book corner

[Guest]

Hi, over the last week we have been reviewing our classroom and talking with the children about what they have enjoyed and learnt over the year. I have not been happy with my book corner this year, as the children love to go there, as it is a cosy space. But they role play, and don't seem to notice the books! While talking to the children , one comment sticks in my mind, " I don't like the book corner cause I can't read the books!" At the moment we have familar books the children know and we read to them regulary, but we don't have the "reading scheme/phonic books" in there. We keep them separate.

What does everyone else have ?

I am going to get some comics and a set of our reading scheme/phoinc books to stay in the book corner, as well as make more class books on the words we will be learning.As well as the favourites like The Gruffalo etc

I feel like it is such an obvious theing, how can they practrice their reading if the text in the books is too hard?

How are your book corners organised?

[narnia]

I put in flyers for various attractions, such as Peppa pig land, Legoland etc.......and it's been a revelation...........the amount of talk we get ( we're a Preschool) is fabulous; we regularly find children sitting in there, with an open leaflet and talking about whether or not they have been to the place or would like to go to it. Some have maps of the attraction, so the children skip from theme to theme ( apparantly, the pancake house at Peppa pig land is just A M A Z I N G !!). The nicest one was when i looked up to see three boys sitting on the sofa, each with a different leaflet, and each one comparing the various merits of the attraction they were looking at. Priceless

I sometimes put in adverts from the newspapers ( all those ads for gardening implements/walking sticks/comfy slippers etc) and that's great too........'my gramma wears those slippers!, or daddy's got one of those in my garden. I also occasionally add comics that my grandchildren have finished with and those go down really well too.

Role play though?? yes, mine do it too, they very often have picnics or a doctors surgery in there.............could you set yours up as a library, with children responsible for 'checking out' the books and back in again, helping other children to select books?? Have a 'Book of the week' and ask children to let you know what they think of it.......we send books home and include a page for the parent and child to say what they thought of it ( children might also draw a picture from the story and parents scribe what the child has said, though some like to 'write' their own comments too...and we've had older siblings sharing the books and adding their commentstoo, so really nice)

[Susan]

I had a book time session within my day somewhere when children looked at a book---either their own home reading book, one they chose from the book corner or a selection of readers that they could access including the books they had had for guided reading.

Narnia's ideas sound fab!

[Guest]

I pick up annuals from charity shops and put them in - Dr Who and Star Wars ones always attract the boys

[Moorside]

Hi

 

My children too like to roleplay in the book corner. I have tried all sorts but have eventually decided that this is not an issue! Just to reassure you it was the one thing I was watching out of the corner of my eye when OFTED were in thinking "OH no they are not reading" but OFSTED loved the roleplay so stress less would be my message!

 

J

[Guest]

I have fiction, non fiction, comics, annuals in there and reading scheme books that they can read. I also have a display in there usually of non fiction linked with current interests eg dinosaurs which changes every couple of weeks. I do also put in a storytelling box to match our class story telling which has figures, backgrounds, the story map of the story, props etc for them to tell the story.

Deb

[finleysmaid]

dont want to seem obvious here but surely you want them to role play in the book corner? isn't this about creating narratives and bringing storylines into their play?

[Inge]

I always feel the book corner should be a cosy place and somewhere they want to go...

 

if the role play keeps taking over I would look at the role play area and try to see why it is that they gravitate to the book corner.. maybe that is the area that needs some revamping to give it a cosy area as well...

 

we always had books in several areas so they could choose they type of environment wanted at the time.. some liked tables, others cosy area.. and our role play area always had a small book case or box in it as well..