I have a classroom full of 7- and 8-year olds who are very different from each other in many ways, but most of them have one thing in common: they enjoy the adventure of a good story. Many of my students have a hard time staying focused and that may not be surprising to hear considering the high-tech world we live in; but as soon as I crack open the cover of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or a beautifully illustrated picture book, I have 34 eyes and ears ready to get lost in a good book once again. Not all of my students have access to books at home, not all of them had the privilege of being read to from infancy, but all of them are willing to continue to develop their love of reading with me and for that, I am grateful.
My Project
Book Talks are a method of instruction designed to pique students' interest in a specific book so they can't wait to get their hands on it and read. A book talk is similar to a movie trailer in that the teacher presents the book, shares highlights and a short summary, and then chooses a lucky reader. For example, I will read a book, such as Winn Dixie, by Kate Dicamillo, ahead of time. Then, I will show the book to my students, and tell them some of my favorite parts of the book. Finally, I will choose a student who will get to read it. When they're done reading it, they can return it to a box where other children can find it and read it as well. The goal is to get students interested in a wide variety of excellent books.
As I described earlier, my students love to listen to me read.
We have read some wonderful books together, and it has been a joy to read to them, but many of them struggle to stay focused while reading on their own.
The books I've requested are all award-winning and recently published. I chose a diverse collection to represent the diversity in my classroom. These are books that are sure to capture their attention and keep them focused. Thank you for your consideration!
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 Mrs. Kazemzadeh and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
