Battle of the Books (Reading Program)

My Students

"Read a child a book, they will love it for the moment; teach them to read, they will love and live it for a lifetime". Our students are scheduled weekly to visit the Library. Their favorite activity is reading selected books; write the review, present the review, and class ask questions about book.

Elementary Grades K-6.

Approx. 85% of students enrolled since kinder. This is a Charter School (no tuition, located in an inner city neighborhood. The overall concept behind creating our school was to provide a safe environment for students that are not considered at risk kids. The school operates on the premises of school, parents and community working together as one entity. We provide for the needs of the whole child. Our students understand the importance of exemplifying good character. The students are excited about learning and most of all, they love to read. Their reading interest includes a variety of fiction, nonfiction, biography, foreign language and dictionaries. They actually checkout dictionaries. The overall challenge is to create activities that will keep them motivated and excited about reading. We have only one computer in the Library (used for circulation and administrative work)therefore, all activities are "hands on the books", which the students really love.

My Project

I am requesting forty-four books. The change in the lives of our students will be immediate and life long. Their lives will be changed through the improvement of their social, intellectual and public speaking skills. This reading program will serve as an additional avenue to improve their comprehension and writing skills. It will teach them the art of working together as a team and improve their competitive spirit in a positive manner. By participating in the program, they will have to think through the process of creating, planning and implementing their teams'strategy. The reading activity is "Battle of the Books. Students will form teams of four,for each grade level.The teams will strategize among themselves on the best plan to read the 44 books. The teams meet weekly to practice and review what they have learned. Students are required to finish a written book review and 10 questions per book,to prepare for the "verbal" Grand Battle in May held in front of the staff & student body.

Most of our students do not travel outside of their immediate neighborhood; do not have the opportunity to visit book stores or have computers in their homes.

By having the books available in the Library, we will have a greater participation. The parents will bypass the embarrassment of explaining that they can not afford to buy the required books. The parents will allow their children to compete. The opportunity is open to a greater student audience by having the books readily available to all.