I loved the idea of committing to reading students a picture book everyday. I was a literacy coach at the time and knew the minute I got back in the classroom I wanted to do this.
BUT
It's kind of a big commitment. It is a very simple display, but finding or taking the pictures, uploading them, printing them, sizing them, laminating them so you can use them again . . . . Next thing you know, it's been six weeks, and you haven't updated it.
Then a lightbulb went off, and I realized an iPhone app I'd been using for documents called CamScanner was the answer. (PS-if you are buying a house, this app will save your sanity. Trust me.)
Here are the boards from 2018-19:
**First half of the year**
**Second half of the year**
In about 20 seconds, you can have a beautiful image ready to go. It's super simple:
1. Take the picture.
2. Adjust the corners if necessary, and tap the checkmark.
3. Tap the checkmark to accept the enhancements (I usually do lighten because classroom lighting is awful). You can adjust the image, but it does a nice job on it's own.
4. If you want to take more pictures, tap Add. If not, tap more.
5. Select To Album to save the images.
6. It's now on your camera roll!
After that, I used the Walgreens app. I usually take about 5-6 pictures at a time, and send them to Walgreens via the app while I'm walking to my car in the afternoon. After two years, they know me pretty well.
**Walgreens almost always has a photo coupon for 30-40% off, so I would hold out if there isn't a current one. Because my pictures were 40% off, they ended up being less than a quarter each including tax.**
**Heads up on ordering your pictures-the proportions of the book don't always fall in the 4x6 or 4x4 range. The app will choose the best size for your image, but you may want to adjust how it's cropped in the app. If you're super Type-A, you can resize the way you like in your camera app before uploading.
It sounds like a lot of steps, but I PROMISE you, I can do 10 books, start to finish, in 3 minutes or less.
I hope you'll embrace A Book a Day and make that experience visible by displaying all of those beautiful books!