Wild About Books!!! Monica Porter, Star Elementary, Carter County, KY Grade Level: First Grade

My reading center is the best place in my classroom! We all love it! There are about 1,000 or more books in the area. I also have other books that I save for special times (holidays, seasonal) throughout the year to display in the center. These books are kept on the table in a seasonal themed container. My books are arranged by reading level for reading counts. They are in baskets by level and color coded (ex. 1.1-1.9 are pink) and shelved in the center. Other books that are not reading counts books are arranged by genre. These books are also color coded. In addition to the books we also have transactive materials (magazines, brochures, menus, etc.). My classroom center has a theme it is "Wild About Books" I have two large stuffed animals, a 5 ft. giraffe, and a 3 ft. kangaroo to accent this. My favorite part of my center is the steps that my kids sit on while reading. These are ampi-theatre style steps that are covered with chetah fabric to set off the whole theme! There are many stuffed animals that the students can get to read to they really love this, it makes reading seem more like play. The center is cozy with a plush carpet and pillows to lounge on while reading. It is also very useful with an chalk/whiteboard easel to teach group lessons. This is the perfect place to do shared reading or writing, or just to grab a book and lounge around with your favorite stuffed animal!