My students need 90 books to read during our Best Book Buddies meetings with our first grade friends. These books will help us develop skills as we forge new friendships.
$511 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
In first and second grade reading is often a group or partner affair. Students will at times be paired with a stronger reader, who can help them navigate an unfamiliar text. Our project, Best Book Buddies, will pair first and second graders that will meet weekly to enjoy classic children's books.
My students are resourceful and resilient.
Many of them live well below the poverty line. Some live in shelters. My students are urban and international. Our school is in an industrial side of town, in a city in CT that struggles to fund its school system. About half of my students speak another language at home although only about 20% qualify for ELL services. Our school is large and serves about 1000 students. We pride ourselves in our close knit community that often rallies to support each other during the tough times. Though our school community has faced all manner of hardship and more than our share of tragedy, our students are amazingly talented and hardworking. My students need exposure to high quality children's literature to read and share with their peers.
My Project
These books will be used to kick off the second month of our cooperative First/Second Grade Best Book Buddies club. This project will begin in September and end in June, with the club meeting twice a week to read and discuss and respond to the material. Frog and Toad are Friends, is a classroom favorite that is suitable to both grades, and Mouse Tales, is a natural follow up. The first book will help the students explore themes of character and friendship as they partner read. The students will compare the books and work with their partner to collaborate on a response. The students in both classes will be given the book at the end of the lesson to keep and practice with at home. Mouse Tales will be used by both teachers during a guided reading extension activity. In addition to strengthening their literacy skills, my students and the students of my cooperating teacher will improve their cooperative and communication skills.
The enjoyment of classic children's literature is crucial to a child's early classroom experience.
Cooperative skills are crucial to success in life. Our hope for Best Book Buddies, is to create partnerships in learning, and establish a lifelong appreciation of reading. Learning to read can be a daunting enterprise for students that are economically disadvantaged. Providing them with a good book and a good friend to help, could go a very long way toward closing the literacy gap.
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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 Mrs. Coyne and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
