Pages

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Free T-Shirt Class Book

Don't you just love making class books?  No books in your classroom library will ever be as popular with your students as the ones they've worked on together to write and illustrate. (well, at least until they fall in love with Mo Willems' books ...)

Starting to build a collection of class books right from the first week of school has several advantages.

* You're getting an early start on building a classroom community. Your students will get to know one another and you will learn more about them, too, from their likes and dislikes to their handwriting and spelling strengths and needs!

* As your students contribute to a whole class project, they will see that you give equal value and importance to each of their contributions, bolstering the confidence of the less secure little ones.

* Class books can help you quickly build a collection of books that will be readable for every student in your class.

* Reading class books is a great way to introduce buddy reading procedures. Because the text will be very familiar to both of the readers, neither will feel at a disadvantage, and your teaching focus can shift to appropriate student behaviors for buddy reading.

The earliest class books can be built on common experiences, such as responses to a read-aloud:
" I see a ____________  ______________ looking at me" is a favorite we've probably all done.
How about the experiences your students bring from ouside the classroom? Families, homes, and personal favorites are all the basis for many class book ideas.

There are a number of ways to bind your class projects into books. I used to think that laminating every page was kind of wasteful. but I changed my mind.  These books will get lots of use and need to last all year! Once laminated, one of the most durable ways to bind is with a binder (like a GBC) and plastic combs. Pages can also be holepunched and then secured with looseleaf rings, chicken rings, or even with string or pipecleaners. Another idea is to use portfolio folders, widely available at ridiculously low prices for back to school. Cut the cover page to size and tape on the front, holepunch
each student page, and simply put them in the folder as if you were assembling a report.

After you've assembled a large enough collection, you may want to start sending books home with a different child each night to read to their families. I staple a page inside the back cover for  parents to write a short comment. The kids all get to bask in the praise! :)

Here's a free book to help you get started on your first class book project.







If you're looking for more books for your class to make together, I hope that you'll consider this collection of five back to school class books at my TPT store. Each book includes a cover, student template (printable in color ot grayscale), and a related data collection activity.


                                     




Happy Teaching!
  


6 comments:

  1. Linda> I ordered all your book kits from TPT just now.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! My kids LOVED making books last year and I have been searching for some more ideas. I was trying to make enough books that at the end of the year each child would get to take one home and now I will be able to do that!!! Thanks again. Amy in NC :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Amy - it's so rare that we get to directly thank someone for their purchase, so "Thank YOU so much!!" I'm so glad that you have big plans for making class books - it is soooo worth the work. I'm thinking offhand that the sets you bought must give you about templates for about 25 books. If you think of any other ideas for books that you might like me to work on, please let me know and I'd be very happy to give them a try!
      Linda
      Linda

      Delete
  2. I like the idea of making class books! I need to try & find the time to make more of them this school year. Thanks for the t-shirt book freebie! :)
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so right, Lisa... it's always about finding time! Hope you can squeeze it in. I've always found it to be time well spent!
      Linda

      Delete
  3. I love making classroom books. You're very right. The kids love to read them over and over and over. We have so many by the end of the year, that each child gets to take at least two home as souvenirs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love sending them home, too. They're a perfect memento, and the kids are thrilled that they get to keep them.
      Thanks for commenting, Tammy!

      Linda

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.