Working as an English Language Development teacher at two middle schools, I serve a diverse group of learners whose stories have opened my mind to what it means to be immersed in two worlds.
Middle school is trying for all learners, but for many, the challenges of the classroom pale in comparison to the challenges they face as refugees, immigrants, and sometimes at home.
Despite this, they come to school each day ready to learn. My students deserve every opportunity that comes their way.
My Project
I work with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English Language Learners who are reading at Kindergarten-5th grade reading levels. Many of these students are forced to choose from an extremely limited selection of children's books in one corner of our library.
The books on this list are age appropriate, high interest, low-level reading books.
Rightfully, many of the students in my classes are embarrassed to be reading the children's books our library provides. The books on this list are books that students will be proud to read. I've found many graphic novels with characters in middle school that appear to be chapter books, but are at a lower Lexile. These books are perfect for secondary language learners. I've also found several bilingual books that I know my Spanish speakers will be so excited to see.
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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. Marsh and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.