Reading Corner with a "Worldly" Flair!

I love having a reading corner in my classroom. The students love to lay/sit in there when they write, edit, read, and do partner work. I actually wish my whole classroom could be this comfy! I get my best work done when I am laying on my couch...so I bet my students would get great work done if they were comfortable!

My reading corner, of course, HAS to match my classroom theme of pink, navy, and teal. However, I wanted there to be a 'worldly' flair to it because I find geography SO important. Fifth graders don't have a very good grasp on our "world" unless they have traveled with their families. I am super excited about the new items I got from Oriental Trading this Summer because I feel like they really helped me add geography to my reading corner! 

The students favorite part about the reading corner is the globe! I have more than just one, in fact, each student has one! They are inexpensive and accurate! I feel like other globes I have found that are inexpensive do not have the most accurate-looking continents, or they are not labels. These globes have so many countries and continents labeled, as well as the lines of longitude and latitude. The kids love to sit in the reading corner in the morning and afternoon when we have a few minutes of free time and look at the globe. They like to name countries and challenge their friends to "find it". Little do they know...they are learning! 

I happen to LOVE the pillows they sell at Oriental Trading. They have SO many colors and sizes. These pillows are also SUPER durable! I always have pillows that rip...and I don't know how to sew! In the past, I have sent pillows home with students and their moms have offered to sew them for me! Haha! Now, I don't have to do that! These pillows are so durable and super soft! The stuffing also keeps its shape so well... the photo above was taken after 5 weeks of school! 

The pencils I keep in my classroom are also "worldly" !! They have the many flags from around the world on them. The kids love to search around and figure out which flags they know and which they don't. When they don't know a flag, they have to research it! :) They are so curious! 

I love the items I received from Oriental Trading, and I am going to keep going back to their store for more! The kids have taken to their items even more than I had hoped! I actually see them improving their knowledge on the countries and continents they find on the globe! It is really helping them understand the "idea" of the shape and size of our world, as well as the location of many continents. They are not as abstract of thoughts anymore...the kids "get it" now! :) 

“This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of charge by the company or PR agency and I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation was received for this review.”