Completed:Help! I'm The Word Finder. What does This Mean?
"I teach 4th grade in a city school which is in a needs improvement status with NCLB. We are making excellent progress, and work very hard to meet the needs of all our students. We have a diverse population of students.
I am a firm believer in literature, and using really good books to "hook" studen...
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"I teach 4th grade in a city school which is in a needs improvement status with NCLB. We are making excellent progress, and work very hard to meet the needs of all our students. We have a diverse population of students.
I am a firm believer in literature, and using really good books to "hook" students. I have great success in this area with Andrew Clements books, and literature circles. Literature circles give students opportunities to practice summarizing, questioning, choosing interesting passages, choosing and defining words, making connections and illustrating. The most important part of literature circles is group discussion.
One problem is, Andrew Clement's books are so good, my students wear them out, take them home to read, and sometimes lose them. Another problem is a shortage of dictionaries. I have also noticed that dictionary skills are an area of weakness for my students. Part of the problem is not having enough dictionaries to use.
Year after year I hear the students say, "Wow, that was a great book. What book are we reading next?" This is music to a teacher's ears. I need to keep a good supply of Andrew Clements' books for my students.
Your help will ensure that my students continue reading, and continue loving to read. If you have any doubts, get a copy of "Frindle" or "The School Story", or any other book by Andrew Clements. I promise you'll be hooked too!
See Mrs. V.'s class participating in this project!
(Enlarge photos)
Jul 12, 2009
Dear Debra,
I am eternally grateful for your generous donation to my classroom. The dictionaries are being used daily, and are extremely helpful. Students use the dictionaries during grammar activities, and during preparation for literature circles. Having dictionaries available encourages students to look up unknown, more difficult words, and share the meanings of these words in writing, and orally with others. My student's dictionary skills are improving due to the availability of this resource.
Our school and district have very limited funds, especially during this time of current economic difficulties. Without your help, these resources would not be available. I smile each time I see a student reach for a dictionary from the shelf. I witness the joy of learning each time I see a student lost with curiosity and intensity with their nose buried in a dictionary. Thank you for contributing to this joy.
Your kind donation will be a well-used resource for years to come in my classroom.
With gratitude, Mrs. V.
Mrs. V. sent this note after the project was fully funded:
Apr 29, 2009
Dear Debra,
Thank you donor for your generous consideration of our learning! Thanks to your donation, my students will be able to increase their word knowledge and understanding as they look up words in our new dictionaries! We are excited to have this resource to make our work with literature circles even more meaningful. One of the roles in literature circles is "The Word Finder". This student finds difficult, new or interesting words in an assigned chapter, looks up the words in a dictionary, then shares both the dictionary definition as well as the context definition of the word. I only have a few old dictionaries in my room, and have been needing new ones for several years. My sincere thanks for your donation!
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Shelia S. (volunteer)
on Apr 18, 2009
Verified the cost of the requested books and posted this project.
Ryan G. (associate)
on Apr 19, 2009
A donor
gave
on Apr 28, 2009
"The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation gave to this
project because we want you to join us in improving educational
opportunities in Manchester schools."
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Shelia S. (volunteer)
on Apr 18, 2009
