Help me give my students books with a diverse range of characters and a strong, sturdy cart to help to keep the texts organized, long-lasting and easily accessible.
Mary Ellen Chase put it best when she said this; "There is no substitute for books in the life of a child." The students in this building are a beautifully diverse population of learners who crave high-interest books to accompany their reading curriculum.
This school is truly a community of acceptance that gives me hope about the types of people we are releasing into this ever-changing world.
The exciting and high-quality teaching that these children receive each and every day could be enhanced by increasing the book options that they have. Important literacy work is best accomplished by students who are fully engaged in the perfect books for the work that each individual needs to do to move forward.
Student engagement is the ultimate goal of high-quality instruction, and it is easier to excite students with the texts that they need to grow as individual learners.
My Project
In this day and age, books are not always the most exciting thing that a child can turn to for entertainment. Educators have an enormous responsibility to engage children in reading, and it is not an easy task! In addition, children need to feel that they are represented in the books in their hands. The characters should share similar personality traits, culture, or experiences to the reader in order to be considered a GREAT book that is relatable, and is more likely to become a "page-turner."
Ezra Highland points this out: "When you have children in school and the literature doesn’t look like them, it doesn’t sound like them, it does not deal with their issues, you’re pushing them out rather than inviting them in." The stories that we make available to engage children in the practices of a high-quality book club must be strategically picked as options to match the interests and background of the children in front of you.
Great books may be the strongest tool to turn a child into a lifelong reader!
High-quality books are important for ALL children, but particularly for those learners that require extra scaffolding to be successful. Children are much more likely to do the important work of a thorough reader when the books feel relatable. Children who are learning English as a second language will benefit from the images in the graphic novels chosen as well as bilingual picture books. Engagement in a text is a key factor in lighting a fire of excitement in a reluctant reader! Some of these novels feature a variety of diverse characters and social issues, while others are graphic novels that help to change the mindset of those children who do not think that reading is fun.
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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. Breen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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