EDU 2210: Analyzing a Library Setting to Promote Children's Reading

This essay provides an analysis of a children's library, focusing on its physical environment and its impact on encouraging reading habits. The author observes the library's layout, lighting, book arrangement, and available resources, noting the presence of open and closed shelving, themed decorations, and bilingual books. The essay evaluates the setting's strengths, such as ample natural light and categorized book baskets, and suggests modifications to improve accessibility for disabled children and minimize distractions. These modifications aim to create a more inclusive and stimulating reading environment that caters to diverse sensory needs and supports children's engagement with books, ultimately fostering a greater interest in reading. The importance of practical organization in attracting children and enhancing their reading experience is emphasized.

Running head: READING SPACE FOR CHILDREN
Reading Space for Children
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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The setting is the library that has a great amount of reading space. The setting was
selected as it can help in providing a great deal of light on the important factors that can
encourage the habit of reading in the children.
I saw after entering the children’s library that there were enough space on the shelves
so that the children can easily get access to the books easily. There were some shelves that
were completely empty so that it will help the children to keep the books that they are not
interested in. The availability of the book ends can help in preventing the books from falling
into that of a messy heap (Topping and Sheila, pp 142). I saw that the library had the mixture
of open along with closed shelving that can help in displaying the more attractive books. It
can help the children in getting hold of their favourite books. The closed shelving helped in
storing the precious books of the library.
I saw that the lighting of the library was bright and the environment was themed that
helped in garnering excitement for the children. I saw that the walls of the library had stories
depicted with the help of images that can encourage the interest of the children towards
reading stories. The bright lights of the library can help the children in focussing on their
stories and it can help them in seeing clearly (Entwisle, pp 32). I observed that the library for
the children had a large number of posters along with curtains. I saw that there were many
chairs kept around a table that can facilitate the children in reading the books comfortably. I
also observed that mats were also placed in the library that can help the children in sitting
comfortably on the floor. The children’s library also had the facility of bilingual books that
helps in reflecting the language that is spoken at home of that of the families within the
community. I saw that there were also CD’s relating to the children’s music that helped in
providing entertainment to the children (Wall and Yvel, pp 167).

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I observed that there were book baskets on which the name of a particular category
was written and the baskets have been arranged in the number order for the convenience of
the children. There were individual book labels on the book baskets and the labels had clip-
art picture along with the title of the book. These kinds of resources can prove to be
advantageous for the children and help them in locating their favourite books within the
library space. There were some chairs that were kept separately so that the children who
wanted to read on their own could carry on their work without any kind of interruption
(Ornstein, pp 76). I saw that the children’s library was environment friendly and it was
powered with the help of the natural resource like that of sun. I observed that there was
abundant natural light in the room that can facilitate the process of reading of the children. I
saw that there were live flowers and flower beds at the corner of the room that can induce an
element of the natural light in the library.
There are certain modifications that can be brought about in the children’s library for
providing the children with a better experience. Facilities should be made for the disabled
children that can help them in getting access to the reading space of the library. The materials
should be provided in multiple format like big books, pop-up books and sensory books. There
are some kids who are sensory-seeking and they want tactile experiences. There are other
kids who want to avoid any kinds of sensory and opportunities should be provided for them
in the library space (Oprea, pp 153). There should be rooms in the children’s library that can
help in minimizing distraction. There should be opportunities for defined seating spaces like
carpet square that can help in supporting the kid who needs help with the boundaries.
The book setting in the children’s library can help the children in getting hold of their
favourite books. The book baskets can help the children in locating their favourite books so
that it can help in improving their reading habit (Pervin, pp 134). The open and that of closed
shelving used in the children’s libraries can help in the storage of the books so that the

3READING SPACE FOR CHILDREN
children gets attracted by the visual appeal of the books. The library organized on practical
lines can help in drawing a large number of children and it can augment the interest of the
children towards reading.

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References:
Entwisle, Doris R. Children, schools, and inequality. Routledge, 2018.
Oprea, Tana. "School Library-a Favored Setting for Learning through Discovery, Information
and Documentation." Biblioteca: Revista de Bibliologie si Stiinta Informarii 10 (2017).
Ornstein, Peter A., ed. Memory Development in Children (PLE: Memory). Vol. 20.
Psychology Press, 2014.
Pervin, Lawrence A., ed. Goal concepts in personality and social psychology. Psychology
Press, 2015.
Topping, Keith, and Sheila Wolfendale, eds. Parental involvement in children's reading.
Routledge, 2017.
Wall, Barbara, and Yvel Crevecoeur. Narrator's Voice: The Dilemma Of Children's Fiction.
Springer, 2016.