My students need books that will help them bridge the gap between their literacy skills in their first language and the skills we are trying to develop in English.
How can we make the transition to Western education easier for refugee and immigrant students? How can we tap into their extensive background knowledge to help them be successful in high school? How can we get them materials that are appropriate for their English level while recognizing that their needs are unique?
Many of my students do not have the resources to show what they bring to the table.
They are high school students, and my current students are from places like Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Vietnam, Puerto Rico, and many other places, and though there are some who are literate in their first language, we have few resources to further develop their literacy skills and transfer other skills into English and the Western education system, or to build the kind of background knowledge they need to be successful in their other high school classes. All of my students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and they bring very few material possessions with them when they arrive in Minnesota. Most of our classrooms do not have any budgets to speak of.
My Project
While we have access to simple early readers, my students are moving beyond that because they have worked so hard this year, and they have already read the books we have multiple times. The materials I have chosen for this project are as age-appropriate as they can be while still remaining accessible for my students' English level, and will help them build the background knowledge they need to be successful in their mainstream high school courses. My students read and conference with me on a daily basis and are trying to learn as quickly and efficiently as they can in order to reach grade level.
Your donation will allow dozens of low-income students to benefit from reading materials that are age-appropriate and that match their level.
This project may even help me implement a home reading program so that my students can grow even faster. My students' eyes light up when I borrow even a small box of books from another teacher, and I can't imagine how happy they will be when they get even more books in their hands.
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. Carley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
