I want to build the media center's collection of high interest - low level books that would be appropriate for emerging readers.
In our district, we use Accelerated Reader to help track how well students understand the books they're reading on their own. Right now, I only have a small bin of these early-level books in the media center. Because our school was originally built just for grades 3 through 5, our current library collection is pretty limited for younger or striving readers. I really want to build up this section so my students have a much wider variety of exciting titles to choose from.
The biggest issue right now is that a lot of the beginning reader books I have just don’t have much of a storyline or plot. The students find them boring. Adding high-interest books to our collection, will completely change how they view reading. They'll finally have stories they actually enjoy, which naturally helps them do better on their Accelerated Reader quizzes. That success builds their confidence and helps them grow into truly independent readers. Plus, this isn't just about our youngest students—it's also going to be a huge help for our older kids who are learning English or struggling with reading and need engaging stories at an accessible level.
I plan to purchase a variety of trade books that are written at an appropriate level for emerging and struggling readers.
