Leveling Classroom Libraries

To Level or Not To Level?

Classroom libraries are a source of independent reading materials for an elementary classroom of students. Depending on the teacher, students typically choose books on their own and read it for “Reader’s Workshop” or “Silent Sustained Reading” time. But what happens when a struggling reader chooses a book that is too difficult for their reading level? And what about when an excelling reader chooses a book that is meant for a struggling reader? This can be not only boring for the strong reader, but extremely difficult for the struggling reader. Teachers that have observed this frustration have turned to leveling their classroom library.

The concept of leveling books was stemmed from the idea that students do not always know which books are just right for their individual reading level. Although easier books can give students practice with reading words they already know, these books are often less dense, with fewer opportunities to implement advanced skills. More difficult books can become frustrating and discouraging for students, resulting in negative mind-sets regarding reading. In a leveled library, students can easily find books that correlate to their independent reading level and concentrate more on comprehension, rather than spending time decoding vocabulary. This is where leveling books have been shown to be of great value for students, especially struggling readers.

The concern that some educators bring up with a leveled library involves a more narrow selection of books available for students in their particular reading level. Teachers can’t always afford to expand their library enough to provide an assortment of books for all levels and interests. In addition, leveling the library and giving students their particular level that they should use to choose books can be degrading to some children. Students may find it obvious which of their classmates are excelling, and which are reading at a lower level based on their given color or number. So how can teachers level their classroom library without noticeably labeling students and limiting the selection of books?

               There is no doubt that leveled books allow students to build fluency and comprehension skills, and ultimately promotes reading success. This being said, it does not mean that the entire library has to be leveled. Students would still benefit from some type of leveling system integrated into their selection of books. This type of classroom library could have about one-third to one-half of books in a leveled section divided into four or five different sections. This section can be used as a tool for students who may be having difficulty selecting books. For different levels, the teacher can name the sections using names of animals, or nature. Students would be more compelled to read a certain level of books if it was named the sun, moon, or rainbow section, rather than a number or a color.

The remaining selection of books could act as a place for students to not only practice picking out books from a large variety, but also for them to try reading more difficult material. Challenging books can actually be beneficial for students. "In some cases, these challenging texts may have other equally, if not more, important attributes, such as promoting high engagement, providing material for students’ content area investigations or writing, or providing inducement to apply fix-up and other coping strategies" (Duke 2011). A classroom library with a section of books that are not labeled leaves room for instructional opportunities for the teacher to take advantage of throughout the school year. Students are not always going to have a prepared level library for them to choose from; it is necessary for teachers to demonstrate how to choose books that are just right for them.

            So depending on the classroom, some teachers may choose to level their library, while others may not. Some may have half and half, while others may begin with a leveled library and decide to move away from that over time. Either way, it is important to keep the students in mind at all times. Are the students developing the skills they need with the current library organization? Is it obvious to a student who is excelling and who is struggling? And, most of all, are students enjoying their time spent reading in the classroom?

Works Cited:

Duke, N., Pearson, D., Strachan, S., & Billman, A. (2011). Essential elements of fostering and teaching reading comprehension. What research has to say about reading instruction, 51-93.