Teaching Genres in the Elementary Library

One of my favorite topics to teach in the elementary library is genres. I start in 3rd grade and continue through 5th grade. Something magical happens when students discover that there’s a type of book they truly love.

Teaching students about genres is important for many reasons. Reading a variety of books helps build reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. For example, a student reading a Science Fiction book is engaging with a very different type of story than a student reading a Mystery. Both genres are fantastic, but they require different thought processes—and exploring multiple genres helps students grow as readers.

I typically teach six fiction genres and two nonfiction genres. The fiction genres I focus on are Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, and Traditional Literature. The nonfiction genres are Biography and Informational. Teaching these eight genres allows me to cover the variety of books we have in our school library while helping students realize there are so many options beyond what their friends are reading. If students only read what their friends are reading, they miss out on discovering a genre that truly sparks their interest.

To introduce genres, I’ve tried a couple of approaches over the years. One method is pulling a book from each genre and showing it to students. We discuss what makes each book fit its genre. More recently, I’ve used a PowerPoint that includes a book image along with a short description. This works well for grades 3 and up and ensures every student can clearly see the material.

Class discussion is a big part of the process. I often ask students to think of another book that fits the genre or to imagine what a title in that genre might be. It’s always fun to see their creativity shine through!

One activity I use every year is a sorting activity. It gets students up and moving while keeping them engaged. Here’s what one of my sorting activities looks like—I cut everything out ahead of time so it’s ready to go.

Creativity time is another favorite part of my library. I love integrating it wherever I can. When we’re learning about genres, I have students think of a book they’ve read and identify its genre. Then we break out the colored pencils, markers, or crayons, and they recreate the book cover. Students absolutely love the chance to be creative!

Genre Extension Ideas

To help students explore genres even further, try these fun activities:

• Book Recommendation Wall: Have students recommend books in each genre and create a “Genre Wall” in the library. This gives students ownership and encourages peer reading.
• Genre Scavenger Hunt: Challenge students to find books in different genres around the library. They can check them off a simple sheet as they go.
• Genre Journals: Students keep a small journal where they write the title of a book they’ve read and note which genre it belongs to and why.
• Genre Writing Challenge: After learning about genres, have students write a short story or book idea in one of the genres. This helps them understand genre conventions firsthand.

What are some ways you’ve taught genres in your library? Do you have an activity that works especially well? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Don’t have time to prep a genre lesson? Take a look at my week-long genre lesson plan, complete with a no-prep PowerPoint and worksheets!