Ever see books that have been so well loved and reread so often that they are barely held together with layers of tape and staples? Those books in my classroom library are from the Froggy series by Jonathan London.
I teach at a diverse, low socioeconomic school.
I will be welcoming a new group of second graders in August 2013. I have been at this school for fourteen years. Many students ask to "check out" classroom library books to take home to read because they have no books at home. The students are always eager to learn and appreciative of the classroom experiences and materials. That is how our paperback Froggy books have lasted for fourteen years!
My Project
Froggy is such a second-grader! The kids relate to him and his woes as well as his boundless enthusiasm for everything. The predictability of the story elements is a huge draw for kids--you know there's always going to be a "Froggggggggyyyyyyy!!" and some kind of interesting noise that goes on.
Students learn new vocabulary and practice their fluency as they read and reread the Froggy books. But we tie it in other curriculum areas as well. When learning about measurement, we connect it to the lengths of frog leaps. When learning about weather, students explore forecasts from around the world and dress Froggy appropriately. A stuffed toy frog is our class mascot. The frog travels home with a student each day who writes about his/her adventures with Froggy. The toy frog has also traveled with teachers and students' families to Mexico, Thailand, and the Winter Olympics! All of these experiences and more are sparked by the Froggy series.
I know the Froggy books will be read and treasured by my new class and by future classes.
At an opening district session for teachers last year, high school students spoke of their most memorable teachers. I was honored by one of my former students who mentioned the Froggy books and frog decorations in her second grade class! We will be creating memories and classroom experiences for the new second graders with a set of new Froggy books. Let's get hopping!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. Park and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.