Growing Independent Readers One Step at a Time

I teach in a community where the families have very high needs. My school has served as a solid foundation within this community for many years. I teach all subjects in a self-contained 3rd grade classroom.

There are many students at my school who have astounding potential. Unfortunately for some, this potential does not always get realized. This year, my school is participating in a program that will facilitate the growth of our teachers. The expectation is that our growth will lead to great things from our students. One specific area that I am focusing on is independence and literacy. I have been working daily with my students on building stamina and appreciation to read. As part of my work, I have taught children how to choose books that are of interest to them. These books are then put into their personal "book bags" to be implemented during our daily literacy block. Despite teaching 3rd grade, I have several students who are reading 1-2 years below grade level. Even so, these children still need and want exposure to literacy. This is why I would like to have the additional cassette players. Students will be able to independently choose books of their interest and listen to them, even if they can't read all of the words on their own.

So far, I had purchased gallon-sized Ziploc bags and put each child's name on them for the children to use. They work well on a short-term basis, but they do tear easily. Also, they tend to limit the size and number of books that the students can include. The students actually asked our school's Literacy Teacher if she could help buy them book bags because they really like the idea of having their own "personal stock" of books that they have chosen based on interests and reading levels. I believe that if they were able to get the book bags, it would continue to help them gain pride in choosing books. I have a listening center in my classroom that works well for several students listening to one story. Along with teaching children how to read to themselves for sustained periods of time, I am also going to demonstrate how listening to stories can be effective. This is why I would love to have individual cassette players. The children LOVE to listen to stories on tape/CD. One of the choices that I plan on giving students during our literacy block is the option to listen to stories. This will be especially beneficial to struggling readers.

Any help would be so incredibly appreciated by the students and myself. It will not only give them pride in their reading abilities (no matter what level), it will also provide options for helping them gain more exposure to literacy. Thank you in advance for any consideration.