How to Set Up a Reading Centre in an Elementary School Classroom

Display the books neatly in class

Setting up a Reading Centre in the classroom is important if a teacher wants to establish the habit of reading in students.  Here are some tips on how to set up a reading Center

1 Where  -      Choose a corner of the classroom

2 What to include?   Display age appropriate story books/ reading material  nicely and neatly on a book shelf or in storage bins.

3.       Books should be of a variety  of topics: sports,  animals, science, fiction, non-fiction books, cartoon/ comic books, joke books, famous people, children’s magazines  etc. 

Students recommend their favourite part of tehee story

4.         Books should also reflect the interest, cultural  and ethic background of students

5.       For beginner English learners, choose high interest, low vocabulary books with lots of pictures and illustrations.  

Create a comfortable reading area for students to read!!

    How - Create a relaxing, quiet and comfortable environment for students to read

   When reading,  students can sit on chairs, cushions or on the floor. 
      Sometimes students may share a book and have discussions among themselves about what they read.       Monitor the discussions. As long as they are talking about their reading, that will be fine. 

  

  Student  independent reading time should take place every day in school if possible.

   Each reading period can be from 15 - 30 minutes depending on the age of students

 Tracking and Reward

Tracking sheet for individual student to record the books they have read

 -  Once a week, ask students to take turn to share of what they have read in class.

Student tracking their own reading

-    Encourage students to  record books they have finished reading on an individual tracking sheet

 -  Encourage students to give rating on the books they have finished reading. 
-  I ask students to draw a happy face on the rating column if they like the book, a sad face if they don't like it. Some students ask me if they can draw more than one happy face. Of course, the number of happy faces they draw represent how much they like the book, similar to our five star rating of hotels, restaurant etc.
  
-   Post these individual reading tracking sheet around the Reading Corner.

- This will help to motivate students to read as they see how many books others  have read. 

Students love to read! Make reading a daily activity in the classroom!

 Reward students when they have completed and filled each Tracking sheet.

 Put up a new tracking sheet and file the completed tracking sheets in students’ folders for record.

Teacher Noel is enthusiastic about the Reading Centre in his classroom

When teachers show their enthusiasm for reading and learning, their love of learning will filter down to their students and they will become a life long reader because of their teachers' influence.

A Professional Learning Community - Teachers learning from each other

 Teachers are one of the most significant role models in our students' lives!

Hats off to those who put forth great efforts in introducing the precious gift of reading to their students when they are young and impressionable!

R.T.
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Week of Nov. 24, 2014