The two labeling questions
Step #1: Choosing Book Labels: Should You Use Experience Level or Reading Level?
The first book label you apply should be based on either the pupil's experience level or reading level to help streamline their book selection process. This label helps limit the number of books the
can choose from, making it easier to find a suitable book.
Step #2 Organizing Your Library: The Benefits of Thematic vs. Alphabetical Book Labels
The second book label is crucial for organizing the school library effectively. This label helps pupils easily find a book and independently return it to the correct shelf. Teachers can quickly see which books are misplaced, keeping the library tidy.
Step #1: Deciding Between Experience Level and Reading Level Book Labels
When pupils read faster or slower than average, a significant gap arises between the child's experience level and reading level. For these pupils, it becomes harder to find a book that suits them.
A strong reader in grade 4 might be able to read "The Diary of Anne Frank" based on reading level, but this book is not suitable for that age. Similarly, struggling readers in grade 8 face challenges finding age-appropriate books that match their reading level.
Jos Walta described the ideal scenario in "Open Boek, Handboek Leesbevordering". In this scenario, initial reading books are labeled by AVI level, and books for children aged 8 and up are labeled by experience level. pupils who are ready for advanced technical reading can read anything they want as long as they are motivated.
Additionally, it’s practical to label other categories separately, such as "Informative", "Picture Book", and "English".
Ideal label scenario:
If you have too many books with the same label or if the books are spread across different classes, you might consider labeling based on class groups instead of experience level and reading level.
Step #2: Thematic vs. Alphabetical Book Labeling: Which is More Effective?
To help pupils and teachers quickly find and return books, you can add an organizing label in addition to the experience level or reading level label.
Theme
If you choose theme labels, ensure the themes cover a large group of books. The label doesn’t describe all the complexities of the book but rather the first association a pupil has with it. You can usually infer the thematic label from the title or blurb.
Examples of commonly chosen themes include:
- School story
- Detective
- Horror
- Friendship
- Fantasy
Alphabet
Alphabetical labels are based on the first letter of the author’s last name. For instance, books by Jacques Vriens are labeled under "V" and books by J.K. Rowling under "R".
Labeling alphabetically is easier because there’s no doubt about which label to use. However, alphabetical labels may look less appealing than thematic labels, which is a trade-off you need to consider.
Practical examples
How will you label the books?
Each school is different, so each school chooses a different approach in practice. Here are some examples:
Example 1: this school chose to label books by grade and theme. Books for initial technical reading also received an label for the reading level.
How to help pupils find and return books by labeling them. Which labels will you choose?
- Mid year 2, Fantasy & Magic
- Mid year 2, Detective
- End year 2, Horror
Example 2: this primary school labeled according to the A/B/C method introduced in "Open Boek" by De Boekenberg in Eindhoven.
- A Books
- B Books
- C Books
- Informative Books
- Etc.
Example 3: this primary school chose to label books not only by experience level but also by the author's last name.
- Year 2, X
- Year 3/4, Y
- Year 5/6, Z
Example 4: this primary school chose to label books by experience level and theme. They organized the books by color according to the theme.
- Year 3/4, Fantasy & Magic
- Year 3/4, Detective
- Year 5/6, Detective
Also read: Scanning the Collection: Opitimize Your School Library and Improve Book Diversity