How to create a reading nook in the classroom
Classroom reading corners are an active way to encourage children to read more and can help link reading with other positive aspects, such as friendship and comfort, to spark a lifelong love of literature. Creating a space that children and teens find welcoming only requires a few changes to any corner of the classroom.
Where to place a reading corner?
The first step in creating a new reading spot is deciding where you want the area to start and end. Corners are best, but in larger classrooms any wall space or even an open area can be used as a reading corner.
Using curved shelvings, small areas can be separated from the rest of the classroom and students can grab a book on their way to the reading corner. Patterned room dividers are a more elegant way to define a reading nook, while other portable room dividers can add color to the space, reduce noise, and even serve as a book display.
Best furniture for reading corners
Once the reading corner has been established as an independent space, it is necessary to fill it with books and furniture. Adding an inclined bookcase provides compact book storage so students can spot all of their options at first sight.
Taller, more colorful bookshelves are ideal for older students, who read longer books at a faster pace than their younger peers. For students with special needs or who simply want a new way to engage with reading, audiobooks are a great addition to the classroom library.
The ideal place for wide and comfortable seats, such as sofas or poufs, is next to the shelves or between them. Book storage and seating can even be paired with comfortable padded reading benches.
It is important to include various seating options, both to increase the capacity of your classroom reading corner and to accommodate different student preferences. Lounge chair and coffee table sets are flexible classroom favorites and can be used inside and outside reading nooks.
These furniture are our recommendations:
CABINETS – Curved Cabinet Marie
Adding a rug to the reading nook can make the space feel even cozier and safer by encouraging students to lie back, lean back and relax as they read. Rugs can also help to theme the space. It is about creating an inspiring space, so we can also resort to placing canopies, decorations and ceiling or wall mobiles or incorporating acoustic panels that, in addition to conditioning the acoustics of the space, are an interesting interior design element.
In any case, reading can be encouraged among students by offering them a relaxing area in which to pick up a book. Including the style of the students on the walls or shelves is a fantastic way not only to involve them in decorating a space dedicated to them, but also to ask them to reflect on what they have read. Having students draw their favorite scene from a story or write a review for other students to read before choosing their next book helps them better understand the text and express their own feelings about it.
Reading is a wonderful passion that makes our imagination grow, no matter how old we are.