The cost of 24 different hardcover books (including Stellaluna, The Story of Johnny Appleseed, and How To Eat Fried Worms) from Amazon.com is $475, 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>.
I am an English as a Second Language teacher at a rural PreK-5 elementary school in North Carolina. At Malpass Corner Elementary School I work with students whose first language is not English. All of my students are Hispanic and first learned to speak Spanish or Mixteco. English is sometimes their third language! We have a year-round ESL population of about 50-55.
From March to the end of school we enroll an additional 25-30 migrant students whose families come to pick strawberries, blue-berries and tomatoes. Many of our students return to us each year from Florida (Plant City, Dover, Homestead). Some of my students are new arrivals from Mexico, usually the Oaxaca area.
I have a wonderful problem! My kids love to read in English and have slowly worked their way through my limited classroom library. Each nine weeks a point goal is set for each student depending on their reading level. After reading a book, the student takes a test on the computer. They receive a "Good Time Ticket" with each passing score and can "shop" for a reward or save it up for a larger prize.
Most of my students are very shy and, even though they walk right through the school library to reach my room, they seem more comfortable browsing through my smaller classroom library where they can ask questions about the book. I think they are less intimidated and less overwhelmed by the choices.
My wish and hope is to receive the wonderful books on my wish list. The books will help to foster a curiosity about the world beyond our rural community. These selections will assist in raising their reading level and develop strong readers who are also well-spoken. I hope a love of learning will keep them in school so that their future is brighter and less difficult than that of their hardworking parents.
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