Classroom Library Books

I recently was asked by a student teacher, “Where do you get all the books for your classroom library?” I thought that was a great question! I like to have a large selection of books right in our classroom for students to borrow for use in school and at home. Purchasing books can get quite costly, so I composed a list of 6 inexpensive or FREE sources for books.

1. Yard Sales - Children’s books are often 25¢ each or 5 for a dollar.

2. Library Books Sales - Your local library may have a yearly book sale with prices similar to a yard sale. Some libraries even run their sales year-round!

3. Thrift Stores - Prices as above plus don’t you love the idea of never knowing what you may find?

4. Consignment Stores - Prices may be higher, but if you are shopping there anyway, why not look around? You may find that book you have been looking for at a reasonable price.

5. Raid Your Kids’ Bookshelves - If you have your own children or nieces and nephews, ask them if they are ready to part with any of their books. My kids like to donate to my classroom because the books will be read again, and it frees up space on their own bookshelves.

6. Book Club Bonus Points - If you have your kiddos order from book clubs such as Scholastic, you can use the points to add to your classroom library. The kids like to participate in the selection!

*Need magazines for your classroom? My local library saves the old editions of children’s magazines for use in my classroom! The kids love the magazines and don’t mind that they are a few months old!

How do you stock your classroom library shelves?

Click HERE for a FREE Classroom Library Book Sign-Out Sheet like this one:

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Tutoring

Are you tutoring this summer, or do you tutor after school? I am currently helping a student with math skills to prevent the summer slide. We hit on several standards during each session using a variety of strategies.

I have the student warm up by writing out her multiplication facts on a whiteboard with fun colors, followed by a timed quiz.

Then we review basic algorithms using one of my own TpT resources:

Daily Math

Students and teachers like the format because it is not crowded. You can find it here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Math-Practice-1324839

I have also been using First Day of School in Fourth Grade by Sum Math Fun:

I like this resource because it integrates reading and math. Plus, the worksheets are fun!
Here is the link:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-in-Fourth-Grade-1363207

We spend the last 20 minutes of our session playing games. Here is one of our favorites:

Materials:

Playing cards with the face cards removed
Dice (quiet dollar store dice pictured)
Game markers (mini erasers pictured)

The object of the Game:

To be the first player to get out of the spiral

How to Play:

1. Player 1 rolls, adds the total on the dice, and moves that number of cards from the center.
2. Player 1 multiplies the total on the dice times the number on the card. If correct, the player stays on the card. If incorrect, the player goes back.
3. Player 2 follows in the same way.
4. The first player to get out wins.
Easy!

This will be one of my stations during math rotations this year!



Here is how I stay organized for my tutoring sessions:

Tutoring Binder

You can get it here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tutoring-Binder-965319

Try these Tutoring Record Sheets for FREE!

You can get this FREEBIE here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tutoring-Record-Sheet-935033

These TpT resources along with plenty of fun games make our tutoring sessions fly by!

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FREE Activity for new subscribers:  Sign up for the Fourth Grade Frenzy newsletter!

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Math Fun

My kids have so much fun when we create math projects. For an introduction to parentheses lesson, the kids used elbow macaroni to show their learning. This simple project was motivating to the kids and moved right on up to "create" on Bloom's scale! What projects have you tried in your math lessons?

Special Education Organization

Do you have any special needs students in your class? IEPs can be quite lengthy! I designed a cheat sheet for the parts I use the most to keep in my binder. Grab it for FREE!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/IEP-at-a-Glance-773797 Get it here for FREE!

Welcome Friends!
I would like to start with a huge thank you to the talented Danielle from Crayonbox Learning for designing this amazing blog!

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