Years ago my classroom was filled with first-grade students. Children with smiles of missing teeth had pencil boxes filled with crayons and pencils, and a few lucky ones even had markers. Their small desks were filled with textbooks stacked in neat piles or had a few spilling out on the floor. I would pass out large sheets of newsprint story paper for each child to create their writing. Students were sitting at their desks, one bank of fluorescent lights off, the overhead projector shining. Soft instrumental music played from the tape player, and the crayons and pencils moved across the page. Students were hard at work creating a page for our newest class book.
Are class books still a relevant strategy to use in my classroom today? Is taking the time to create a book together still a valuable practice?
Class Books for Engagement
There are many easy ways to add engagement strategies to the classroom. Reflecting on the effective engagement practices I used, creating class books rises to the top of the list. Student learning was captured in these pages as each child contributed to a page. Writers added several details, proud to discuss their work. Illustrations had many vibrant colors, and as text features were taught, they found their way into the pages of the class books. Writing on each page filled the lines. Even reluctant writers wanted to have their work in the class book. Students used every second of our reflection time at the end of the lesson to work with their partner, telling about their page in the class book. They were thoughtful about their work, making sure they used their best handwriting and drew the most detailed illustrations.
Class books easily earned a check for the engagement of learners. Although it takes time to create a class book, it is valuable because of the way it builds ownership and identity for an entire community. Browsing through the book bins in our classroom library, students gravitated toward the bin of class books, hoping to find one to read again.
Class Books to Build Community
From the very first day of school, class books have been one component of building the community of readers and writers in my classroom. Our first class book creates our community as we introduce ourselves, and each student has their own page in the book. Students have a self-portrait, write about themselves, and share their page with the class. This book will look a little torn and tattered by the end of the year, but it will be loved by all.
Continuing to build a community that works and learns together shines in another book about school rules. We talk about ways to be a good citizen at school, create the pages, and then revisit this book as needed as a group or maybe just as individuals.
Another way class books continue to build community throughout the school year is students getting to know their classmates as writers. Picking up the books we have created together helps them become more familiar with their peers through their illustrations and writing. Students spend time lingering over the pages, rereading to learn more. Intentionally building community in a classroom takes time, and class books are a valid strategy to help students feel a sense of belonging and get to know each other each time they turn a page.
Class Books for Reading Practice
Scanning the book bins for each student, there was always a class book inside. These class-created books were a favorite and familiar read. It became necessary to have a discussion about checking out only one class book at a time to ensure everyone had a chance to read the books again. Students could sit and reread the books we had created together during independent reading time. The sentences created by the students were usually easily read. The books held together with plastic binding combs are high-interest texts to the readers in the classroom. Even my most reluctant readers would pick up these texts and build positive relationships with books. Using class books was a valid strategy for independent reading.
Class Books as Opportunities for Choice in PublishingÂ
There are many ways to publish student writing. Handwritten and illustrated pages are always an option. As students learned new apps or features on their iPads, adding technology to our class books opened up new opportunities. When we made a class book of infographics after our research unit, it was amazing to see each writer’s creativity come alive with the one-page fact sheets. Students could use many different elements in the app to make their learning come alive. As the pages of the digital book were projected on the TV screen, students could appreciate their classmates’ work. Class books again are a win for providing choice in publishing to students. Adding digitally created pages, a recorded message, or a handwritten page is seamless. Class books can offer options and honor each student’s publishing choice.
Class Books to Foster Home and School Connections
Keeping families part of the school day is always a challenge. Not every adult has an opportunity to volunteer in the classroom or go on our field trips. Sending home a link to a digital class book in the weekly newsletter has been a great way to showcase the content learning we are doing as well as spotlight the work each student has produced. The class book has been a vehicle to share a little slice of student writing. Using a link to share class books with families is a quick way to communicate. Instead of sending home stacks of paper, I can include a link in my weekly email to share our learning.
My classroom is still filled with first-grade students with bright smiles showing missing teeth. In addition to crayons, pencils, and paper, iPads crowd the top of each desk. The harsh fluorescent lights have been replaced with the soft glow of lamps around the room. Soft music plays through the smart TV at the front of the room with a relaxing image on the screen. Desks are grouped together, but some students choose to sit in one of the beanbag chairs around the room, and others lie on the floor supported by a pillow with their iPad or work together with an app. Even as my toolbox of effective strategies continues to grow, making class books remains an important practice in my classroom.
