My students need current, engaging, texts that match their various reading levels, so they can meet the state standard of 25 books read independently this year.
When was the last time you curled up with a great book and lost yourself in the story? This is a luxury no young adult can afford to go without. Building a love for reading, and consequently writing, is paramount in my classroom.
Many teachers may tell this tall tale, but I really do teach the best students in New York City!
I have 3 classes of 8th graders that are reading through all of what they call "the good books" in my library faster than I would've ever imagined! They have exhausted my meager classroom selection and are hungry for more. Our school's selection is outdated and this project will keep my avid readers going while simultaneously encouraging my more reluctant readers to pick up a new, high interest, current text. Many of my students are only able to visit the public library when I take them and I can't give up instructional time often enough to keep them reading at all times. Please help me give them what they want, need and deserve!
My Project
From vampires to b-ballers and everything in between, these texts will engage students with a vast array of interests.
Students in my classroom read for 10-15 minutes in class each day, for an entire 45 minute period once each week and for 30 minutes each night as homework. This is all in preparation for the intense demands high school will place on their reading stamina.
Students also respond to their independent reading weekly through Reader's Journals, where they answer prompts that ask about their texts to further understanding in plot, character, theme and many other critical literary understandings.
These assignments can only be effective when they students are actively engaged in their texts outside of my classroom. For struggling readers, this requires an array of interesting books to choose from, especially series that can pique their interest and create a desire to move right on to the next book as soon as they finish.
Rigorous new reading and writing standards, developed to create a level playing field among schools across the nation, are rooted in the research that for students to be able to read and write at grade level, they MUST be constantly engaged in texts both in the classroom as well as outside school.
These high interest texts will be sure to keep my students involved in the activities needed to ensure they are ready for high school in just 8 short months!
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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. Baffoni and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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