Eric Smith said, “When kids grow up not seeing themselves in books they grow up feeling like they don’t matter”.
There is no other time in a student’s life that belonging matters more to them than in middle school.
Students should not only be able to have access to current material that engages their mind and challenges their critical thinking, but they should also have access to the worlds created around characters like themselves.
The importance of the effective use of a well-stocked classroom library is well documented. Research shows that students in classrooms with high-quality classroom libraries read 50 percent more than students who do not have access to a library in the classroom (Booksource, 2003; Hunter, 1999). But what good is a well-stocked classroom library if students don't want to read what is on the shelves? My student body consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, family units and identities. In order to make the reading experience relevant and meaningful to them, it is my mission to get books onto our shelves that reflect the students reading them. Creating an atmosphere that invites reading, and putting the right books into their hands is paramount.
My Project
These materials, books and shelving, will enhance my students exposure to meaningful, engaging, and diverse literature in which they can identify with the characters, and provide a space that invites them to sit and read. There are so many instances within education in which students are provided with specific material that is required for practicing their skills. But, I find the best way to reach the heart of students is by offering them as much choice in their learning as possible.
The best way to offer choice to students is to build and foster an environment that emphasizes the value of reading-reading for pleasure.
Purposeful planning within my classroom that allows time for students to have dedicated time for pleasure/choice reading every single day is one way that I can begin to build such an environment for my students. The next step to build this environment is to be able to offer students a selection of material that will spark their interest and plants the seeds needed to become a life-long reader. The best problem a teacher can have is when a student refuses to put down a good book!
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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. Nixon and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.