Pam Urbaniec from Newport Beach, CA:
I start the year by teaching students to select books from my classroom library and placing a paint stick (free at Home Depot) decorated by them with their name on it in the basket or hole created by the missing book they have just selected. When it's time to return the book, they "find their stick" where they previously left it and voila, the book gets returned to its proper spot!

MaryAnn from Oshkosh, Wi:
Hi Christa, I'm a second teacher with 30+ yrs experience. My students have desks, but an easy solution would be to have either a mailbox system where each child has their own space big enough for a book or unfinished work or get a clean pizza box for each child. Label that box and stack them in a corner for whatever you need them for. As for the color coding problem...I would have a laundry basket for students to drop off their books. Then I would appoint 2-3 students to put the books back in your color code system. All kids like being responsible and this job would be easy for them to complete with helpers. Good luck!

Connie Mitchell from Montgomery Village, Maryland:
Try scanning in the main character of each set of books: Franklin, Dr. Seuss, Clifford, etc. Use these scanned pictures to make labels for the boxes. My first graders pay a lot more attention to the labels when they see their favorite characters on the baskets!

Kara from North Haven, CT:
I have book corner helpers. They help keep everything tidy. My books are leveled and categorized by seasons. That is the only way I know how to keep it organized

Carol Braden from Palmetto, FL:
I e-mail our Staff to Staff folder and ask 5th grade teachers to share a child (or children) that need to be kept busy. Then I compare their schedule with mine and "hire" those that are available. I have a folder for these "Peer Tutors" to check when work is finished and they have extra time. I have noted in MY SUBSTITUTE FOLDER about these children and their duties...they are to wear a Tutor Badge and replace it when they leave. Use Gallon Zip-Loc baggies to house books and or See the Really Good Stuff "Mix & Match"- Organize & Storage pages (they have colored-coded" boxes and bins).

Jen McPartland from Ocean Gate, NJ:
Why not have two baskets on the tables? You can have one labeled "unfinished" and place some bookmarks in that basket. This way students will know where to go to find their book again and know exactly where they left off. As far as putting the books back, the other basket can be labeled "finished" and you can create a job called "table librarian". At the end of the reading session the table librarian would be in charge of putting the books back in the correctly color-coded section. This will eliminate too many people trying to place books back at one time and hopefully keep things a bit more organized. Hope the ideas help. Good luck!

Meredith Rodriguez from Bronx, NY:
I also have the same issue in my first grade classroom! Here is the way I dealt with it this year. My solution to the book storage problem was the Really Good Stuff plastic magazine holders. I gave each student one 'bin' to use during reading workshop time. They kept 3-5 books in it, as well as their reading response journal. This made sure that they always had plenty to work on during their independent reading time, and at the end, the bins were put back in alphabetical order by childrens names. They used sticky notes as bookmarks for books they needed to continue the next day. As for the putting away problem, I love the idea of color coding! If you have that system in place, you can give one or two students the job of 'librarian'. That way, you don't have 20 kids trying to put books away, but instead just one responsable student who will take the job seriously. Good luck!

Debbie Villiard from Manchester, NH:
Color code plastic bins to match the color of the genres. You can attach colored paper with clear contact to clear bins, or purchase colored bins to match the colors of the genres. Keep the bins in a designated location. Choose a student to be a "book color policeman" to check every day or week that the books are in correct bins. Be sure to model the correct procedure by making a game out of putting the books away at a morning meeting or circle time. Give each student a book and see if they can place it in the correct bin.

Heather Wise from Narvon, Pennsylvania:
First, you could have personalized bookmarks that they could slip into the book they are currently reading, and then have the students store the books in a collective bin, maybe labeled "In Progress". Then you can easily see who has books and what they are reading. You can also use clear, over-the-door shoe hangers and assign each student a pocket in which to store his/her current book. As far as making sure students return their book to the correct genre, I started organizing my genres into bins and storing the bins on the book shelves. I label the bins with the name of the genre and a sticker that represents the genre. All of the books of that genre have a sticker also. I have a class librarian who is in charge of putting the books in our class "library return bin" back on the shelf by matching the book with the proper bin on the shelf. Another possible idea for you is something I did to try to keep tabs on my books. I made a chart with pockets and then a colored file card with each student's name on it in each pocket. When they "check out" a book, they write the title of the book, and date they checked it out, on the card. The card gets stored in a little basket that the class librarian uses. If their card is missing from the chart, I know they have a book out. The class librarian can also keep tabs with the cards as to whether or not a student has returned a book into the bin. When a student does not have a class book out, his/her card is up and I can easily see it. It is great to see how students are utilizing the library.

Carol Stoddard from Pacifica, California:
You can have a book box for each child (the magazine holder boxes are perfect). They can put their unfinished reading materials in the box along with guided reading books and box at their reading level. You can also use book bags, just zip lock bags but I find those to be awkward to store.

Carol Ann Hessw from Walnut Creek, CA:
Just give each student a #. Then use a rulers/or something similar with each students' # at the top. When a book is removed the ruler is inserted in that place. Then books can easily be returned to the exact place. Student #s can save your sanity in many classroom situations. Papers can be put into # order if the kids are told to put their # on everything in the upper right hand corner. That includes field trip permission slips, notes from home, student textbooks everything.

Linda Kajino from Carson, California:
Hi Christa, I'm a 4th grade teacher but I have had the same type of problems with books and reading that you have had. My solution is to add a basket or magazine box to the table with laminated name cards and paper clips available for the the students to attach to the book they are reading and then leave in the basket until the next free reading time. I would color-code the baskets and name cards to match the genre selections you have already set in place. By the way, thank you for the terrific job you are doing in teaching your first graders to read. We really appreciate your talents at the upper grade levels. Linda in Carson, CA.

Lee from Dallas, Tx:
Books that students haven't finished along with a selection of other books can be kept in a central location in a plastic dish pan in the middle of each table, that when whenever any student has extra time, he/she can read quietly for a few minutes. Also, I would suggest 2 gallon size ziploc bags taped with duct tape on the back of each student's chair, so that they can keep extra books to read in their spare time or folders that they need frequently.

Sheryl Boegner from Grand Blanc, Michigan:
I teach second grade and we use 2-gallon zip lock baggies to store the books that each student is reading. They are name-labeled and students are allowed to take these books home each night until they are completed. In the beginning of the year, make returning books a classroom job. Set out a book basket and once a day the "librarian" returns used books back to the proper containers that you have color-coded. By January, students should have each had a turn at the "job" and you may be able to emilinate the job and give the responsibility to students.

Anne from Dumont, IA:
I help my children in returning books to the correct spot by putting colored dots on the front covers of the books. For example, all my alphabet books have one color, all my author study books have another color, all my theme books have another, etc. How about construction paper book marks with child's name for the books not finished. All the books could be stored in a tub.

Julie from Marion, KY:
I think I can answer both of your questions. First, I, too, have tables in my room. I use chair covers for my student's chairs. Buy durable material that will last (and wash) several years so the expense is worth it. Fit the material over the back of the chair, stich up the sides and add a pocket for books, pencil boxes, etc... I use mine constantly. Try color coding the books with a small piece of construction paper. Put clear book binding tape over the piece of paper. I keep all of the books of one color in a rubbermaid tub where the front cover. The front of the tub also has the same color of paper taped to the front of it. It takes awhile to set this system up, but it is well worth it! Later, even the kids can straighten the books and make sure they have been returned to the correct tub. It sounds like you already have them color coded, but maybe this tub system will help to get the students organized. Good luck!

Laurie Heilmeier from Weston, Wisconsin:
Hi Christa, I teach first grade too and I also use tables. I love my classroom library as well. Here is what I do in regards to your questions. It works well fo me. I hope it helps. Do you use browsing or book boxes for each child? If so, they could put there unfinished books in those for a day or two until they are completed. Each of the tables in my room has a shelf stand at one end for them to put shared items on-school boxes, rainy day books, markers...sometimes my students just put them there. Another great idea is last year I purchased the Really Good Stuff chair pouches and I love them. They held up really great and can go in the washing machine. So, I can reuse them again. My kids also love holding on to a book for a few days-so they just keep them in their pouches. For your other questions-I too, encourage them to find the right spot for returning books-but if they just can't rememeber, I have a basket near by the shelves for "I can't remember where this goes". They just put them in the basket and when I or an aid has time, we just put them away. Some kids even look through that basket when choosing a book and looking for a popular one. We also have a recommendation box, that the kids can place favorites in. The magazine box is also popular. Recently I added a little box of post it notes with markers so the kids could mark good parts or questions in their books. This sparked good conversations when others read that book and found the post-it note! I love the independent book and reading part of our day. I hope I was helpful. Good luck!

Lenore Kaufman from Manalapan, NJ:
Have a place holder for each child. A piece of oaktag long enough to stay on the book shelf where the book was taken. When it's time to put the book back, the child puts it in the spot where the place holder was and puts the place holder in its' spot (could be a tray, in his/her desk)

Tiff Brown from York, Pennsylvania:
I organize my books the same way. If you don't have desks for each child, I suggest hanging some kind of pocket/file folder holder for the temporary storage of the unfinished books with their names on the outside. You could also have the kids use a "Come Back to it later" folder. If those ideas are inconvenient for you, the kids could have one bin where they put their unfinished reading and place a sticky note on or in the book with their name on it. My kids have the same issue not putting books back in the correct bin. I started using large laminated bookmarks with their names on, so they can find their spot a week later and know where there book should go. Hope this helps!

Dedra Morgan from Bartlesville, Oklahoma:
You could have a basket for the middle of each table to put books for that table that they are reading (either books you select and change every week or so, or books they choose and are continuing to read). Then, how about it being someone's job to put the books up, or to check the boxes to make sure the books are in the correct box? That could be a great job for someone who is always the first one finished and ready to go! You know we all have one or two of those!

Pamela Fitzgerald from Kingston, Georgia:
I also teach first grade. My students have a small canvas bag that is refered to as their reading bag. In the bag is where they keep the books that they are working on. They are expected to keep two books of their choice and their basal reader. Also they keep a journal in their bag so they can respond to the books they read. In my class I don't ever reach complete accuracy when it comes to having the books put away in the correct place either. However, I have found a way to make it less stressful for myself. I have an assigned Librarian for the week. It is that students' job to straighten the book bins and look for books that are not in their proper place. This has worked out great for me and my students. Not only does it keep the book bins looking neat and all the books in their correct place it also teaches the children why it is important to put things back in their proper place. The students find out how hard it is to correct the mixed up book bins and slowly but surely they begin being more responsible altogether.

Corey Cohron from South Ogden, UT:
Keep a small (dollar store!) basket in the middle of the table for the unfinished books. If you have an actual silent sustained reading time when most of the books are going in and out, assign two children to be librarians for the week. They can take their own book and read while "supervising" the books coming back in. Or you could try having a paint-stirring stick for each child (labeled with his/her name, of course!). When they take out a book, they put the stick in the remaining space. When the book is returned, the child simply looks for his name and slips the book back in that slot and takes his stick. (The librarians can also watch and make sure nobody is removing other students' sticks.)

Marnie Schneider from Oshkosh, Wisconsin:
Something that has worked very well for my second grade classroom is using cardboard or plastic magazine bins. Each student has a bin that they can place "just right books" that they want to read. We place all these bins on a special shelf, so the students have easy access to them. Each student has their name on their own bin. Then if they don't finish a book they can just place it in their bin. This seems to work very well. The students can also take their bin to a special reading area to read. This eliminates the need for them to get up and to find another book, since their bin already has a selection of books that they want to read. It also eliminates the talking in the classroom. To answer your second question: If you have your books in colored bins, then you should place a colored circle sticker on the back of the book that matches the bin. Then if a student takes a book out of the greem bin, they can look on the back of the book and notice the green sticker. This will help them to learn where the books go. I helped one of our kindergarten classes with something very similiar where each bin has a symbol on it. Then all the books in that bin have the same symbol on the back of it. For instance, all the Dr. Seuss books have a picture of The Cat in the Hat on the back. The bin that they belong in have a bigger picture of the Cat in the Hat on it. This really helps the students to match up the pictures. I hope this helps.

Maria from Naperville, IL:
For books that the students haven't finished, you can have individual book bags that you store in a crate or book bags that attach to the back of their chair. If your students have trouble putting books books back in the correct spot, you can have a couple students who act as the librarian and go through your books each week. You could also have a return basket and either you or the class librarian would be responsible to put them back in the correct spot.

Cathy from Medford, OR:
Our library uses small paddles to mark where a book was removed. If a child has a paddle with his or her name on it, she can leave the paddle on the bookshelf to show where to put it away. I always let children who want to finish reading a book put it back on the shelf but with a marker with name, page number and date. The date helps with determining if they are able to make progress on the book.

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sharon from north reading, ma:
For the books that haven't been finished, I would suggest that the children use cool bookmarks that they have made and reshelve them until the next time they can read. You might appoint a classroom librarian on a weekly basis that can take 5 minutes at the end of the day to straighten up the bookshelf. Have a great year!

Dixie Parsons from Cincinnati, Ohio:
A suggestion to get students to return books to the correct spot might be to use library shelf markers with their name written on it. They put their shelf marker in that spot and then they retrieve their makers when they put the book back.

Jill from Guilford, Connecticut:
I was having the same problem in my classroom. I created a book sign-out. I attached a clothespin with each child's name on it to a clipboard labeled Book Sign Out. From the very first day, I show students how to select a book, put their clip on the basket, return the book and then return the clothespin. I continue for the first several weeks of school to model this strategy with my students. As with anything in 1st grade, this is not foolproof, but it has helped the books stay more organized in their specific genre.

Pat from Lebanon, OH:
I use "book bins" that are numbered. On the outside of each bin I write a number with a black marker. All the children have to remember is the number of the bin from which they got the book. Usually I put all Level 1 books in red bins; Level 2 books in blue bins; Level 3 books in white bins; and so forth. Once the children are reading past Level 3 they are usually able to place the books they have selected from shelves back on the proper shelves if the books are categorized in series or topics/content.

Patricia Driscoll from Greene, Maine:
Hi! I teach grade 2. I have tables, too. I purchased three large plastic carry-alls for cleaning supplies ... the ones with two slots and a handle in the middle. These work great for literacy folders, math workbooks, and independent reading books. My class leader for the day is the librarian and makes sure students are putting books back in the correct places. I've also had a drop box, as libraries do. It's an endless management problem!

Dona Cox - Cosgrove from Kingsland, GA:
When I taught the lower grades, I painted a paint paint stick for each student, writing their name on it. When they got a book, they saved the spot with their paint stick. Just like the library! The stick remained until the book was returned. If they wished to get the same book again, they wrote their name on a sticky note and placed it on the book allowing it to hang off the book for easy recollection.

Peggy Alexander from Pine Bluff, Arkansas:
This is just an idea, maybe you could have your students make personalized bookmarks for when they are in the reading center. I don't know how this would work if more than one student wants to read the same book. Maybe you could state that if there is a bookmark already in the book then they should pick a different book. As far as putting the books away correctly...do they understand the color coding system and are they allowed enough time to put things away correctly?

Amy Stanton from San Jose, CA:
One way to help make sure that each student is returning the books to the proper place is to make your system a little more eye catching. Maybe place a picture to go with each genre (i.e. a "red" picture of a dog next to all of the "red coded" animal books). Also, you could try seperating the different categories around the room, so the students would remember where they got it from and where to return it to. In my classroom I only get out one or two genres of books at a time. I have two shelves in the front of my room (shaped like house gutters) they sit under my white board. I put one type on the top shelf and another type on the bottom. There is still some confusion at times, but I have library helpers to keep the books put back in their proper place. A few "library helpers" would love to help monitor the children and make sure that they are putting the books back in the right place if you just keep your system the way it is now. Also, for unfinished books, you could purchase a large pocket chart that is big enough to hold them, and they can leave them there when they are waiting to finish them. Or, you could get tubs or cubbies for them to keep their books. Hope these ideas help.

Theresa from Humble, TX:
Decorate a book locator (paint stick for each child) - be sure to include their name on it. Have the child place their book locator in the book basket from which they took the book they want to read. After they finish reading the book they take their book and place it in the basket with their book locator and then put the book locator away. Book locators can be stored in an empty canister or basket when not in use.

Rosalie S. from Doylestown, PA:
For books the children don't finish, let each child have a book box, made from a cereal box. They can put the unfinished book in there. They can also keep five finished books in the cereal box. The books should be on their individual reading levels. To check that books are put back where they belong, give out jobs. If you have 5 genres, pick 5 students to check the books for each color genre.

Danielle Logan from Bay Minette, AL:
A couple of quick suggetstions. I've seen several teachers who used the thin magazine boxes on the tables, several who used a canvas tote bag (hung on the back of chair) and others who have simply had a crate at each table for the students to place books in for easy access! I especially loved the canvas bags! As far as getting them back: I'd try naming a student "librarian." This teaches responsibility and provides order! The job can rotate or stay the same.

Lisa Manes from Charlotte, NC:
I have taught my organization to my students also, but they still were returning books to the wrong place. So we have a basket with a large ? on it. If they are not sure where to place a book they put it in the question basket. Then I have students trained and who love to file the books put those books away in the correct basket. It worked well and those students were proud to be the "book police."

Pamela Suszczynski from Grand island, NY:
Hi Christa, I too had the problem not being returned the correct spot. My first graders each have a shelf marker with their name on it. When they take a book out they put the shelf marker in its place and that way i know where the book is and they know where to put it back. My students each have a blue binder with pockets. They keep their shelf marker and book in that binder plus other reading things. I hope this helps. Pam

Alice from Columbus, NE:
Wonderful idea to catagorize books by genre. I would use baskets to store the unfinished books in, each book with the child's own bookmark with their name. Also use shelf markers (they look like rulers) to keep books in the right spot on the shelf. As the child looks at a book he first slips in the shelf marker, looks at the book and either returns it to the shelf where the shelf marker is or takes the book for reading and removes the shelf marker.When children have finished reading the book, have them return read books to another basket and you can place them back on your shelf.

Anna Brendle from Winston- Salem, North Carolina:
You could have a basket with a ziplock bag for each child near the book baskets. If students don't finish their book they could put it in the ziplock so it would be easy to find. As far as making sure they put them back in place have "librarians". When they are finished with a book they put it in one basket and the "librarians" put the books back on the shelf. This would keep them in order.

Beth B. from Overland Park, Kansas:
First question: We have desks, so I don't encounter this problem. However, what about having a seperate basket/tub for "On Hold" and the kids could put a book in that tub if they are still reading it. You could make a bookmark with each child's name and they could put it in their book - holding their place and identifying whose book it is! Second question: I have seen teachers attach a ribbon to each basket/tub that is the same color as the genre and give each student a clothespin with their name on it. When they pick a book from a tub - they put their clothespin on the ribbon and then can remember where to return the book. It also keeps them from taking more than one book at a time. Good Luck!

Jill from La Verne, CA:
Hi Christa. I too teach 1st grade and have a coded book system. I have found success in organizing and storage of individual student books with the use of the magazine holder boxes (found on page 64 of the recent back-to-school catalogue). Each student has their own "book" box to hold the books that they are reading. I also place leveled books in them, as well as an activity folder and notebook that cooresponds to the books they are reading. I store the boxes on a shelf and the students bring them to their tables when needed. I assign each student a number, which is on the box, so the boxes can be used for several years (we are going on our sixth year with the same boxes and they are holding up fine)! Please contact me at my e-mail for additional info about this system. It is the best I have found in over 20 years of teaching.

BJ Lawrence from Warren, Ohio :
Some ideas I have used in my classroom: Ask a local paint store for some stir sticks and let each student decorate their own... It goes in the place where they pulled out the book and can stay there until it is returned! I also am lableing my shelves to match the genre so the students can find the right section at least. I have tables too and I made chair backpacks a few years back out of denim and it keeps their stuff from speading out all over the table:) Really Good Stuff sells nylon ones, I believe :)

Cassie from Springdale, Arkansas:
In my classroom I have tubs (I use the white ice cube tubs) on a shelf with each student's number on it. While they are reading a book, they put it there until they finish it. As for the books getting put back in place, I know teachers in lower grades who have "helpers" at the end of the day who are usually upper grade students who help re-arrange books or put books back for your class. Hope some of this helps!!

Linda Menard from Lincoln, RI:
I purchased from the "Dollar Store" plastic ice cube trays which we call our personal browsing bins. Students keep books that they haven't finished reading in these bins which they house in their cubbies. They just pick up where they left off during independent reading or DEAR Time etc. In regards to students putting books back in the correct spot, we have our class library arranged in bins by author or theme. At the beginning of the year we had the students categorize books and make own labels for the baskets. They seemed to be more careful about putting books back because they had been responsible for setting up the library in the first place. A little student ownership seemed to go a long way. Don't know if it'll work with all classes but I plan to try it for comparisons sake with my new class in the fall.

Traci Kane from Aiea, Hawaii:
Here's an idea I saw a 1st grade teacher use but it requires access to a carpenter! Build a sturdy table divider (length of the table) that is self supporting with a ledge on both sides, wide enough to hold a book (i.e. wood moulding strips). Attach elastic (approx. 3/4" wide X the length of the divider) to the divider, about midway, to both sides. The books can be placed on the ledge, underneath the elastic which allows easy access to the book as well as good visibility of the entire front book cover. With children sitting on both sides of the table this makes for a handy place to put their book as well as a divider "for other purposes"! Also, have a book return bin and assign a monitor to resort the books into the correct spot at the end of the day.

Patti from Memphis, TN:
Give each child a bookmark. If they aren't finished with a book they put their bookmark in it and keep it at the table until next week. I saw this idea for putting books back just last week and plan on trying it this year. Place a basket on the shelf for students to put books into and you return them to the correct bin or assign each table a day to change books. That way you can make sure those children are putting books in the proper bins.

audrey J pellegrino from Danbury, N H:
Do not try to keep them separated but rather scaffolded. When working with words with the first grade have K students put letters in alphabetical order. When reading together have a K student point out a letter and a first grader point out a word. Do centers and have only one be dependant on you. Have students at the listening center and according to the grade the book or activity would change, have one be hands on such as pattern blocks and have K students create patterns and first grade students figure out which patterns to use to cover a picture and then have them graph it. Have a writing center where students draw the picture first and then dictate the words to you or help you by telling you which letters they know. This will buy you time so that you can have a quick ten to fifteen minute reading lesson with a group and then rotate centers. There are times the Kindergarten students will have to be quiet and vice versa so I suggest story writing, alphabet blocks, geoboards, listening center phonemic awareness activities, writing postcards to one another (they use name tags to write to their friends, sign their names and then draw a picture and mail in appropriate boxes).... If I can be any help let me know, I have taught multiage and currently teach Kindergarten now. Good luck!

Kristen Rangel from Fillmore, CA:
Kindergartners love to practice letters & numbers on small chalk or white boards. If you don't have access to those items, give them each their own journal to write in. I've taught kindergarten for 7 years and my whole class begins using a journal from about the second week of school. It keeps them quiet and focused. Start off by placing 15 to 20 blank pages between a construction paper cover. Explain the purpose of a journal and model how to first draw a picture of their thought and then to color it. There is no need to check their work, but you will feel like you've accomplished so mucy by comparing basic pictures & chicken scratches at the begining of the year with sentences about their pictures by the end of the year. Start off the first quarter asking them to think of things that begin with the color of the week or whatever your theme might be and draw & color their pictures. When they start learning the sounds, have them use their own kindergarten (phonetic) spelling to write the words to go with their pictures. (I give each student an 81/2 X 11 sheet with the alphabet sounds as a reference that they keep in their journals.) By the third & fourth quarters, you can have them copy the date at the top, and use spaces & punctuation as well! I do this as a 15-minute workshop daily--without an aide--so that I can teach my ESL students. You can give them prompts or sight words to use also... i.e."I can see a ..." Sometimes they don't have time to finish and ask if they can finish during play time! Good luck!

Susan Catalano from Salinas, CA:
My colleague and I wrote a book called "A Light Touch of Feng Shui, a Teacher's Guide for Creating Balance and Harmony in the Classroom". We have spoken at the Kindergarten Conference last January in Santa Clara, CA. They responded well to the book. We are currently teachers, I teach second grade and my colleague is a literacy coach. Our book deals with learning environment. Take a look at our website: www.fengshuiforteachers.com. Susan Catalano

Lori Hibbard from Gilbert, AZ:
I would recommend that you use Workshop Way in your curriculm. You can find information regarding Workshop Way on their website (worshopway.com) or contact one of their consultants (their names and info are on the site). I have used Workshop in my classroom for 4 years now and I am absolutely in love with it. Workshop is self paced so when the student completes #1 he/she proceeds to #2 without having to wait for his peers. I LOVE IT!

Lauren from Walnut Creek, CA:
I did this, but my K's went home at lunch (1/2 day). If this is the case for you my suggestion is to teach K stuff in the morning and have the first graders involved this will help them build on prior knowledge,refresh and/or be peer helpers to the younger ones. Then in the afternoon do all first grade curriculum after the K's have gone home.

Patricia from Salinas, CA:
Hello Jean, What about trying a listening center? A few teachers in our school have purchased individual cassette players so students are not in a group and can listen to stories independently. You can use books on tape or make your own tapes using stories in their reading series. I have also found that activities that include both cutting and pasting kept my students occupied very well. In the beginning of the year we had individual letter books that I got on line at www.first-school.ws

Mary James from Baltimore, MD:
First of all, there's silence, and quiet with a wide personal comfort range. I think the K's will need to be trained in your expectations of acceptable noise level, especially if you do not have an aide. I did notice that Really Good Stuff has a visual on noise level; something like that would be a good start for the kids. You might also try some quiet instrumental music playing (Check out theBrainstore.com). They'd have to be quiet enough to hear the music. My biggest suggestion would be to prepare a whole bunch of good file folder "centers." These could provide review, and the manipulative nature would keep the students involved. If the students are competent with scissors and glue sticks, there are some great cut and paste concept papers you could get. These take a while to do. I have a great set that focus on letter/sound, initial consonant recognition. T-charts with cut and paste for sounds, letters, etc. are good too. You could have them do a picture book from magazine photos. This could work for colors, numbers and letters once they get that far. Whatever you decide, vary the kinds of tasks every day, not color, color, color or cut& paste every day. This will keep them guessing, and those who are more/less comfortable with each task won't be bored and may be more inclined to stay on task.

Kathy Caraynoff from Odessa, Florida:
First, I wish you good luck, this is definitely a challenge! Where I teach in Florida, we have multi-age classrooms throughout the school. Centers are a great idea to keep kids engaged in learning and having fun at the same time. It will take some time in the beginning to get everyone used to the movement and expectations but it does build independence and fosters learning for all grades. You will also find that some of your kindergarten students are ready for some of the first grade curriculum and many of your first graders will need reminders of behavior expectations and curriculum. Make sure you have a good behavior system in place and use it consistently and a daily communication system in place with parents. A timer works well to keep kids moving and not spending too much time in one place. You may also be able to choose a leader for each group who makes sure the group is following directions. You can switch these each week and the kids will look forward to their turn! Again, best of luck!

Teri Harding from St Peters, MO:
Perhaps you could try differentiating your lesson to meet both kindergartners and first graders needs. That way you are teaching one lesson, meeting curriculum requirements and academic abilities for each student/grade level. If you use a balanced literacy approach in your classroom, differentiating all your centers will definitely keep all busy and will be developmentally appropriate for your students, especially when you do guided reading groups and remedial instruction. Using balanced literacy and differentiated instruction helps meet the needs of all the students and I feel would greatly help you with your upcoming quest.

Stephanie from Marietta , GA:
My first thought is why separate them at all? Research has shown that, in any given kindergarten classroom, there is an age range of three years. Meaning, you will be teaching children with pre-k, kindergarten and first grade abilities. Also, I am sure that you know several first grade students who come to you still below level and "look" more like kindergarteners. In years past, I have team taught with other teachers. We have shared 40 plus students in a double classroom, where we differintiated the curriculum, and ability grouped the students for a great portion of the day according to what they were ready to do. It takes a great deal of planning for multi layered units that provide activities which reach all levels of learners. However, I have found it quite rewarding. In the most recent years, I have taught by myself with just 18 students or less and still continue the same philosophy of differintiating. In the end, the students are exposed to higher levels of learning and will surpass the goals that you have for them. Especially the kindergarten students who are already reading and writing.

karen felder from palm beach gardens, FL:
I use those colored dot stickers to color code books. Because there are only 5 colored dots and put letters on the dots and then place that same dot on the book box that it comes from.

Tracy from Burbank, Illinois:
Pair up a 1st grade with a Kindergartner for peer assistance so that you can help others students. This will also help the students develop social skills and foster relationships.

Trish Coffin from West Palm Beach, FL:
No problem. Don't underestimate the ability for kindergarten children to sit quietly in their seats for 15- 20 min. It all comes in the beginning of the year training. Train ALL students to pick up a paper on their way into the classroom. You could use one side of the classroom doorway for Kg. and the other side for 1st grade. Before the students come in the room, have a section of the board labeled Kg. (I suggest the left side because children need to associate left to right for reading and Kg. comes before 1st grade) and another section labeled 1st grade. The first items on the lists should be the papers they picked up, coming through the doorway. Write a couple of other easy seatwork assignments, such as a handwriting assignment, easy math, spelling....anything that they can do without help. One thing that helped me years ago were traffic signals. I put up a red light (large red construction paper circle) for do not get up or talk. Then when quiet time was allowed for sharpening pencils, going to the trash can, etc., I put up a yellow light. When it was free time, I put up a green light. After a few weeks of getting in the habit, I didn't even have to use the traffic lights. Of course, you have to follow through with discipline and be consistent. If a child gets up or talks without permission when the red light is up, follow through with your discipline system for strike one, such as the child has to write his name on the board. If he does something else, he puts a checkmark beside his name, and so on. If one of my students is out of order 3 times, he receives 5 min. time out at recess. 4 times, he gets a note home. 5 times, he goes to the dean. I also give rewards for good behavior throughout the day.

Carol Montalto from Lombard, Illinois:
My answer is centers, centers, centers. During that time be sure to group your kindergarten children in small groups. Organize these groups for rotation each day. Each day a group is responsible for a certain center. Good planning for each center activity is the key to a successful teaching time alone with your first graders. You will need to plan a specific reason for each center and set goals for you kindergarten students. Letting students work together IS a good idea and some noise WILL need to be allowed if it is constructive noise that dosen't get out of hand. The 15-20 minutes need to be time well spent and not time just to keep students quiet. I suggest centers specific to your curriculum that include LA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Writing, and Art. These WILL hold the interest of students for that amount of time. Be sure the centers for each subject reinforce something your students are supposed to know. If centers are too complicated for your situation then teach a lesson to your kindergarten students first, then while they are doing a follow-up activity that you tell them to do their best on to see if they learned the lesson taught, you can be working with the first grade. In your situation it is all about organization and good planning as well as setting the classroom rules that respect everyone's chance to learn. The kids will want to know what you expect of them and what will happen-good or bad-for things to work. I have been a kindergarten teacher for 12 years. I have used centers during free play so I can work with my students individually or in small groups. I am working on a masters currently where I have integrated my curriculum with science to motivate my students learning for more success in mastering basic kindergarten skills. Since I have done this in my classroom the children have taken more responsibility for their learning, taken centers time more seriously, and almost eliminated all behavior problems. Kids love science. I hope this helps.

Pam Mendrick from Weirton, WV:
I teach an all day Kindergarten class. When I need them to be still (quiet) I turn on my Yacker Tracker. You can purchase these from various educational catalogs or stores. They are great because they work like a traffic light. Green means the noise level is OK, Yellow means caution the noise is getting a little to loud and Red means the noise level is much to loud. You can set the Tracker for different levels of noise (I had to play with mine to achieve the settings that worked best). If the Tracker goes to red, you can set it to make a warning sound or not. If the Tracker gets to red, then ALL the Students will have 1 minute less time at recess or during a special activity that week. It will take your children a few times of it going to red and then the changes in noise level will happen. We also discuss and practice using our inside voices during our morning circle time and at then end of the day during Message time.

Tracey from Newburgh, IN:
Do you incorporate centers/stations throughout the day? If not, maybe setting up several centers for your k's might work. I use centers for about 20-25 minutes for my k's and for the most part they do all the activities on their own. If you have an aide, have he/she can monitor the centers as you teach 1st. If not, make sure your K's know what is expected of them and practice, practice, practice how to act at the centers. You can take what you already have such as your magnetic letters and make that into an ABC center (obviously, you'll add & rotate the materials. You're centers will vary according to the number of kids you want in each center. This past yr. I had 3-4 kids in each center and 7 centers in all. I change my centers every 7 days and they tie into whatever theme we're discussing for the week. I use the following centers; math, science, listening, art, sand, ABC, and writing. What I do at the beginning of each theme is go over each center w/ the kids on what they are to do. We don't actually work at any of the centers. I just show them what I expect them to do. We'll have a little review of each center after we've discussed them all. Then on the 2nd day they'll begin their centers. If you go the Dr.Jean website there are many good links for teaching kindergarten that I use on a regular basis. Hope this helps! Good luck! :)

Holly Silver from Sacramento, Calif.:
A couple of things I do with my Kindergarteners when I have to work with a child and need the rest to work quietly is I ask parents in the beg. of the yr. if they have any headphones and unwanted tape players. I have many wonderful stories,beg. readers, and phonics based books with tapes. I have a reading center set up and have the children rotate into groups. I also have what I call an "office for each child I noticed that Really Good Stuff is selling them now they are on the front of the Back to School 2005 cover. I have in the past made my own using colorful file folders. Gluing two together adding a cute cut out on the front and laminating them. I have had the same bunch for the past several years. I put these up and the children can focuse on there own project. Also I do not know if you have stores like the Dollar Tree but discount stores might have small white boards. Children love to use dry erase markers and practice writing their names, spelling words, abcs etc. I also usually have a large key ring and attached I will laminate site words. You hole punch the cards and attach to the key ring. The child can copy these words and practice making small sentences. I hope this helps! I love my Kindergarteners so if there is anything elese please feel free to e-mail me!!!

Holly Silver from Sacramento, Calif.:
A couple of things I do with my Kindergarteners when I have to work with a child and need the rest to work quietly is I ask parents in the beg. of the yr. if they have any headphones and unwanted tape players. I have many wonderful stories,beg. readers, and phonics based books with tapes. I have a reading center set up and have the children rotate into groups. I also have what I call an "office for each child I noticed that Really Good Stuff is selling them now they are on the front of the Back to School 2005 cover. I have in the past made my own using colorful file folders. Gluing two together adding a cute cut out on the front and laminating them. I have had the same bunch for the past several years. I put these up and the children can focuse on there own project. Also I do not know if you have stores like the Dollar Tree but discount stores might have small white boards. Children love to use dry erase markers and practice writing their names, spelling words, abcs etc. I also usually have a large key ring and attached I will laminate site words. You hole punch the cards and attach to the key ring. The child can copy these words and practice making small sentences. I hope this helps! I love my Kindergarteners so if there is anything elese please feel free to e-mail me!!!

Kristen from Woolwich, NJ:
I've taught both K and 1 using guided reading, which forces children to work independently while I see reading groups. The key to quality independent work is practice and careful planning. You need to model every center/ activity you want every child to complete. I've used file folder activities with both grades, their easy for the children to do independently and they reinforce skills. Also, I don't think it's realistic for the children to be silent while your with the other group, and keep in mind the students are in a class together, therfore they need to work as a class, not separate groups.

Meg from Philadelphia, PA:
Hi - I did a Pre-first (Had K, but didn't get it) and first. Signals that you can easily use and are very visible will be your lifeline. I made a traffic light triangle that I put on a rod and stuck in a flower pot. I could turn the signal, when they got loud. Also, every child kept a folder of books they could read - even those that had to be one picture, one word, inside their desk. When done the assignment, this folder could be read. Keeping options available, things that the kids could do totally alone was a must. Lots of this was homework stuff, that I just made an extra copy or two of. Email me - I'll tell you more !!

Marge Humphrey from Lee's Summit , MO:
Instead of dividing them into two classrooms teach them as a Multiage Classroom altogether. Teach a whole group reading lesson incorporating ideas from both K and 1. Then call up small reading groups to work with you. Another group of kids can be working on independent seatwork and a third group can be working at centers. All kids would rotate through those three activities. Or set up all center-type activites with you(the teacher) being a center.

renae spears-green from independence, ks:
Is there anyway that you can group the children by academic levels? The children could be mixed K and 1st. This way they wouldn't see each other as two separate classes. Could you have the children write in their journals at this time? They could stamp out the noun in their sentence with letter stamps. You could also have fun academic centers at this time too. I wouldn't focus on using worksheets. I don't think it will hold their attention. worksheets are boring! If you plan ahead fun and motivating centers for the kindergarten students, the first graders could have their whole group lesson. could you ask for parent volunteers during this time? They could just walk around the kindergarten centers and quiet down any talking during the 15 or 20 minutes.

Elisa Carsia from Pittsbirgh, PA:
"Catch them being good" I found 2" posterboard discs and placed a shiny sticker on each...these are prize points, and are kept in an accessable container. Each child has an envelope with his/her name on it for the express purpose of storing said prize points. Instead of correcting whole class...I would say " I love the way that Angela is sitting and working so quietly...Angela please take a prize point "...if some one is acting up i would ask them to please put one of their prize points back into the container....since they can turn 5 points in to get a prize...they really love to collect them....

Belinda from Wortman, Nebraska:
Jean, I have taught multi-grade levels for 8 years. Now, my grades are k-4. I understand your need for busy seat work for those students who are not included in your lesson. I have a small file cabinet that has grade level appropriate individual activities in it. My students know that when they are finished with their regular classroom assignments, they must 1. complete 2 activities 2. listen to a story in the reading center 3. do an activity in the writing center 4. explore from a designated shelf. Very seldom is there enough time to get these things done before it is there turn for instruction, however, it gives them a consistent process they must follow. The biggest thing you can do is model this process at the beginning of the year and be firm in letting them know your expectations for the times you are involved with instructing other students. I wish you the best luck. Shame on your administration if they do not provide a para for you as this is where it is needed most. Try parent volunteers

Charlene from Chatsworth, NJ:
Have you taught K before? If so, I bet you already know the answer, any activity that requires cutting and pasting is bound to take up the time needed to present to grade 1. One activity we've gotten away from is sequencing. Children don't really think about how one thing follows or comes before another. There are lots of worksheets to do this with or even better, how about sequencing the "Story of the Day". Rather than cut or paste, they could draw the four most important events in the story, in order of course! Another fun activity that my son always does with his second grade class is have them tell (or in this case, draw) the steps in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The children have to follow their directions and make the sandwich; it's not easy when you forget the bread.

Carol Smith from Medford, NJ:
Use empty cereal boxes with the top cut off. Cut one side of the box 1/2 way down. Cover with Contact type paper or contruction paper that the children can decorate. Write each child's name on the uncut side and place on a window sill or shelf with their name facing out. The book/books can fit inside the cereal box and will be very handy the next time they are ready to read. This storage idea can be used for other things as well as books and doesn't take up much space.

Jen Cobbs from Norwalk, CT:
Model how you would like the books put away, and then put a student in charge of checking up.

Cheri from Laguna Beach, CA.:
I would teach more in a multiage platform that is themed and standard content based so that you didn't have to teach 2 separate classes all the time. I would suggest a listening center, where you appoint a person to be the operator of the equipment and train that person, using headphones of course.A parent volunteer could do that well. Puzzles are always good for K - Use large magazine pictures that you can get 2 copies of and make folder puzzles -One of the pictures (saved calendars are great for this especially animals)Make a 4 piece by cutting into 4th, then a 6 piece, an eight piece etc. so that puzzles offer progression in skill.Also the computer offers a plethora of internet sights that will talk your students through the task and again this is a great volunteer position. You can also do a craft or manipulative where the parent volunteer is in charge of maintaining what you have showed the whole class earlier, then switch places.Never underestimate the use of quiet reading time where students can quietly explore picture books, Where's Waldo, I spy etc.-a big book center and a free write center(also a great authetic assessment when collected and inspected)Good Luck- Hope this helps!

Bonnie McGee from St. Petersburg, FL:
Set up, or have ready 2,3,or 4 center activities. Assign small groups of students to each center, and teach them how to, and in what direction to rotate to the next center. Use a bell timer to ring at the end of each center time, which would be adjusted to accomodate the general time/type of centers you use. If you are working w/1st graders for 15-20 min., divide that time equally according to the number of rotations you want. Teach the students to clean-up and rotate when the bell rings. This will require several practice sessions at first, so do it with the whole K-1 class. First, introduce the learning centers, one-at-a-time. To start, for example, use 4 centers. Make all but 1 of them easy or self-motivating centers. The one you sit at will be more specific. You could use a table for working with clay, an area for puzzles, and the book-nook as three easy, self-motivated activities that don't really require much instruction. You sit w/ students at the 4th center (ex., a math or writing activity), to teach what they are expected to do there. When you have established the procedure, you can start working with your special/target groups. Gradually, you can replace the easy centers with more specific learning activities. Another little pointer: Once students have learned the basic routine, you don't need to take so much training time. Every time you change or introduce a new center. You can sit with just one group to train them on the new activity, and they can become your "experts". The next day, instead of you being the trainer, call on one of your experts to lead in the new center, while you continue with your target group. That way, you don't need to take as much time to train all of the students on the new activity.

Amy Finn from Rossville, GA:
Oops! My first note told you about my friend who's taught a K/1 split, without an assistant. She used activities that took them more time. Examples are having them put small chart stickers on the letters of their name,(have them written on construction paper strips in marker) or gluing things to a letter. (Alphabet cereal on an "A" or beans on a "B".)You can also try giving them a small assignment, such as making their faces on paper plates, and having certain activities on or near their tables to complete when they are done. Puzzles at one table, books at another,etc., so that you can swap the activities through the day or week. Hope this helps!

Suzanne Combine from Sharpsville, PA:
This would be a great time to set up a listening center for the Kinders. If you don't already have books on tape, you could easily tape your own. At the end of your taping session be sure to tell them to remind rewind the tape and stack their headphones up neatly...and do it silently! Also, you could add a literature response question at the end of the tape for them to complete. Ex. What was your favorite part of the story?, How did the story make you feel?, Which character would you like to be in the story? etc. They could draw their responses on paper and could later share them. At some other point in the day, the first graders could listen to the same story and respond to it, as well. The Kinders and First Graders could share their responses together at a later time.

Suzanne from Hermitage, PA:
This would be a great time to have a listening center available for the Kinders. If you don't already have some books on tape, you could tape your own. After you finish reading on the tape you could talk to the students about a follow up activity they will do. Remind them to rewind the tape and put away their headphones neatly. Have a literature response activity for them to do. Ex. Draw your favorite part, character, etc.

Jennifer from Simi Valley, CA:
I am also teachin a K/1 combo next year, as I have for the past two years. I find it extremely frustrating, personally, to have one group use worksheets and penmanship papers while trying to work with another group. These papers go quick, and some children will often need help with them. I tried everything that you said you were planning on using, because like you, I thought that would be both educational and the opportunity for 'quiet time'. Well, was I mistaken! Here is what I tried: There is a book/program called MATH THEIR WAY. It is an old program, but what a goodie! It is a hands-on math approach that targets so many different areas. It can take up a good chunk of time, but the best part is-both grade levels can work on the tasks, but you can just alter WHAT they get out of the activities. Please, do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy on e-bay or amazon.com and try it. Even if it is not for this time-slot that your asking about. Also, e-mail me if you would like any more help.

Carol Braden from Palmetto, FL:
I taught a self-contained ESOL class of K thru 2nd grade. I too was concerned about the Kdg. group and "young" 1st graders. The towels would be put down before lunch (the older students that chose to misbehave during the day would also lay down with this group for "peer resssure" measures). 1)I learned from a nearby preschool that children would have a clean, dry, washcloth to place over their faces to help them rest...so I suggested children to bring a cloth to help block out the lighting [our fire marshalls do not want lamps, as I noticed in earlier comments]. 2)A "Helper of the Day" would be the Bathroom Monitor" so I would not be interrupted during small group teaching or tutoring. The older children would continue their Centers. 3)In January(or March) NAP time would be optional, older students can be assigned to be Reading/Writing Tutors (and be Read to). 4)Explore the Dollar Stores for clay and colored chalk! Beware of the dividers (which are good) lost crayon pieces will become grafetti. During the 1st Quarter some children NEED to be patted on the back to quiet the cries - with soft music or folk tales as background noise.

Maria Stipe from Baxley, GA:
This is a perfect time for a listening center, leappads, computers or any type of equipment requiring headphones. 15 - 20 minutes is not too long for that. You can make a book report sheet for the Kindergartners to complete after the story is over since it's hard to find a 15 minute story sometimes. Let them draw their favorite part of the story or find some words that start with a specific letter in the text to copy down. I would definately change this out each day b/c they will tire of doing the same independent activity each day and will not keep quiet. Good luck with the combined class!

Marilyn Lomelino from El Sobrante, California:
I had a k/1 class this year. I was lucky the intervention teacher took the K's for 45 minutes each morning for math. The rest of the time I taught the class as a whole. First we did the K's Phonics lesson and then the K's story lesson and grammar. We then did the 1's story lesson. Any time left before lunch (when the K's left) we did science or art projects. After lunch I did the 1's phonic lesson and grammar and writing and any 1's tests. I hope this helps. I did find that math was the hardest when both grades were together. That might be a good time for the K's to be doing handwriting and easy phonics review pages. The 1's could do phonic pages, reading, writing.

Agnes from Barnegat, NJ:
I just purchased a book from scholastic.com called "Follow-the-Directions Pocket Chart Activities." Directions are broken down into easy steps that you display in the pocket chart. It's $13. You can do a lot with pocket chart activities, such as,shape sorts, letter sorts number sorts. In the beginning of the year, I have the children sort index cards into the following categories- letter, number, word. You can have them work at a listening station and then have them draw their favorite part of the book in their response journals. Hope this helps. Follow-the-Directions Pocket Chart Activities

Jennifer Roth-Longe from Bristol, Vermont:
There are some wonderful books on using literay stations in kindergarten classrooms. (Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work by Debbie Diller is one of them.) Some ideas of these stations may be "Read the Room", "Write the Room" Listening Center, Buddy Reading, Science Center (Students conduct expereiments and record observations) Yes! Even kindergartners can sustain learning inependently. My literacy block is 90 minutes long. We always begin with a mini lesson, directions and clear expectations. I have required activities for students to complete independently and then they may choose stations. I am able to run small groups with no problem. At the end, we always have a closing meeting to share our work.

Karla Juetten from Plymouth, MN:
Jean, I taught a multiage class for the first time last year. I think I would try to combine as many things as possible so you are talking to both groups about a topic, send the K's off to get started while you add some complexity for the 1's and then you will have time to monitor the whole group. Stations (centers)are very helpful also. Another thing that I would leverage are your first graders! They can be very helpful mentors and monitors for your younger students. I wouldn't separate them too much. I would focus on flexible worksheets. Design it so that both K's and 1's are working on the same sheet but at different levels. For spelling the K's could write the beginning sound and the 1's write the whole word. When the 1's are reading, the K's have to listen to their reading buddy and raise their hand when the hear certain words or sounds. Some of your 1's can show the K's how to print, and etc. It will save you a lot of work to combine as much of your instruction as possible. Focus ont the concept vs. the curriculum. You have your work cut out for you and I can tell you that the first year of multiage is challenging, but also very rewarding. If I can help in any way, please contact me.

Chris Collins from ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL:
I taught 1st/2nd for two years and loved it. To me, the best thing to do is teach anything that both grade levels can benefit from as one whole class. Save small group activities for more individualized instruction. You will be amazed at how much the younger students will be able to learn and do. Also, teach and model expected behavior for independent "center" activities for a long time at the beginning of the school year- a month or more-before you even begin the content instruction in small groups. It will make the rest of the year much more productive! Good luck! : )

Patti Upton from Monroe, Louisiana:
Hi. It always helps me to have a center that has headphones and a cassette. Whether its a book on tape, the basal story of the week, a phonics lesson, my own dictated spelling words, a listening activity with my directions on the cassette or etc. I hope this helps. It takes time to record but well worth it and reusable year after year!!! I also put the dolch words on a cassette and made reusable flash card books. I teach special education so I have several ages and learning disabilities at the same time. I feel for you!!!!

Kathleen McMahon from Brooklawn, New Jersey:
I think using a divider will shut YOU out, and looking at you is the best reminder that you want them to be quiet. If there is a reward for quiet workers, Kindergarten will comply. Consider breaking first grade teaching time for a moment to praise the quiet Kindergarteners by name. Once they have the habit of quiet work, you will be able to teach your other group without interruptions.

Elizabeth Jankoski from Harwinton , Connecticut:
I like to have my kindergarten students practice writing their sight words/word wall word using a variety of materials. I have them painting their words with water, form their words with clay or wikki sticks. I also fill plastic bags with a small amount of paint then close and seal with masking tape. Children use their finger to write the words. I also have them stamp their words, and use magnetic letters. They like to write them with colored chalk and wipe off markers on individual miniboards. Each week their words change and I add one or two different activities for them to choose from and to keep their interest high.

Joanne from Staten Island, New York:
For 12 years I have taught a mixed age group of Pre-K and K students. Learning centers are the answer to using every available teaching moment optimally. I have my classroom set up Montessori style, with a practical life area, which has transitional materials like screwing on lids for various size jars (great for small muscle control), large legos and building materials, clay, pouring activites (using dry ingredients such as beads, rice, beans)-great for concentration! A second area is Language where magnetic letters, sight words, sentence starters (including noun stamps), puzzles of all types, beginning consonant work and rhyming work. An important component of this area is independent writing in their "Idea Journals" A third area is Math - I think you know from what is in your curriculum, what should be in this area - all manipulatives to help practice intended standards. I also have a science area with books galore and experiments on clipboards etc. Lastly I use a Sensorial area, which has many manipulatives to help students grade objects by weight, sound, color, texture, length, height, width and temperature. Block building is an essential component. The key to operating all of this independently is to start the year presenting each material separately, in great detail, before allowing them to be used independently. Each group, both K and 1st grade will benefit from using these manipulatives and journal. PS- I've done this w/o an aide! Good luck

Nacy from Tampa, Fl:
I find that the best way for me to keep my K students actively engaged while I work with my first graders is to give them something to do that they can sucessfully complete without assistance. (which is a real challenge especially at first). I have found that cut, color & paste activities on whatever skill they are working on provides the best type of activity for them to work on independently. I also have extra worksheets for them to practice basic skills such as writing their names, abc, numbers etc. There are also some very good center activity books available commercially that you can create activities to keep them interested & working independently. Establishing the routines & expectations the first few days makes them working on their own a lot easier. Providing all materials necessary is critical too because if they are missing even one color crayon they have a hard time getting past it and settling down to work. So be sure they have pencils, crayons, scissors & a glue stick prior to starting. I tell my students that I am "invisible" to the ones working independently while I am teaching the other group (unless of course there is an emergency). So they must know the procedure for restroom, pencil sharpening etc so that you are not interrupted needlessly. Then praise them often ...Everyday that everyone follows the rules in my class we put a star on the board -10 stars is a class reward. They really respond to this..peer pressure can be a wonderful tool.

Christa Chipman from Oak Brook, IL:
Having centers is a great way to keep multiple students on task, however it requires time on your part to set up and a little corrdination. Parents in my district always want to be involved. Hopefully you can arrange some parent volunteers to come in help run the centers while you're doing guided reading or other activities with your first graders. Some of the centers I do are handwriting centers, listening centers, phonics centers, ABC or alphabetizing centers, writing/jounaling centers, patterns, fact families, add/sub centers, categorizing centers (nouns, verbs, colors etc.). I take the first two weeks or so to just teach them the centers. Set your expectations high in the beginning, be firm about following the rules and you'll be fine! There are numerous resources out there to help you set up the centers. Have fun!

Christine Omar from Fontana, CA:
I taught a K/1 last year and loved it. You don't have to teach it as two separate classes! You just need to modify your expectations for your kindergartners in everything you do. For example, during the phonics/blending segment of 1st grade I'd expect the K's to be naming the letters/sounds instead of blending the words. My K's very quickly caught up with where the 1sts were in most things! I had them do the workbooks together, but expected less of the K's or perhaps a different workbook. All my centers had a hands-on component for the K's to do, as my center groups had equal amounts of K's and 1's. As a result of teaching them this way, ALL my k's were reading well by the end of K, and this year (I looped them) were all reading at 2-3rd grade levels. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Also, always do a song or movement chant inbetween each activity or center change. That helps the K's get the wiggles out, often! Good luck. I didn't have an aide either.

Linda Montgomery from New Smyrna Beach, Florida:
I have a job (bookcase person) and at the end of the day during cleanup the person picks a helper and they make sure the color codes are in the correct place and also straighten up the bookcase.

cindy from Lakewood, calif.:
Hi, I teach kindergarten and this is my advise. RUN! haha just kidding... I guess, I'd say that if you give very firm and clear instructions, that they should stay in their seats and cannot interupt you while you are teaching the first graders. Unless it is an emergency, and explain what constitutes a emergency. I think they can do it, if you approach it like that from the beginning. At first some may challenge you, just say, I cannot speak to you now, you are supposed to be doing your job, is this an emergency? If you are consistant they will get it really quickly, and after a week or so, you'll have your first graders time.

Natalie Kinman from Yuma, Arizona:
Have a pocket chart or something like a book bin labeled for each child to store the book that the child is still working on, since you don't have desks. Second, I would try to label book bins with same color as books to help them put them back in same bin and or a sign above each section that has coordinating color to help students put them back according to color. You could even have numbers on the color say if you have a ton of one type of genre have bin green 1 green 2 green 3 to help also. I don't know if it helps or not, but hope it does.

Michele from Richmond, VA.:
You could have them make bookmarks which you can laminate that they will place in the book. They will be responsible for placing the book back on the shelf. THey can only have one book at a time and have to turn it in at the end of each day. They can put it in a tub which has books with that genre labeled on the front of the tub. You can get small breadloaf size tubs that fit side by side right on the shelf if you want.

Janina Asselin from Swansea, MA:
Christa, 1st Give each child a bookmark with their name on it and keep a basket for unfinished books. The children can go to the basket and retrieve their book later. 2nd Have 2 children assigned as librarians and have them "assist" others in replacing books. They can also check shelves for misplaced books. This job can be changed every 2 weeks or so - they kids love to do this. You earn the right to bid for the job by caring for books and replacing books correctly. I change the job monthly and give my libranians a free book at the end of the month. Hope this helps. Janina

Erin from Woodruff, SC:
I do a similar system in my kindergarten classroom. We have the chair pockets from Really Good Stuff and they put their unfinished books in there. To make sure they return the books to the correct basket, we model a LOT at the beginning of the year. I also have a job in the classroom of "book monitor" who checks the books during center time to make sure they are in the right basket. The kids still make mistakes from time to time, but it works well for the most part. Hope this helps!

jean Bassett from Menands, NY:
Each of my students have their own browsing box. A homework assagnment early in the year is to make this out of a ceral box with the topcorner on one side cut like a maazine holder. They decorate it any way they want - wrappoing paper, foam art, magazine cut outs, computer generatdeart, lists of favortie books .... One key is that each child must put their namje on the long side so when the boxes are lined up on the window sill, they can easily find theirs! I can send you the sheet we send home describing thids project!

Liz Wheeler from Atwater, MN:
To the second question: Sometimes you have to have a class meeting to discuss the problem of the books being put back in the wrong place. Have them come up with the problems that this can cause in your classroom community. They usually can figure out that it makes it easier to find things. Also,I have Book Buddy" as one of the weekly classroom jobs. That person straightens the books and checks them over to see if things are in the right spot during "job time". Hope this helps.

Melissa from Berlin, CT:
Christa, I teach second grade and I have "book boxes" for each student. I keep them all together in one area of the room and if kids are not done reading a book they simply put it in their book box. I bought cardboard boxes at Staples (the kind you would slide magazines into). This way each child has their own box and the books are kept in a safe place in the classroom. I also use a color coding system for my books. They are coded according to genre and theme. THere is a word label and a color label on each basket. As one of my weekly jobs I had a Book Monitor. That person would go into the classroom library at the end of each day and check to make sure all of the books were in the right spot. Hope this helps!

Candace from Hickory, NC:
Since you teach first grade actual reading practice is the goal you are ultimately seeking, so if they don't finish the book, that's OK, because they are still "reading." I have found that when first graders are interested in a particular book, they will read that same book over and over, so this should solve the first problem. When trying to get books back in the correct place, you can take a moment to say "put your eyes on the book you just read and make sure it was returned to the correct color section, and if you have to switch it to the correct section pat your back for moving it the correct section." In lieu of stopping class time to fix the problem during the day, you could make "staightening the books shelves" one of your class jobs, or you can enlist a 2nd bus loader to help with "clean up" after the majority of the class has been dismissed (at the end of the day). I hope this is helpful.

Bonnie McGee from Treasure Island, FL:
1st - Get individual chair pockets. 2nd - Assign the job of "Book Nook Captain" to a student.

Teresa Duranti from Mesa, AZ:
If your students' have cubbies, have them put their unfinished book in the cubby to continue reading the next day. "Really Good Stuff" has some great over the chair storage pockets that would hold unfinished books, as well! Perhaps your school has a fund or your PTO would be willing to purchase a set for your class. As for putting the books back correctly, practice, practice, practice early in the year. Start by having one color at a time go to the shelves to place their book back in the correct spot, praising them all the way! There will always be a misplaced book here or there, make it a weekly job to check books and replace those in incorrect spots. Good luck!

Salma from Sunnyvale, CA:
Keep a bin for each table to use to store their unfinished books. The bin can be slightly larger than the tub used for storing their pencils/crayons, etc.

Theresa from South Hadley, MA:
Dear Christa, I teach 3th grade and also have by books categorized and coded. I use baskets and place a label on them naming the genre or something specific groups of books(example; Magic School Bus books)along with the same dot that is on the book. I also teach one child how to put the books away correctly. He or she become my first librarian. They in turn teach the next librarian. The problem with not completing the book can be solve in two ways the first is to give each child a bookmark with their name on it and they simply book it in the book and the librarian returns it to the proper place. THe second ways is to have each child bring in an empty cereal book cut off the top and cut down the front and back on an angle leaving two to three inches on one short side,leave the other short edge alone, on the side with two to three inches left place a piece of tape with the child name on it and place these boxes on a shelf. They simply place the book they haven't finish in the box until next time.

Jill from New York, New York:
I use the really good stuff bins and each child has one - I call it a book box. They keep 3 - 5 books and can keep books in here that they are still reading. My leveled books are in what I call dot baskets and every book has a matching dot sticker/number on the back of each book (for example levels g, h and i would be green 1, green 2 and green 3). The children know where to put the books based on the colored dots on back. It may take a little while to set up but it's great once you have it done. I keep the book boxes and just change the names. The kids keep all of their reading materials in the boxes and I store them on a shelf in the room.

Monica from San Jose, Ca:
We have bookmarks that are blank. This way the student can write their name on the bookmark and then I would have a basket that they would put the books they are currently reading, usually on the top shelf in the library area.

Sharon Landis from Huntington Beach, CA:
My students have desks but they are small so I also have a plastic bin for each of them for the overflow. Do you have s container for their pencil boxes, etc.? Can they keep their books in that until finished? I also have a book bag that my students keep their books in but inside their desk. Could the book bag idea help? As I look through the many catalogs I receive, I've also seen bags that can hang over the back of the chairs where books and other materials could be kept. It's important for students to complete the books they start! As far as students returning books to the correct spot, we've alleviated that problem by assigning a class librarian to straighten up at the end of the day. Hope this helps! Have a good year!

Nicci McCreary from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
I teach third grade, so you might need to modify this a little. I have the kids sign the books out like at the library. I just make a chart with the headings--name, title, and date checked out. I put it by the book baskets, and they cross themselves off when they return the book. This way they can keep them as long as they need to, and I can trace a missing or misplaced book back to the person who checked it out. Maybe you could use a student list with the date at the top, and put a new list out each day. This way they would only have to copy the title.

Lynn Cutshaw from Clewiston, Florida:
First to get the books back to the correct spot, give each student a ruler or paint stick (paint store will usually donate these)with their name on it. When they select a book have them place their stick in the books slot. It will remain there until they replace the book and retrieve their stick. Second is the issue of storing books they are reading. You can buy inexpensive cardboard magazine storage boxes. Get one for each table or one for each student and have them place their unfinished books in the box for safe keeping.

Krista from Rancho Santa Margarita, California:
I do the same with my library. First of all, I would get some type of cubbies or baskets for "unfinished" books and allows kids to put a bookmark in their book, with their name on it. And on Friday, set aside a time to go through the basket and if they are done reading it or ready for another book, put it away. In regards to making sure the books are put away correctly, I just really enforce it from the beginning of the school year and the kids pick up on it quickly. I also have a "librarian" job. The student with this job for the week goes through the book baskets to make sure the right books are in the right baskets. The kids love this job and it keeps the book baskets a bit tidier. Goodluck :)

Patty Foster from Los Angeles, California:
Each student can be issued a locator card. This could be made out of used manilla folders cut to a size that sticks out but still fits in the book shelf. The locator card should have the child's name printed in large letters at the top. The student can put the card where the book was that they took from the shelf immediately after taking the book from the shelf. The child's name should be visible when looking at the shelf. (Clerks use this method to keep track of cums in school offices or patient mendical records in doctors' offices). If a child hasn't finished the book then he or she can put the locator card as a book mark in the book and relpace the book on the shelf. Once again the child's name should be visible. The next time the child has time to read the book should be easy to find. Other children will also be aware that a classmate is not finished with that book and will not choose that one until it is available. When a child finishes a book the locator card should be returned to a location that you have specified so that it is available to use the next thime a student needs to get a book from the shelf.

M. Fletchall from Charlotte, NC:
Have students return books to one centralized area in the room. Assign the job for two responsible students to properly return the books to the correct color-coded system. This job could be done at the end of the day. Hope this helps, Good Luck!

Susan Carol Brown from Belleville, MI:
Make up color coded name sticks (there are sticks already colored) to match your coding. RE: If you are using six colors, each child will have six sticks in a pocket chart. They use that stick as a bookmark while they are reading it. I have a huge polar bear who hugs a basket that children can put their unfinished books with bookmark inside, into the basket for another reading time. Using colored sticks helps remind them where to return the book as well. I love using tables and will never change, so I've had to create several holding places for things like this. There is a gorilla they can write to for help, of course, her name is Dear Abby.

Kathy from Pasadena, CA:
How about putting a box/bin on the floor next to each table where students can keep their unfinished books? Also, one of my classroom jobs is that of librarian. When the librarian has free time, it is his/her job to check and straighten the books. I train the first one at the beginning of the school year, then they have to train each other as the jobs rotate.

Kathleen Miller from Saddle Brook, New Jersey:
One solution can solve both of your problems. Cut a piece of oaktag 4"X12". Hold it vertically and write one student's name on the top of each "placeholder". When a student takes a book they put their maker where the book belongs. If they don't finish reading the book, they mark their place in the book with the "placeholder" and store the book in its proper place on the shelf.

Lara from Clarkston, Michigan:
Do you have classroom jobs? If so then have students be librarians. If not, I know my kindergarteners LOVE having jobs. The librarians can check the books after the others have put them away to be sure all books are put back in their correct spot. If a child has not fininshed a book, then why not have book boxes or bags or an area designated for them to put their books if they are not finished. This area will need to be labeled with their name or number so that they have their own place to put that unfinished book.

Debbie from Brecksville, OH:
In response to the second question, I hand out paint stirrers (paint stores often don't mind donating them) that I have written numbers on that correspond to the students' numbers in the classroom. (I number my kids from 1-24 or however many students I have, and these numbers are on their nametags, mailboxes, etc.) When a student chooses a book from the bookshelf he leaves his paint stirrer where the book was. Then, when the student is finished he finds his paint stirrer with his number on it and puts the book back (in the right correct spot!). I collect the paint stirrers at the end of the year to use again next year. Since you do not have desks, you could keep the stirrers in a large jar or other container near the classroom library. As far as your first question, perhaps each table can have a basket assigned to them to put unfinished books in until they are finished. Debbie, 1st grade, Brecksville-Broadview Hts.

Carrie Hepburn from St Charles, Missouri:
Christa, I also have the books in my classroom categorized by genres, series, favorites and pull out the books we are using for our content areas. I take the last hour of Friday's to clean our room and a group of students organize the books, while others work on their particular chore for the week. It also encourages the students to remind those around them to keep the books neat and tidy, because organizing the books is not an easy job. This helps in my 2nd grade classroom, because it's their job and they take responsibility for keeping their room neat. Good luck.

Laura Mynaugh from Ellicott City, MD:
Have the children return their completed books to a bin and have two helpers return the books to the correct color-coded spot. The children will take more responsibility in returning the books correctly if they know it is their job. Each group of tables could have a basket on it to place unfinished reading materials in it.

Pam Zipperer from Cincinnati, Ohio:
My students keep a bookmark, that they have decorated and personalized, in the book that they are still reading in class. The children keep their books in a basket marked "Reading in Progress". The students know to only take their own books from that basket. I also have a student job that is checking the bookshelves or baskets each Friday to make sure the books are in the proper order, color-coded.

Connie Clauson from South Bend, IN:
You could put a color coded circle sticker on each book that matches the color of the basket it belongs in so they can see that they get it in the right spot. I teach 4th grade and my students don't have enough room in their desks for all of their books and things so I have each child bring a CLEAN new or used pillow case. I take them homw turn them inside out and sew the bottom to one side of the top to make a pocket. Turn it back right side out and then you can slip it over the back of their chair for extra storage.

meg from Indianapolis, in:
This isn't terribly unique, I am sure, but if a student isn't finished with a book they put a bookmark in it to show it is "in use". Some years I have bookmarks to go with my theme and some years we each make a bookmark (with their name on it). this is easier to determine if the book is really 'in use' since we know whose bookmark it is. The tricky part is having them keep thier bookmark safe. Hope that helps!

Penny Jones from Bridgewater, MA:
When I taught first grade, we also had tables. Each student received a large ziploc bag (Book Bag) with his/her name on it. I had a basket about the size of a dishpan in the center of the group. Each group consisted of 3 tables pushed together. Those 6 students placed their book bags in the common basket. Each bag needed to have 3 or 4 books in it at a time for S.S.R. I also color coded books with circle stickers. My library consists of many baskets with an index card on the front with a label and a sticker which indicates genre or series. For example, all nonfiction books have a yellow sticker, books of the month (holiday/unit related) have a red sticker and go on a slanted bookcase. One of the jobs in our room is to straighten out the library. Twice a week, that student spends a few minutes going through the baskets and returning books to the proper baskets if they are misplaced. I do spend time the first week of school reviewing the set up of our classroom library. This system works really well and I find the library remains fairly organized throughout the year.

Carole from Los Angeles, California:
I have over 800 books in my 2nd grade classroom library. I keep them in plastiac bins. Each child has a 3" X 9" bookmark which the students decorated the first day of school and I laminated . They are kept in a container in the library area. Each says at the top, "(student name) is reading this book." I have a bin in the library area that is only for books which students are in the process of reading. They are not allowed to keep them in their desks. The other rule is that if one student is in the process of reading the book, no one else may read it until that student is finished, unless they have permission from that student. As for returning the books to their correct place, I have library monitors who may need to put books back in their correct place. I just saw in a teacher idea book that one teacher actually had large (4" x 6") signs attached to each of the library book bins with the type of books that go in that bin. Some of my categories are: science, animals, chapter books, easy, intermediate.

Mary Wheeler from El Cerrito, CA:
I also have my books color coded. I regularly go through them to make sure they are in the right place. However, you might also also assign a student this as a job. They love to organize the books and should be able to sort them easily. The monitor could have a certain time each day when they do this. Do they have cubbies where they could store their books? Or a basket on the table?

Elizabeth Bailey from San Jose, CA:
Asign each student a paint stick like the ones you et at the paint store. put their name on it and let them decorate it. When they take a book out they place their stick in it's spot. After they are done reading forthe day, they put the book back and remove there stick. Check to see if all the books are back in place. If so everyonegets stickersor table points whatever you use for your rewards system.

Natalie Sebastian from Scottsdale, Arizona:
A great way to help your children to put books away in the correct place is by using place holders. I use tagboard and cut it into 3X12 strips and put each child's name on the top. Then I let them decorate them with markers and I laminate them. They last the whole year. The child just puts the place holder in where the book was and then they know where it goes when they are finished with the book.

Cheryl Edwards from Urbana, Ohio:
First problem: Designate a "tub" for each table that is specifically for unfinished books. That way students can easily find the book they were reading without disturbing others or the book shelves. Second Problem: Write each student's name on their own large "popsicle stick". Place the sticks in a cup near the bookshelf. When a student selects a book they slide their stick in lengthwise to "hold" their place. Their name should be written on the end that sticks out. Hope this helps!

Virg from San Jose, CA:
No room on desktop? where do they keep their other readers/math texts? Perhaps they can be kept in bags which are attached to the backs of their chairs. I think there are commercially made cloth ones available but don't know specifically where. I have the same challenge with kindergarteners replacing the books in correct place. I would have a monitor(s) sort them out at the end of each day.

Michele from Wallingford, CT:
One of the jobs in my classroom is our "librarians" who help the other children put the books back in the correct spot. They do a great job!

Melinda from cherry hill, nj:
I have "book boxes" for each of my children. You can make them by decorating cereal boxes (children love to make them) or Really good stuff has book boxes to buy. I do not use the stand supplied so the children can move their box wherever they are reading. Many of my children keep their favorite books in their box to read over and over. I really like this system as it keeps my library in order. (I too have it color coded)When children are finished with a book in their book box, they "deposit" it in a book bin. Those children on "Library Duty" reshelve the books at clean up time. This has worked great for me! The children love having their own book box, they love having library duty,and I love keeping my books in order.

Jennifer Weaver from Durant, Oklahoma:
I would try to use color coded bins and teach the students to match the color codes on the books (i.e. maybe dots) to the correctly coded bins. For the first problem, maybe using library pockets in the books and then using craft sticks,with the names of your students, to stick in those pockets. Just a suggestion.

Kailani Sarjeant from Grand Rapids, MI:
Your room sounds a lot like my own. First grade, tables instead of desks, and an extensive library arranged by genre, that I invested a lot of time and money in! At the beginning of the shcool year I have all of my library bookshelves covered with tablecloths or yards of material. I "unveil" one shelf at a time over the course of 2+ weeks, after talking with the kids about what the different categories are and how to take proper care of the books. After the first month or so, all the shelves are uncovered an available for the kids. For unfinished books you can add another category box to your library. Kids could put their bookmarks in the books they are reading or a post-it note on the cover. In my room we use the "durable magazine/book holders" from Really Good Stuff. Each child has their own with their name on it and we call them our reading group boxes. Children keep the books they are working on in there as well as highlighter tape, bookmarks, etc. Hope this helps! Good luck! Kailani Sarjeant Grand Rapids, MI

Robyn from Houston, Texas:
In my first grade classroom, each child has a "book box," which is a plastic magazine file I purchased at Wal-Mart (they were around $1.50 each). Each child chooses 4 or 5 books from the classroom library each week to put in their book boxes. They then use their book boxes for silent reading during that week. When the week is over, the kids take turns to change their books out and get new ones. I just store their book boxes on a low shelf so that they are accessible for the kids. For the organization of your books, you might want to consider having a classroom job where the children take turne monitoring the library. In my classroom, I call this the "Book Patrol." Their job is to take about 5 minutes at the end of the day and choose 1 or 2 tubs of books to go through and make sure they are organized. It really helps me out as the teacher, and the children encourage each other to put their books away in the proper place! I hope that helps!

Linda Altner from Palm Harbor, Florida:
It may be helpful to purchase some inexpensive plastic baskets and place one on each table for students to place books inside which have to be returned. Assign a monitor at each table to be responsible for putting the books back in the correct spot at the end of the day. Unfinished books can be placed UNDER the basket so they will not be returned. Your color coding system will, of course, have to be taught to your students and may need to be retaught several times before all first graders get the concept. I hope this helps.

Carol from Highland, Indiana:
I'm a believer in book baskets, so I would suggest that you have an empty basket set aside for books that students have not had time to finish reading. (I'm assuming that they will be given time and/or opportunity to finish their books). Have each student design a bookmark with his/her name on it and then have them laminated. The bookmark will not only hold the student's page but will also let you and the rest of the class know who is reading that book. At the beginning of the year, do a little role-playing to teach the children how to return books to their proper places and to emphasize the importance of being courteous to their classmates and to you by returning books where they belong. You may also want to add the job of "Librarian" to your class job board. That child's responsibility would include putting books back where they belong and checking to make sure that books are right side up, in the correct places, etc.

Bonnie Schweitzberger from Littleton, CO:
I would probably have large return tubs color coded. children could return books to the tubs and responsible helpers would shelve the books.

Shirley from Seagraves, TX:
Christa, I have been teaching for over 25 years, the last 10 in the first grade. I don't have a great suggestion for keeping up with books "in progress" but I do have a suggestion for identifying where books should be returned in the correct space. I have used "Reading Sticks" before. I got paint sticks from our local hardware store and wrote large numbers on the handle ends (both sides). Each child is assigned a number (I usually go by alphabetical order--like some professional development experts suggest for use in record keeping). The child leaves his stick with his number on it in the place where he got the book. When he is finished, he simply returns his book where his stick was placed and takes his stick to get another book, or to his seat, whatever your procedure is for your class. Good Luck!

Lucy Barraza from Chicago, IL:
I've organized my classroom library in baskets such as stories about animals, stories about school, etc. I give each basket a number and label all the books that belong in that basket with the same number so students can put them back. You can add a "parking lot" basket where students can "park" their unfinished books, placing a "Post-It" sticky note as a book mark with their name so they can easily identify their book and find their page.

Katherine from Van Nuys, CA:
To help the students remember the exact spot from which they have taken a book, have them make "shelf markers" from tagboard, and then laminate them. (You determine the best size) The students can decorate the "shelf markers" in any way they wish, such as things they like, or a self portrait. Regarding the second part of your question, the unfinished books, you could instruct the students to put the book back where it goes on the shelf, but with the spine facing in (badkwards), and their "shelf markers" within the pages, similar to a bookmark. That way, each student will be able to reserve the book in order to finish it, and the book remains stored in the appropriate place on the shelf!

Tracy from Brooklyn, New York:
To answer the second question, I have seen teachers provide a laminated bookmark for each child. When a child removes a library book, they replace it with the laminated bookmark to hold the place of the missing book. Therefore, when the child has finished reading the book, they know exactly where to return it.

Carol from Longview, Washington:
I have never had a class that always put the books back in the right spot every time. Many first graders can't really do this as consistently as we would like. :-) But I do have some ideas that keep things from getting out of control. The color coding that you use is a GREAT idea. Do you have a label of some kind designating the color on the box or shelf where each color coded book goes? Meaning.....if you have an area for red color coded books, is there a red signal (red sticker, red construciton paper sign, etc.) on the shelf, tub or box so the kids can match the color code on the book to the area of return? At the beginning of the year and a couple of times throughout the year, I take the time to go through the whole organization of the book area(s) and show the kids where they can find each kind of book and model how to return it to its proper place. Then we practice as a class. Also, what I tell my first graders before they get books from the different areas is to "pay attention to where you are getting your book so you can put it right back there when you are finished." When it comes time to return the books, I remind them to "remember where you got that book and if you are not sure, ask me." Sadly, even with these tricks, books are not always put back where they belong. So I have "librarians" as a classroom job. After we have used the books for a day or two, I have the librarians go through the books and put out of place books in their proper spot. I also tell the class that when they see a book in the wrong spot they should put it away in the right spot.I also use parent volunteers for this. I also check the books about once every two or three months. I have over 2000 books in my first grade classroom, all organized by genre' and level and I have found these things work for me. The initial set up, reminders, revisiting and practice takes some time, but it is worth it. As to the other question; I have the students put a laminated book mark with their name at the top in the book where they left off. Make sure the name is showing at the top when the book is closed. Then the books go into a sturdy box, plastic dish tub, tote tray or small (never used)kitty litter pan where they can be retrieved when the children need them. You could have a box or tub for each table.

Ellen from Albuquerque, NM:
I also teach first grade and have a spot where the students put their unfinished books. I have a pocket chart hanging on my wall in the library area. Each child has their own pocket for their books. It also has a place for a name tag on the front. It does not help for those extra large books though. For returing to the right spots, I think that going over the coding with the students and emphasizing the importance of putting the books back correctly. Maybe include a "job" of making sure the books are in place. Each week have one or two students be responsible for the book area. I hope this helps! Good Luck!

Debbie from Delran, New Jersey:
Create book boxes for each child in which they can have several books in their own box. These books should be rotated within a time frame at your discretion. Also, I use a clothes pin with each child's name on it. When they take a book off the shelf to read they clip their clothes pin to the next book (or bin) so they can return the book to its proper place.

Nora Stephens from portland, IN:
Make space cards from laminated card stock or plastic for each student with his/her name on it. When they remove a book, they put in their card and then when it is time to replace the book they put it where their name card is holding the correct space. the cards could be kept in a box near the cook shelf.Our librarian uses this method for the younger children who pull books from the shelf to look at deciding whether to check them out. It makes the children more responsible and saves the teacher extra work reshelving. Hope this helps.

Teresa Wolfe from Paris, Tx:
I use small baskets in different colors to seperate my books. It is much easier for 1st graders to return a book to a matching colored basket. Hope this helps

Amy P from Raleigh, NC:
I used the drawers from really good stuff as the students work drawers. They each have their own and put their unfinished work and books in their drawer. It is a wonderful tool to use daily for so many different things.

LaVonne Gerardot from Fort Wayne, IN:
Each child has "Go" folder (to take home papers) and a "Stay" folder in which is kept a laminated 100 chart, a laminated list of shpae and coin names, and 1/4 of a colored plastic folder to slide in where the book is taken from. That way there is no question where the book goes when finished. The colored plastic folder is color coded for groups with a name tag on it.

Elizabeth from Old Bridge, New Jersey:
I also have my books set up by genre with a color coded dot label. I have bins on each child's desk and they must keep a book in it at all times, so if they don't finish a book they put it there. For making sure the books are put in the correct spot I do the following. I put large labels on each book basket that tell the genre. For example, my Fiction books are all labeled with a red dot. On my big label on the book basket I write the genre and put a color coded dot label. Then I have a bigger basket and make a label that says "Book Returns." The children return the books there, and I have a job called Librarian. Each day the designated Librarian returns the books to the proper spot. Hope this helps.

Tanisha Robinson from Omaha, Nebraska:
Christa, You could cut, label with student names, and then laminate long stips of constuction paper. (It might be fun to allow the students to decorate their own strip.) You could use the strip to mark the spot in the basket where the student retrieved and should return the book. Have fun!

Gerrie Wager from Lake Oswego, Oregon:
Appoint a class Librarianwho can double check that the students are getting the books back. also have a "Need" to complete basket or box for those who have unfinished books and put a sticky on it with the child's name. This allows for keeping the book and letting the child know your expectation of responsibility and completion.

Karen Richter from Culver City, California:
I'm always happy to see my students enjoy a book so much they want to read it again. We also have tables, not desks. This past year I had the children carefully store their unfinished reading books inside their classroom cubbies until D.E.A.R. time the following day. That seemed to work well for us. I, too have a similar problem with books not being returned to the correct color-coded book box. A colleague of mine has a great idea that I want to use next year. Each of her students created their own large bookmark to use as a place card to hold the spot until the book is returned. This is the very same thing we do in our school library and she says it works just great! Hope that helps!

Debra Piccirillo from Vernon, NJ:
I do have desks in my classroom, but I don't allow the students to put my books in their desks, so my procedure should work for you too. I buy magazine storage boxes and put them in the middle of each group (4 desks to a group). You could put one in the middle of each table. The students keep books that they haven't finished in the "book boxes" and exchange them for others when they and everyone else in their group have read selections available in the "book boxes". Once or twice a week I ask the class if they are ready to exchange for a new book and if most of the class is ready, they each select a new book. If a student is not done with a book, they may choose to keep that book in the book box. In answer to your second question, I often ask the more able students to check the library to make sure books are in the correct color coded bins. They always finish work early and enjoy having a special project to complete.

Nancy Daniels from Stroudsburg, PA:
In order to ensure students place books back where they belong, I give each student a wooden ruler (dow sticks would work, too) which I've painted and written their name on in permanent marker. They keep the sticks in their desk. During reading workshop they place the stick in the spot their book choice came from. There it stays until they are ready to return their book! At the end of the year, I simply repaint the sticks and they are ready for the next year! You could also write their names on a piece of construction paper, laminate it and use it as I use the painted rulers. Painted rulers could be placed inside the unfinished book and put in a special crate.

Barbara Arnold from Leonard, Texas :
First, I would let the kids sort the books. It takes a little bit of time, but they take ownership of what they have done. That way when it is clean up time, they know exactly where to put the books at. Talk with them about how they want to do it before hand. They can do it by author, genre, fiction/nonfiction. It works with the right planning. As you know, nothing takes the place of good prep work with kids. I teach Kindergarten, so I usually wait till after Christmas to let my kids do this task. It almost always happens by author with them. But, they love it and the "book nook" is always so much cleaner because they know what to do.

Beth from Punxsutawney, PA:
I thought of a couple possibilities. One being have a box to put books in that are to go back on the shelf and have that be a job in your classroom;for one or two students at the end of the day to put the books back correctly. Second suggestion I have used is get paint stir sticks from a hardware store and either put numbers on that the students have to remember their number or each year put their names on the sticks and let them decorate them. This is their stick to leave on the shelf where they got the book from. The stick stays there until they return the book to the same place their stick is.

Cari Russo from Nesconset, NY:
I have my students make book boxes. They use a cereal box. The directions are easy. Take a cereal box and cut the top part off. Then from the top cut on diagonal forming a little opening. Cover your box with contact paper or contruction paper. The children can decorate the box however they want. I have the directions typed up on a letter. If you want I can send the letter as an attachment and use can use it however you choose. I usually send it home in the beginning of the school year and I have a model of it at open house for the parents to look at. They love these book boxes.

Christina Schiller from Crofton, MD:
You could make it where each child has a bookmark with their name on it and if they don't finish, they put their bookmark in where they were. Then the next time, they know which book they had and where they were. You could have a rule that no one else can start a book if someone has a bookmark in it and they can't start to read a new book if their bookmark is in any books. For color coding, I do this with my kindergartners, and I just have to go over it a lot at the beginning of the year and periodically checking it. If they don't do it right they have to fix it during a time of day they wouldn't want to miss (centers, recess, etc.) If you check everyday at the beginning and make them fix it if they didn't put them back, they will quickly learn to do it correct the first time!

Dionne from Vancouver, WA:
Hi Crista, I also have color coded books and I keep them in clear plastic bins with the coordinating clored dot on the front. I just place these on my bookshelf. For books that my students haven't finished, I give them a sticky note to mark their place and put it into a hanging file that has their name on it. This works especially well with my flex group students that come to me from other teachers. They aren't able to store their things in the desks of my homeroom students.

Lisa-helen Rotter from Sandy Spring , MD:
I have also had trouble with children returning books to the proper place in the class library. I use a similar system of having books sorted by genre, but instead of color coding them I have them in baskets. I then attach a library pocket to the basket with a binder ring. At the beginning of the year I give each child a 2" x 5" piece of tag board / cardstock . The children decorate them including their names. I then laminate them and keep them in a small basket in the library. Each time a child chooses a book they place their "bookmark" in the pocket. When they return the book to the basket they remove their "bookmark" and are free to choose another title. This has really cut down on misplaced books and allows for the children to become responsible for their library.

Diane Zeigler from Indianapolis, IN:
I have one of those colorful 3-bin stacking carts near each table. One bin is designated to store books in progress. (One bin is for folders for the various subjects and small whiteboards,and the third bin stores dictionaries and atlases so they are quickly accessible. My books are stored in separate tubs which have the genre name and a colored dot that matches the color of the dot on the book. Most kids return the books to the container with the correct dot.

Jacque Barry from Issaquah, Wa:
Hi Christa, Take a large piece of construction paper and cut it in half longwise. Put thier name at the long end of it and have them decorate it. Laminate it and then they can use it as a book mark on the shelf. Stick it in where the book goes and then they can find where to put it back easy enough. Also, you can ask the students to bring in a large cereal box or crackers or chips. Cut the corner of the box off kind of at a diagonal. Label it with their names and they can use this to store their books their still reading. Everyone can store their books on a shelf somewhere in your room and it's kind of colorful. Enjoy!

Amy from Belton, TX :
In my school, we use magazine containers for the students to drop their unfinished books into for the next chance they have to read a book. This takes one magazine container per child and can hold a few picture books, maybe one guided reading book and an independent book plus a journal or folder. Give the students a piece of paper with their name boldly written on it, so they can decorate it . Then place their name card on the front of these magazine containers. Storage of these boxes can be simple if you sit by table. Have one table's boxes all in one location of the room and another table's boxes in another part of the room. Send one to two students to get the magazine containers at the start of your time together. Another idea is to have a return bin (basket) where books can be placed when students have not finished them and will not be able to finish them. You could make this a job and once a day or a couple of times a week, have one to two children sort these and put them in the right spot. I hope these ideas help.

Angela Stadnik from Colonie, NY:
In response to your first question, my 1st grade students each have a "book box" (a magazine file for holding guided reading books they are rereading and their poetry journals). The kids could put any other books from the classroom library in there if they are in the process of reading. For the second question, have you marked each book with the color code (not just the basket where it belongs)? I have baskets grouped by genre, topic, reading level, etc. Each basket has a label with a corresponding picture or color dot. The books that belong in each basket have a sticker on the cover with a color dot or picture that corresponds to the one on the basket label. This method has been great. The kids just need a brief lesson in how to use the system at the beginning of the year. The only problem I occassionally have is when a sticker falls off a book. I have another basket called the "book hospital" for this purpose. The kids put the books there and I replace the sticker.

Sarah Bond from Columbus, Oh:
Christa- I have this same issue. I teach first grade, I have my library color coded, and have tables. The first few weeks of school I spend teaching the routine for finding books and putting books away. I model and even have the kiddos help me model putting books away. Again, it takes a good few weeks to get this routine down. The "rule" in my room is, you can keep 1 library book in your "back pocket". Each student has a back pocket that hangs on their chair (similar to a product that Really Good Stuff has that I made with a rectangle piece and a square piece of fabric). The pocket is just large enough to hold their notebook, 2 folders, their reading group book and a book from the library. I hope this is helpful as you get ready for another year!

Shari Scriber from Monticello, Arkansas:
I teach second grade and have used a clothespin (wooden) for each child. I write their name on it with a permanent marker and clip all of them on a stiff piece of plastic that extends about 2 inches from my bookshelf.( I think it is a sink liner.) When they borrow a book from one of my baskets, they clip their pin to the basket. That way they know where to return the book when they are finished. As for your storage problem, maybe they could clip their pin to the cover of the book they aren't finished with and still return it to the basket. You could give each child 2 clothespins...one for the book, one for the basket. Good luck!

Teri from Katy, Texas:
To help with getting the books returned to the proper spot, I have labeled tubs (the cheap shoebox size from the dollar store). I have all the books in the tub labeled with the same color which also appears on the tub label. The tubs are lined up on the bookshelf with the label on the end. Students can choose a tub of books with the genre that they are interested in and take it to their own desk/table to make the individual book selection. When they finish reading their book, they check the color on the book and find the tub with the corresponding color label. To help with your first question, I had a wonderful parent volunteer who made a chairback pocket for each student's chair. When the students need to put their book away, they simply slip it into their chairback pocket until time to read again. To help with the fabric cost, you could measure your chairs and ask that each family provide one piece of fabric to make the pocket. This is a great project for the room moms who can sew and like helping the teacher.

Jerri from Ashburnham, MA:
I have found paint sticks from the local hardware store helpful. I write each students name on one with permanent marker. Then, the student can place the stick in the spot where the book was taken from. After, the student finishes; they know where it belongs because their stick has saved the spot in the crate or bookcase.

TC Turner from Omaha, NE:
There are "pockets" that slip over the back of chairs that hold folders, books, etc. to help with storage. One of the jobs that I have in my classsroom is that of the librarian. The librarian's job is to make sure the books are neat and as students finish a book that they have checked out (there is a notebook students record their name, book, and date checked out/in), makes sure the book is in the returned bin to be alphabetized. It helps with alphabetizing, being organized, and feeling good about having such an important job.

Gina from Modesto, California:
Each student could have a ruler with a number on it. They put their ruler in the spot where they found the book. When they are finished with the book they return it where they left their ruler.

Debbie Powell from Starke, Florida:
I have a wire basket that children return books to. Then I have a trusted student, that I have trained, put the books back into their correct baskets.

Hope Mazuroski from Oswego, NY:
Christa-what I do with my 4th grade students is have them bring in on the first day of school a large square or rectangular shaped potholder (with a pocket for the hand) that they can hook onto the back of their chair with plastic shower curtain rings that can be purchased at a dollar store. Then when they needed to store their book for reading later they put it in their "reading potholder." This also helps so that the book didn't get lost or missplaced somewhere. Then the student can keep track of the book and hopefully finish it later during silent reading time. We also decorated them with fabric paint on the first day to personalize it for the year. To answer your second question I would try assigning each child a "book buddy" that they could sit and read with. Then when they are finished the buddy would be responsible for helping their partner return the book to its correct spot. I also use labeled baskets besides just having the genre on the book or color coding. Maybe you could also have book helpers in the classroom on your helper's chart. I used it with my 4th graders and they did a great job checking the baskets each week and sorted the ones that didn't belong and returned them to the correct basket.

Debbie from Saltsburg, PA:
I used the color coordination method for literary genres in both my 3rd and 6th grade classrooms. To help further organize, and make it easier to maintain the system, I purchased cheap dish pans from the dollar store. On one short side of each I placed a color coordinated dot and the name of the genre. (A further help with younger kids might be to also write the genre's name in the same color as the dot for that genre.) I then placed those bins on the bookshelves. When the students wanted to choose a book, they would remove the bins from the shelf, take it off to the side, choose their book, and return the bin to the shelf. This also made it easy for them to return the book to its proper place instead of just anywhere on the shelf. I had tables in my room instead of desks. (Personally, I liked this better than desks because it prevented the students from messing around in their desks instead of working.) We had cubbies (a set of 25 cubicles built into one big movable cart on wheels) made. Each student is assigned a cubby for their use for the year. Not only does this help with classroom management, but it helps the students in organization. I hope these suggestions prove a little helpful to you. Good luck in the upcoming year.

Robin Young from Fishers, IN:
One thing that has helped me before with unfinished books and tables is to have a “book basket” in the center of the table. (I usually use the totes with two sides and then put other items kids may need on the other- Really Good Stuff has them.) This basket holds some books that I have placed there, but also books that children are not finished reading. The things that have helped me the most in making sure children put books back are: 1. I spend a lot of time training my children at the beginning of the year. Going over it and over it to make sure they understand the how and the why behind it. 2. I ask students to only take 2 books at a time. This way they only have two books to put back at any one time. They can get more when they finish the books they have chosen, but again can only have 2 books. 3. I also have two students who are the librarians. They go through every few days and make sure the books are in the right place. Hope this helps!

Christy Roselli from Westfield, MA:
Since you have tables you could try labeling craft sticks with each students name and have them use them with book marks, if they do not finish reading the book they put their stick into the book and back into the shelf or in a designated area you may have for these books. When there is time to read the students can retrieve their book and pick up where they left off.

karen murphy from florham park, nj:
assign each student a number, purchase clothes pins and place each students' number on a clothes pin. When a student takes a book out, they place their clothes pin on that basket. Then they know where the book goes back too.

Janice Chezem from Lafayette, IN:
I buy small baskets (the plastic variety) and keep that centered on the table. They students can put their unfinished books there. I choose two students to be the books people for the week. They take a couple minutes each day to check the color codes on the books and put any stray books in the correct place. I store my classroom collections in large storeage containers with color coded labels on the front so all can see where the books belong.

debB from novi, mi:
I use the Really Good Stuff durable book holders to color code my books. In the beginning of the year I have the children help me set up our classroom library. I label the book holders with the title of the series (Nate the Great; Junie B., Clifford, etc.) I model how to use them and explain why it is important to take care of our books and how it is easier to choose your book the next time if it is put away in the correct spot. I have a library helper check to see if the books are put back in their holders. If a student is not finished with a book I have them make a quick book mark with paper from the recycling bin and label with their name. No one else may choose this book until the reader has removed his or her bookmark!

Linda Schwartz from Pembroke Pines, Florida:
I use small tubs and label the outside of the container with the same sticker that is on the books the books. I can usually train a few students to check the tubs at the end of the day to make sure all of the books are back in the correct tub. I teach kindergarten so I am sure you have some first graders that could help you out to. I place a sticker on the back of the book and the same color on the tub. You could also make a chart showing which genres go to which color in case a sticker comes off.

Cara Lingle from Osceola , Ar:
I use dishpans (cheap and available at wal-mart, and lable my books with a name, so that the students can match the name on the book with the name on the tub. You can do the same with the colors, Have the students match the color on the book with the color on the tub.

Julianne Kerschner from Shiloh, Ohio:
I teach first grade as well. I found a pocket chart with pockets large enough for books. Each child puts his or her books in his or her own pocket. I use paint stirrers (donated or purhased inexpensively from paint stores) to help children place books back in the appropriate space. Each child has a stick wiht his name on it (kept in his book pocket when not in use). When a child borrows a book, he puts his stick where the book was and leaves it there. When he returns the book, he puts it back where the stick is and removes the stick to use to borrow a new book or store in his pocket. This works like a charm!

Charlotte from Indianapolis, Indiana:
Have a box for unfinished books. Have the students put a "Sticky Note" with their name written on it! they can pick up where they left off at another time!! Assign Book Monitors to keep books organized. Make sure that each book is where it is supposed to be by the end of the day. You can make this part of your job board. Or give them a reward for it!

Jennifer from Arab, Alabama:
All of our kindergarten classes and several of our first grade classes use tables and not desks. These teachers have invested in denim chair pockets to hold books and other supplies that are needed on a daily basis. This allows the students to keep a book or two until they are finished reading.

Valerie Douglass from San Juan Capistrano, California:
Dear Christa, I have a classroom library so the studentsmay check out one book each week and bring it home. I lose one or two MAYBE a year. To get the books back in the right location, assign one or two studnets to be the classroom librarians. They are pretty good at helping their classmates get the books back in the correct location.:)

Yvette from Apopka, FL:
First, store the children's unfinished books in team baskets labeled with the team or table's names. I would keep these on top in the middle of the table or under the table in the middle. Hopefully, the table is big enough tha little feet can't kick them over. Now the books are close enough for ealy finishers to reach their books without leaving their chairs. Second, it is so important to model every single procedure in your classroom over and over. I model everyting. I also provide examples of how not to do things, then I quiz them on proper procedure. It really does not take up much time. I use it as a transition into or out of the activity in question. So next year before you even let them put one finger on those color coded book bins, you need to model exactly how you want it done, then introduce that activity the exact same way for a month or so. It will save you time in the long run.

Carol Hupp from Virden, IL:
I have had the same problem with my first graders. I provided a contact covered box called the library box where all students put their books. On Friday or the last day of the school week I had a responsible (usually the student who has everything done or an assigned job like the line leader put the books away using the color code. I used reading folders that students keep at their table to store reading books in progress. These can be kept in a book box in the middle of the table or in seat bags that I made to hang over the backs of their chairs. I used both systems. The book boxes until I made the chair seat bags.

Shauna Coleman from Royal Oak, MI:
I also teach first grade and have my books separated by categories. I have stickers on the corners of each book and they match a basket that has a larger image of the sticker. It is a GREAT tool to keeping things organized, but can be frustrating when they don't put things back the right way. I figured out two things. 1) I periodically hand out stones (the ones you put in vases or fish tanks) to those who put them away in the right spot. I don't do this always so they don't expect it. (The stones are collected at the end of the week in a jar and they work together towards a class party. But they also try to see who gets the most stones and the top three get to choose from the treasure box. I don't do this every week, but at least every two.) The second thing is I have jobs and one of the jobs is "Book Organizers" and so I choose two students for the week to make sure the books are in the right baskets. They have to do this for the leveled books as well. I go over it every day for the first three weeks and most pick up on it. There are always going to be those that just toss the books wherever. Hope this helps. :)

Janice Luk from Daytona Beach, Florida:
You can have each child bring in a cereal box to use as a reading box. Cut the top flaps off and have each student decorate their reading box. Another idea is to make chair covers so students can store their books in it. These can also be purchased - although costly. An idea to have them return their book to the appropriate place when finished with it is to first let them know why this is important. Maybe you can play a game by giving each child a book and having them put it back in the correct spot. This could lead to a discussion about different genres etc. One or two students each week can be responsible for checking to be sure the books are in the correct spot - this could be another student job.

Tamie from Marietta, GA:
I have a classroom librarian who double checks our baskets to make sure books have been placed in the correct place. Usually he or she does this at the end of the day. Students at my school use book bins (they look like plastic magazine holders/sold in Really Good Stuff as Durable Magazin/Book Holders)to keep books in. These can be lined up on the floor or shelf when not in use if you don't have desks. My students keep them on the floor by their chairs. Students are required to have 2 Accelerated Reader books and 2-4 other books in their bins at all times. It saves time going back and forth to the baskets and library so that more time is spent reading, not wandering or searching for books.