Have you ever started reading a book series and enjoyed it so much that you literally couldn't put it down? My students do not like to read. They find it difficult and a chore. These reluctant readers are far behind their peers and are at risk for not graduating due to their low reading scores.
My students are 11th graders who are currently not on track to graduate.
They have not yet passed the reading portion of the FCAT. Most have just given up and become resigned to the fact that they not only don't like to read, but they can't. At some point in their schooling, we lost them. Besides not graduating (which is bad enough), they are going to become adults who don't read.
Reading is such a fundamental skill for success in school and in life. Their struggles affect them every day, in every class. They also do not experience how wonderful and therapeutic reading can be. It is such a shame that they do not experience this mental outlet.
My Project
I am hoping to inspire my students (especially the boys, they are more "reluctant" than the girls) to become addicted to reading. I want them to get that feeling of reading a series that you just can't put down. The series is appealing to both girls and boys. It is exciting and impossible to stop reading once you get started. It is also approachable for them as the reading level is not too difficult for them to handle. We are reading a similar book in class (Divergent) and they are hooked. I plan to use the momentum from that to convince them to read other young adult dystopian fiction series on their own.
With 5 copies of the series circulating, we will be able to form an informal book club within the class. The students can discuss and debate the book, and benefit from a passionate reading community. I have started this with another book series and it is catching on. There is an excitement in the air as students are surprised to find that they actually like to read.
The students who I "hook" will walk away from my class with a greater willingness to read.
They will see that maybe they just need to find the right book. Eventually, they will be open to more types of books as their reading ability strengthens. The only way to become a better reader is to read, and most of my students never read anything outside of school. By reading this series, they will learn to love reading and hopefully improve their FCAT reading scores.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Morton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
