Self-Selecting Books

Giving students the chance to select books for their reading pleasure seems like a no-brainer, but it is not always happening in all classrooms.  To make the student selection process pain-free, my students must abide by the following guidelines:

• Students are expected to have a minimum of 4 books available for any free moment in which they can snatch a minute or two to read. 
• Books should be selected (and returned) first thing in the morning.  To avoid chaos, my students complete their morning work and then select their books.  That way, I don't have 24 students trying to select books at the exact same time.  My books are also kept around my whole room, so I don't have students cramming into one area to select books.  This also prevents students from spending their entire independent reading time "selecting" a new book (I know we all know of one or two students that would spend hours "looking" for a book, instead of actually reading).   
• No books are to go inside of the students' desks.  Each student has a chair pocket and are expected to keep all books in the pocket.  For those books that don't fit, they may remain next to the student's desk. 
• If a student is interested in reading a book that we do not have in our classroom library, they are to write a note and stick it on my computer.  I visit the public library OFTEN and pick up any books or topics the students request.  In my 6 years of teaching, I've only had one book go missing (and thankfully the library didn't charge me for it - it pays to be a frequent flyer at the library!).  When students are finished with the public library book, they place it in the public library crate. 
• 75% of the students self-selected books should be at a level in which they can read (and comprehend).  Almost all of my books are labeled with the lexile, and the students know their ideal lexile range, so this shouldn't be too difficult for them. I do allow students to select books that are easy and challenging, as I know my beginning readers would be completely turned off if they could never select the books that their peers are reading.  I know I still enjoy reading picture books even though they are way below my level, so I'm pretty certain my students should be able to enjoy that privilege as well.
• Books should be returned to the correct basket or tub when finished (return them in the morning when selecting a new book).  Each book is labeled with a basket number and is to be returned to the correct baskets.  If a student can't find the basket, they may put the book in the "Needs a Home" basket.  Our classroom librarian returns these books at the end of each day. 

By allowing self-selection of reading materials, students become real readers.  Imagine if when you went to the library and you were told that you had to select reading material from one basket that the librarian put together.  Even if there were 50 books in the tub, that doesn't mean that any of them would fit your needs or meet your interests.  Let's give students a chance to be responsible for their reading materials!