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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Cozzocrea from Clayton, NC is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Cozzocrea is requesting

Reading Olympics

My students need award incentives to motivate them to reach higher reading levels.

  • $183 goal

This project expired on May 19, 2012.

This project expired on May 19, 2012.

Classroom photo
Ms. Cozzocrea West Clayton Elementary School
Clayton, NC Grades 3-5

My Students

Faster, Higher, Stronger. That is the Olympic motto. I want my special needs students to become faster, stronger readers - to reach higher and higher levels of reading. The Reading Olympics will be a great way to motivate my students to go above and beyond in their efforts to do this.

Many of my students struggled to develop their reading skills for years before they came to me.

Even though many of them are very bright, they frequently don't feel very bright, because of their past reading difficulties. The reading process involves essentially two things: decoding and constructing meaning from what was decoded. When students put a great deal of effort into decoding, they have difficulty constructing meaning from what they’ve read. I can teach my students how to decode, but there is not enough time in the day for me to get their fluency where it needs to be, so that they can be reading on grade level. My students need continued practice over time, so that decoding becomes effortless, and they are better able to comprehend what they read. The Reading Olympics helps to motivate my students to practice reading when they are not with me. They will be motivated by the desire to receive an invitation to the awards ceremony and receive a medal.

My Project

In the Reading Olympics, everyone can win a medal! I will set individual goals for students that are attainable, if the children work hard to reach them. I explain to the children that athletes have to practice and practice and practice if they want to win an Olympic medal. Likewise, they need to practice hard if they want to receive a medal in the Reading Olympics. I will send home study materials each week to facilitate the training process. I will monitor student progress each week, and I will have charts on the bulletin board, so that students can understand how close they are to achieving their goals. Children who have met their goals by the deadline set will be invited to an awards banquet. Administrators, guidance counselors, parents/guardians, and teachers will also invited to the ceremony. Great effort will be put forth to make the ceremony a formal affair. I'll use cloth tablecloths with flowers for centerpieces, and I will play the Olympic theme song as I present the medals.

Sixty percent of prison inmates are illiterate and 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems.

Approximately 40% of high school graduates lack the literacy skills employers seek. Many of my students could be headed in this direction. I want to do everything I can to improve the literacy skills of my students to ensure that they become productive, fulfilled members of society. As TaoTe Ching said, "Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts."

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than half of students from low‑income households

Never Before Funded 30 students impacted
Ms. Cozzocrea West Clayton Elementary School Grades 3-5

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Clayton, NC View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

Never Before Funded 30 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
MEDALS.VALUE.READING..BRONZE.VM258B • School Specialty Inc. $0.99 54 $53.46
MEDALS.RECOGNITION.NECK RIBBON..STARS & STRIPES.HR8 • School Specialty Inc. $0.88 54 $47.52

Materials cost

$100.98

Vendor shipping charges

 $10.10

Sales tax

 $7.88

3rd party payment processing fee

$1.51

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$155.47

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$27.44

Total project goal

$182.91

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

Project Activity
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Cozzocrea and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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