Teaching Genre in the Library

These resources and activities will help you when teaching genre in the library.

Who else loves to teach genre to your students? Teaching different types of genres opens the door to lifelong reading. It’s about helping our students pick up books that ignite curiosity. It also shows our students the worlds that exist beyond their own. Understanding genres also connects to writing, helping our students move past the traditional narrative and explore creative possibilities.

What is a Genre?

Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a genre? A genre is a category that helps us group books (or any type of story) based on similar themes, settings, or styles. It guides them to books they’ll love based on what they’re in the mood for. Whether it’s a suspenseful mystery, an adventure, or a heartwarming tale of friendship, genres help us organize stories and make it easier for our students to explore new favorites.

In the library, genres go beyond fiction. Nonfiction is a genre, too! We can use genres to help our students understand the structure of a story or the purpose of a book. A historical fiction novel, for example, blends history with storytelling. A biography focuses on someone’s real-life experiences. By learning what genres are and how they work, our students gain the tools to appreciate books on a deeper level.

The Importance of Genre

Task cards are a great tool to use when teaching genre in the library.

We want our students to fall in love with books of all kinds, not just stick to their favorites like Fly Guy or Mo Willems (even though we love those too). Younger readers often get into the habit of reading only one author or series, which is totally understandable. What happens when their interests change as they grow older? Sometimes, they feel lost, unsure of what to read next. Reluctant readers face an even tougher challenge since they don’t always know what they like, making reading feel like a chore.

That’s why teaching genre throughout elementary school is such a game-changer. As librarians, we have the opportunity to introduce our students to a wide array of genres. This doesn’t just benefit their reading habits. It also helps us determine what books to add to our library collections!

We want our students to feel confident identifying genres and exploring new ones. Don’t forget to shine a spotlight on nonfiction. It’s often misunderstood as “boring,” but there are so many incredible nonfiction books out there just waiting to grab their attention! Share a fascinating nonfiction read, and you might just hear, “Where can I find more books like this?” That moment is pure magic.

How to Teach Genre 

Teaching genre doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Below is how I’ve structured it in my library.

1. Start With an Introduction

Introduce students to different types of books with this presentation for slides or PowerPoint.

I created a Genre PowerPoint Introduction as a visual aid for my students. I love using this as a whole-class activity to kick off our exploration of different types of reading genres. The presentation starts with slides explaining each genre, giving my students a solid foundation. As we explore each genre, l love to show them books from our library shelves as examples. We talk about each book and why it fits that genre.

After that, there are nine review slides where we read book descriptions and determine the genre. Each passage is followed by an answer slide to discuss and reflect together to make it even more interactive.

2. Engage With Activities

Next, it’s time to dive into fun, hands-on activities to help my students apply what they’ve learned. My students love the resources below!

Reading Genre Task Cards

My Reading Genres Task Cards are perfect for small group work or independent practice. Each task card features a short passage along with a multiple-choice question. My students read the passage and identify which genre it represents. An answer sheet and a recording sheet are included to make the activity even more effective, making it easy to check their understanding and track progress.

Reading Genre Print and Digital Breakout

The Reading Genres Breakout is an engaging way to test our students’ knowledge while keeping them excited about learning. The activity includes three challenges that build on each other to reinforce genre understanding:

  • Challenge 1: Our students solve a crossword puzzle by reading the definitions of genres and filling in the corresponding genre names. It’s a great way to review key terms while adding a fun, problem-solving twist.
  • Challenge 2: Then, they take a five-question multiple-choice quiz to assess their understanding of the material. This step encourages them to think critically about what they’ve learned.
  • Challenge 3: They end by examining nine book covers and deciding which genre each book belongs to. This visual activity helps them connect what they’ve learned about genres to real-world examples, solidifying their understanding.

The breakout is perfect for small groups or individual work, and it’s always a hit with my students. If you are looking to weave in some technology or in a 1:1 school, there’s also a digital reading genre breakout. Both options get our students learning while having fun, which is exactly what we want in the library!

These resources are great to use when teaching genre in the library.

3. Keep Genres in Focus All Year

Once our students understand genres, it’s essential to weave this knowledge into their everyday library experience. One way to do this is by asking simple, intentional questions like, “What genre is this book?” or “Why do you think this story fits this genre?” These quick conversations encourage our students to make connections between the stories they read and the genres they’ve learned about.

It’s also important to introduce the idea that some books can fit into multiple genres. A book can be both a historical fiction story and an adventure tale. Pointing out these overlaps can help our students to broaden their understanding of how genres work.

4. Genre Puzzles

Help students match genres with descriptions using these engaging puzzles.

Genre Puzzles are one of my favorite tools for reviewing and practicing genre knowledge with my students. This fun activity is perfect for keeping them engaged while reinforcing what they’ve learned. Each puzzle is made up of three pieces: the genre name, a definition of the genre, and a matching picture that helps illustrate the concept. It helps them better retain the information by making connections between all three pieces.

I use these as a center activity, a small group task, or even during independent work time. My students enjoy the hands-on nature of matching the pieces. It’s learning disguised as fun, which is always a win in my book!

5. Track Genre Exploration

Tracking genre exploration is such a fun and effective way to help our students see their progress and reflect on all the amazing books they’ve encountered throughout the year. One idea I love is creating a posted checklist for each grade level that highlights the genres we’ve read in the library. This way, my students can visually track their exploration and feel a sense of accomplishment as the list grows. It also sparks conversations about what they’ve enjoyed and which genres they might want to explore next.

To take it a step further, consider collaborating with classroom teachers. If your school uses reading logs, you could introduce a genre reading log! Instead of just listing the books your students have read, they can categorize them by genre. This simple addition encourages them to think about their reading choices and pushes them to branch out into genres they might not have tried before.

This kind of tracking builds excitement and creates a sense of pride and ownership over their reading journey. Plus, it’s a wonderful way to show our students how diverse their reading experiences can be when they step outside their comfort zone.

6. Host a Book Tasting

When teaching genres, you can host a "book tasting" int he library to introduce students to different types of books.

A book tasting is one of my favorite ways to get my students excited about reading and exploring new genres. Think of it as a mini “restaurant” experience where the books are the menu items. Students get to sample a variety of titles they might not normally choose on their own. It’s such a fun way to expose them to different genres and introduce books that may not circulate often in your library or classroom. If you want to save paper, you can also create the same experience with a digital Book Tasting.

To host an engaging book tasting, I like to set the scene with posters and placemats at each table and use a reservation form to assign seating. This gives the event a special touch, making my students feel like they’re attending something unique.

For older students, I use a book tasting menu designed as a trifold brochure. It’s perfect for my fourth and fifth graders to jot down their thoughts about the books they sample. They can reflect on each title, think about which genres they’re drawn to, and even decide what they might want to read next.

For my younger students, I provide a mini-book menu instead. They can write their thoughts about the books inside and then staple the pages together to create their very own book tasting keepsake.

Expose Your Students to Different Genres

Teaching genre to your students is such a rewarding experience. It sparks their excitement for reading and gives them the tools to explore, analyze, and connect with books on a deeper level. By introducing genres, you’re opening doors to creativity in their reading journey. Whether through book tastings, puzzles, or interactive activities, you’ll be building their confidence and helping them discover a lifelong love of books.

I’d love to hear how you teach genre in your library or classroom! If you try these ideas, don’t forget to share your experiences in our Facebook group, Staying Cool in the Library Educator Community. It’s always inspiring to connect with fellow teachers and librarians and share what’s working in our spaces. Let’s keep growing and learning together!

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Remember to save this post to your favorite librarian Pinterest board for quick access to these genre ideas and activities!

Looking for some interactive and engaging ways to teach genre in the library? With these resources, you will be able to host a "book tasting", have students practice identifying genres using task cards and more!

Keeping Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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