My wonderful and deserving students do not have a classroom library that could help nurture a love for reading that is beginning to grow inside of them. I teach 4th grade in a specific program called the LEAP program. I have twelve students who have all been retained for at least two years before coming into my classroom where we will be attempting to complete 4th and 5th grade curriculum in one year so my students can begin to catch up to their peers. My students are at high-risk for dropping out of school even at the young ages of 11 and 12, and therefore I am doing all I can to inspire my children to love learning, reading, and to believe in themselves. Six out of twelve of my students are documented as having special needs which adds to their potential risk for dropping out of school. My students desperately need your help!
As a first year teacher, I am presented with a large problem of not having a classroom library as a resource to offer my students. I am desperately trying to acquire books, but my students still do not have an area of the classroom where they can go to relax and enjoy Independent Reading. In the nice weather, we have attempted to go outside to read, but the long transitions take away from our learning time and the weather will soon be getting colder. My students need a place where they can go that is special and exciting to them and is a unique component of our classroom.
I need help acquiring materials to begin a classroom library. I would like to start with two large bookcases and two bean bag chairs. The two bookcases would give me a place to organize and collect my growing collection of books. This way students will be able to easily and quickly browse books and pick out one of interest to them. The bean bag chairs would serve as a comfortable place for a few students to sit while they independently read. Although I hope to acquire more chairs in the future, this would give me a start for this comfortable and cozy area of my classroom.
Your help with this project will make it possible for my students to have a place inside their own classroom where they can pick out a book and quietly and comfortably read. My classroom is where my students will spend the majority of their time for the next nine months and I feel that it is my responsibility to make this a warm, comfortable, cozy, and exciting place for them so that they can feel free and comfortable to learn as much as possible. You will make a difference in the lives of these students who are in desperate need of support to catch up to their peers in school.
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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 Mrs. Drake and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.