The cost of Ready-To-Go Classroom Library, Grade 2 from Scholastic Teacher Store is $1259, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
When I was in elementary school, my teacher, Mrs. Smith, would often tell us, “A life without books is like living in a house without windows.” Many years have passed since then, and these days I find myself saying the same thing to my own students. The difference between now and then, however, is that there's a lot more at stake for our children today.
Nine-year-olds in low-income areas are three grade levels behind their peers in higher income areas. Fast-forward and these students are seven times less likely to graduate from college.
I am a 3rd grade teacher in one of these low-income communities. I teach at PS/MS 194, which is located in the South Bronx. We are an upstart school aggressively trying to close this achievement gap. On the literacy front, my colleagues and I are working relentlessly to make our third graders serious contenders among the nation's top students.
Our goal is to advance each student two full grade levels in reading.
To achieve this goal, our classrooms need books that reflect our students' current reading level. Most of our incoming students are reading at a level equivalent to the end of 2nd grade. Unfortunately, the majority of our books are at levels equivalent to the end of 3rd grade/beginning of 4th grade. In order to move our students forward, it is vital that they read books on their current level. These books will ease their transition into more challenging books that they are expected to read by next spring.
This is where we need your help. Scholastic Books sells a “Ready-To-Go Classroom Library,” consisting of 300 popular children's books that would be perfect for our students. If obtained, these books would be shared across the entire third grade team, which serves approximately 125-135 students. Having this library would provide our eager readers the opportunity to immerse themselves in literature, which is a powerful method for increasing fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The books in this “Ready-To-Go Library” would be used everyday in our reading block (65 minutes). During this time, students will write journal responses about what they have read. In addition to these responses, students will be encouraged to use post-it notes to mark their reactions to the text without actually writing in the book. They will also work on reading projects based on the books that they have read. Such projects include book reports, book reviews and advertisements, mock interviews with the main character, dioramas, plays based on the book, and diary entries where students pretend to be the main character. All of these activities promote critical thinking and comprehension, which will prepare them for their promotional reading exam this year.
Your impact here will be widespread and immediate. You will be enriching the lives of our third graders, and helping us foster the love of reading in our children. With all sincerity, thank you for considering our proposal.
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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 Mr. C. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.