My students in our low-income, rural community are fun-loving, sweet, yet some of them struggle with engagement, especially when it involves traditional subjects or conventional approaches to education.
My students of wildly differing abilities thrive when they can collaborate on engaging activities, especially when I provide a teen-friendly environment for them to explore!
They love to laugh and move and think together, especially when I can show them the joy in learning academic subjects! School may not always be their natural, primary focus, but they are bright, confident, caring and excited to try new endeavors, especially when I can connect literacy to their lives in the real world. What can I say? I love them!
My Project
Through a collaboration with our wonderful library staff, my classes spend one hour per week reading independently for pleasure. We have increased our circulation by over 200% and kids who were reluctant to read on their own report that they are enjoying the process.
To support the growth of independent reading in my classroom, I need more variety of books on my shelves: popular series and books that represent diverse genres.
Students want to read in my room now. We have met that important goal. Now, we need to put the right books in their hands to support independent reading for pleasure: the cornerstone of healthy literacy.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Dieckmann and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
