordby
"They shop with purpose and create a book bag balanced with 'just right' book levels and genres of interest."