Welcome to The Research Monster
Create an Effective Classroom Library with
The Leveled Research Library
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This website is created to assist elementary school teachers implement the Leveled Research Library in their classrooms to scaffold their students through the research process. The Leveled Research Library is an effective classroom library that allows students to research year-round in the classroom. After this process is taught, the Leveled Research Library becomes supplemental material in the classroom. It can be used to enhance science and social studies lessons. It encourages students to read and write on a daily basis. Each student works at their own level and at their own pace to create written, researched reports in their own words.
Why is it a Research Monster?
The Leveled Research Library grew from of a simple comprehension exercise for a small reading group of 8 of my highest readers about 5 years ago.. It all began with a bucket of lower-level nonfiction books, a question template to accompany each book, and 8 students. The students were taught a process for researching and kept coming back for more books.
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L.E.
I created this website to introduce the idea of researching in the elementary classroom with The Leveled Research Library !  |
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My students were reading and writing more without prompting or motivation from me. This activity grew from 8 students to 20 students and I couldn’t find the books fast enough. This little project for 8 students turned into a monster of a project that slowly encompassed my entire class. My students just couldn't get enough of this activity. In essence, a "Research Monster" appeared in my classroom, but in the best way.
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When I looked at this activity, it was a teacher’s dream come true. My students were reading in their centers, independently writing, and conferencing with each other and myself. Behavior issues slowly dissipated. Students planned their next report. Spelling and grammar objectives were implemented into written reports. My students completed the writing process day after day. I had created a simple research activity to challenge a group of students to improve their reading comprehension skills and it turned into so much more, a Research Monster!
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A year later, upon reflecting on my creation, I realized I designed an effective classroom tool. I built a leveled, classroom research library. During the 2014-2015 school year, the Leveled Research Library had 42 first graders researching from it. The first teacher across the hall had joined me in teaching her students how to research, so we shared a research library. We had 2 classes of First Graders talking about researching, planning what they were going to research next, and writing reports in their own words once their classwork was finished. Some students were ordering sentences, sorting sentences into groups, discussing main ideas, and ordering paragraphs. All this was happening in two First Grade classrooms!
The Leveled Research Library shared between 2 first grade classrooms.
Since then, I have had third and fourth grade students research from the Leveled Research LIbrary. I continue to use it my first grade classroom, but I also have a research club after school for several grade levels.
If The Leveled Research Library is a tool that you would like to implement in your classroom this school year to increase the reading and writing of your students, please feel free to connect with me or explore my website. Researching in the classroom with The Leveled Research Library is a passion of mine. I hope you enjoy The Research Monster. – L.E.
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I am affiliated with the following book companies: Book Depository, Thrift Books, and BetterWorldBooks.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. - The Research Monster
The views expressed on this website are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of MNPS.
