My students are incoming 9th graders who have been identified as dropout risks. Our school is in a rural working-class area, and the majority of these students have faced financial and personal hardships outside of the classroom. In addition, they have fallen behind academically and will begin their high school careers at a disadvantage. Many of them view the classroom as a place of frustration and failure.
My students are avid readers, open-minded explorers, and confident and successful learners--they just don't know it yet!
These students have lacked the educational experiences needed to build self-confidence and to encourage learning. In spite of this, they all have a desire to succeed and overcome setbacks they've faced thus far.
My Project
Students have told me that they dislike reading because it's "boring" and they can't relate to the stories, characters, etc. They look at reading as a chore because they've always been told what to read and have never been given CHOICES. I want to change these negative attitudes by giving students access to books they'll enjoy and actually want to read! Therefore, I chose titles from lists of "highly recommended reads" compiled by former students.
A classroom library will give my students the freedom to choose books that will not only complement their interests, but also expand their knowledge.
Students will be able to broaden their vocabularies and improve their analytical thinking skills while reading about topics that interest them.
We all know the MANY benefits of reading, and when students enjoy reading, they do it more often! Exchanging books and ideas will foster a sense of belonging and responsibility. These books will allow students to set and accomplish reading goals, participate in discussions, explore ideas through writing, and read independently at their own pace.
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. Scully and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
