Library Books - The Simple Secret To Help Your Kid Read Better

According to research from the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP, more than 4 out of 10 4th grades is in the US reads at below their grade level. Also according to the NAEP, the greatest factor in encouraging students to read is simply the presence of more books in the classroom. The NAEP stated that classrooms that had well designed library areas encouraged children to interact with more books. Those same children developed more positive attitude towards reading. They spent more time reading and they showed a higher level of reading achievement than children in other classes that did not have a library.

In short, the amount of access that students have to books directly influences how much those same students will read. In fact research has shown that in classrooms where there is a varied collection of appealing books, students will read 50% more than students who do not have access to a classroom library. Having access to fiction and non-fiction books actually motivates students to read and the more students read the better readers they naturally become. Textbooks are not designed for pleasure reading and so students need quality fiction and non-fiction books in order willingly practice their reading skills. As students read these books, they will develop their reading fluency and they will also develop the habit and also the love for reading.

So now we have established the importance of access to books for literacy development. Lets look at some of the advantages of classroom libraries. Class libraries can greatly help level the playing field for students who have limited access to books outside of the classroom. This can be a leveling in pure socio- economic terms since research has shown that students in low-income families have far smaller access to books outside the classroom than students from more well of families. In fact one particular research study suggested that students from affluent families have 4,000 times more access to books than those from poorer families, however, access to additional books provided by classroom libraries can actually go beyond the socio economic benefits.

The author personally knows of one family where the father insisted that his children study a very narrow range of books (mainly textbooks). Those students were able, during class library hours to read many more interesting fiction books and this allowed them to explore and develop and their reading skills using of wide variety of books - or at least a wider variety than they would have had at home. Even beyond just developing a students reading skills, classroom libraries have other enriching effect on children.

I know of one particular successful adult how looks back fondly on his time as a student spent studying history in a grade school classroom library. During library time, he remembers spending several weeks studying a particular book about a historical figure called Charlmagne who existed many years ago in Central Europe. Now he would not have come across that historical character as part of the normal curriculum in his school.

What this example shows us is that classroom libraries and the books that contain can greatly enrich and support the curriculum, improving student’s learning. It gives students the ability to begin to learn by themselves and not depend on a teacher only. We also see that students can read up to a grade but if motivated by interest in a particular book, that are many examples showing that students will read above their grade in order to enjoy a particular book.

In short, classroom libraries are a valuable study component that enrich students learning beyond any curriculum. It allows them to read at any grade they are capable of and gives them a sense of inquiry and exploration.

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