Ms. DeMonte’s Classroom Edit display name

About my class

Academic success hinges on being able to read well. In a foundational study in the area of education, Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988) found that the best predictor of a child’s reading achievement was time spent reading. However, when a child reads a text in which they are struggling to make meaning, that time spent is essentially voided. My students who are learning English or who are in our reading intervention classes need books that meet them where they are. This grant will help the library meet these students' needs. Recent work at the Teachers College at Columbia University suggests that students need to read 70 minutes a day across their day--at school and at home--everyday for five weeks in order to advance one level in reading comprehension. This means we need to make a lot of books accessible to kids. With hard work and access, it is possible to imagine that a student can grow seven reading levels in a school year--that's more than two entire grade levels. These books will help our most in-need learners feel successful as readers, and in turn, successful in school. They will also be the mirrors to their experience that keep them engaged with reading. Ivey and Johnston (2013) found that access to a wide variety of relevant titles improved students' attitudes toward reading. These selections will give students choice, help them build autonomy in their reading lives, and increase their chances for future success.