Inside: How to start a Spanish class library. How to get funding, where to buy books, as well as what to do with your new class library in Spanish class.
Where do I get money to start a class library?
Grants
Check national, state, and local language organizations for World Language grants. Also, talk to your administration, counselor, union, or education association for local education grants in your county or state. I personally got my state IWLA grant, as well as a local education grant twice. Here is a post I wrote about How to write a grant.
Crowdsourcing
Put your project out there and see if family friends and strangers want to help support you. Here are a few popular options:
GoFundMe
DonorsChoose
Free books
Free is always the best price, here is a way that each year I have gotten free books to add to my library in Spanish – How to get free books in Spanish
ASK! I know it is hard to beg for money, but if you never ask, you will never get any money.
- First, talk to your school library to see if they can use funds to purchase books in Spanish.
- Then, ask the PTO or school foundation if they have money for books.
- If literacy a goal at your school? See if you can use literacy money to buy books.
- Also, ask your curriculum director if you can use your textbook or curriculum money to buy leveled readers instead.
- Do not forget, propose your idea to your administration and see if they can find the money somewhere to support you.
- Finally, does your school have a book fair? See if you can use the points earned to get books in Spanish. Or take advantage of the Spring buy one get one free fair to get the most bang for your buck.
Where can I get books?
I have personally found that the best books for my classroom library are comprehension-based readers made for language learners. I also like current comprehensible Mundo en tus manos – news stories. Unless you are teaching heritage learners, these novelas are what are going to help make your students feel successful. They contain glossaries to help students when free reading and are written with a manageable amount of high-frequency words with many cognates. There are a few bigger publishers, but also independent books seem to keep popping up, which is awesome. I personally buy ALL THE NEW READERS. Here is where I shop:
To see many of my classroom library recommendations all in one place, you can visit My Amazon Store book list!
- Spanish Cuentos
- Fluency Matters
- Fluency Matters
- 1GoodStory
- Sr. Wooly
- Bryce Hedstrom
- Mira Canion
- CIReading – has links to buy from independent authors on Amazon & Create Space!
What to do with your Spanish Class Library
FREE READ!
- Pick a book (& remember where you got it to put it back)
- Find a comfortable place to read
- Spend the entire time with mouths closed and eyes on reading
- If you do not know a word, you can look it up at the back of the book
Fast Finisher
Novel Study
The uses for books in a world language class are endless! Do you have a library? What have I missed? How do you use it? Please share!
6 Comments
Great post, Allison! Don't forget about all the new authors that are only available on Amazon/CreateSpace!
Where did you get the display on top of your bookshelf? I'm looking for a better way to store/display my books.
Love the fast finisher idea! If you're interested in a digital library option we make short, fun, interactive dual-language ebooks specifically for language learners 15+. The website is lingogoapp.com if you want to check it out and I'd be happy to send you a demo. We've just started selling school subscriptions and they're going fast!
I'd also love to know where your display shelf is from. Thanks so much!
The hyperlink for how to write a grant does not lead to that post – can you re-link please? I’d love to get some tips! ¡Gracias!
Thank you for letting me know! here is the post https://misclaseslocas.blogspot.com/2016/04/write-grant-for-your-classroom.html