Engaging Books for Reluctant Readers

My Students

At my school, seventh grade is the first year of middle school. It is an exciting time for most students, but for some, especially those who struggle with reading, it can be scary and discouraging. My goal is to help my struggling readers develop the literacy skills they need to flourish.

I am a seventh grade language arts teacher in Washington County, Oregon.

This year, I am teaching classes for struggling readers. My students are not yet reading at grade level and need extra support to catch up to their peers. My goal is that all of my students will read grade-level texts independently by the end of the year. In order to achieve this goal, they will need access to a wide variety of engaging and challenging books. My school is a diverse place. Many of my students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and many of them speak a language other than English at home. For these reasons, it is all the more important that they have access to a rich classroom library and can read books that reflect their interests, abilities, and life experiences. Many of my students are reluctant readers – they have not discovered books that spark their interest –– yet. However, as seventh graders, they are still excited about learning and ready to engage with the right book.

My Project

I am requesting more than 70 new, engaging novels to enrich my classroom library. These novels cover a range of genres including science fiction / fantasy, sports, graphic novels, and novels that reflect the diverse cultural backgrounds of my students. These novels also reflect a range of reading levels, which will make it possible for all of my students to find books that engage and challenge them. Research shows that what below-level readers need most is reading practice. With my newly enriched classroom library, students will be able to find engaging books at the right reading level for them. The time they spend in class reading these books will help students build confidence and a positive attitude toward reading, and, most importantly, hone their reading skills. Ultimately, students will use these books to develop their reading comprehension skills, build their vocabularies, and prepare them to tackle challenging, grade-level texts in all subject areas at school.

My students are ready to become engaged, independent readers; they just need support and good books.

Donations to this project will help create the kind of classroom library that my students need and deserve to flourish as readers. These novels will help spark my students’ love of reading and build literacy skills that they can use in other subject areas and into eighth grade, high school, and beyond.