Fun in PreK-1 & Kinder

I'm back!  :)  Blogging again after just one day, what's gotten into me?  But I just had to come back today and share some tips for building your classroom library on a budget (and brag a bit about some things I found while shopping around today!) In the summer I compared different options for book bins.  You can see the breakdown of that post by clicking on the picture below: In my library I actually use the yellow hole-y baskets from Dollar Tree for Listening Center baskets (each basket has one book and an iPod), since they weren't too stable but I loved the color.  The teal baskets from Big Lots we use for our Favorite Author Book bins.  And for our thematic book bins, we use these baskets from Dollar Tree... Note that these are the rectangular boxes, NOT the 12" by 12" square ones.  They sell out fast as soon as they come in for Dollar Days, but man they are GREAT! So there's a bit about how to save on setting up your library. ...

Welcome back for another Tuesday Teaching Idea!  Are you using Daily 5 in your classroom?  Have you wondered what you should use for your kiddos' book shopping baskets?  Today's Tuesday Teacher Tip is all about your different options and the pros and cons of each (with photos)! Meet the Contenders: Storage Tote (Dollar Tree), Sterilite Ice Cube Bin (Target), Plastic Magazine Holder (Big Lots), FLYT Cardboard Magazine File (IKEA) Not Pictured: Mainstays Ice Cube Bin (Walmart) First, let's do a price point comparison! Yellow Dollar Tree Storage Tote: $1.00 (*Note that you can only exchange at Dollar Tree, not return) Sterilite Ice Cube Bin from Target: $3.99 Big Lots Plastic Magazine Holder: $3.00 IKEA FLYT Cardboard Magazine File: $1.99/5 pack (*Best Value!) Mainstays Ice Cube Bin: $1.88 Now let's do a book weight test! Total Fail Walmart! The Dollar Tree yellow storage tote starts getting off balance at about 8 books.  T...