This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I teach English to 6th-8th graders in a special education classroom. Our students are reading 3-6 years behind grade level, and our library cannot serve our lowest level readers. Our students have dreams of going to college but do not yet have the tools necessary to make these dreams a reality.
I work in a high-needs middle school in Washington DC.
Students with the most challenging learning disabilities are served in our self-contained special education program. I provide the instruction for English Language Arts in this program. All of my students are African American and on free-and-reduced lunch. The majority of my students have specific learning disabilities related to reading and written expression, although I do serve some students with intellectual disabilities and other health impairments including attention deficit hyperactive disorder. My students have a variety of interests, opinions, dreams, and ambitions. They want to be successful in school and life and make their parents proud, however they face significant academic, social, and behavioral challenges every single day that make achieving these goals very difficult.
My Project
Our students desperately need books on their level for independent reading time. Many of our students lives are chaotic and providing them with engaging books for quiet reading time will provide the structure and peace they crave. Research shows that sustained independent reading with a book on students' levels dramatically improves their reading level. Reading is the fundamental building block of success in all other facets of learning. If our students continue to read 3-6 years behind grade level, they will enter high school significantly under-prepared. It is our duty to provide students with the time and materials to read independently every day.
If we can move our students two years in reading growth over the course of the school year, they will be closer to catching up with their peers and being able to access the opportunities afforded to grade-level readers.
Providing appropriate texts for independent reading will build confidence in reading and cultivate a love for reading in our most vulnerable and struggling learners. I will do whatever it takes to put books in the hands of kids and give them the support they need to grow.
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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 Ms. K. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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