My students are 6th graders in a 5th-7th grade middle school in central Massachusetts. They are lovable and kind, curious and wise, and hilarious and strange. I teach Language Arts, so we focus largely on reading, writing, and public speaking skills in my classes.
I want my students to become engaged, thoughtful citizens, and I want them to read and absorb everything around them.
The students I see in front of me each year have so much potential. Most of my students have a phenomenal ability to absorb knowledge and to try new things. I want to give them the best opportunity to learn.
My Project
I have spent a significant amount of time this year researching the importance of independent reading. In a developing and changing world that requires students to graduate with complex comprehension and processing skills, I want to be able to provide my students with texts that will challenge and inspire them.
I want to build my classroom library.
In gathering the titles here, I consulted the American Library Association, Scholastic, and The New York Times Best Sellers list. I also did research regarding the best graphic novels for middle grades, as many of my struggling readers will be more likely to pick up a graphic novel.
My ultimate goal is to provide my students with a multitude of texts so that they can not only see themselves in the books they read, but so they may also experience texts that deal with the past, the future, complex issues, and people who may look, act, speak, or be different from them. A book can be a mirror, a window, and a door.
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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. Lahey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.