My students attend a high poverty urban public high school that consists of grades 9-12. The student population is approximately 99% African-American. The majority of students read below grade level. Many students lack basic literacy skills due to the lack of exposure to literature in the home and in the classroom and due to the lack of real-world experiences outside of their community. To them, reading is a boring, frustrating, unnecessary experience. There is a small number of students who are above grade level in their reading, and there is a fairly consistent group who come to the library to check out books. Several students have asked why we have been unable to have a book club this school year, so there are some who are interested in the experiences books can provide them.
About my class
My students attend a high poverty urban public high school that consists of grades 9-12. The student population is approximately 99% African-American. The majority of students read below grade level. Many students lack basic literacy skills due to the lack of exposure to literature in the home and in the classroom and due to the lack of real-world experiences outside of their community. To them, reading is a boring, frustrating, unnecessary experience. There is a small number of students who are above grade level in their reading, and there is a fairly consistent group who come to the library to check out books. Several students have asked why we have been unable to have a book club this school year, so there are some who are interested in the experiences books can provide them.