The cost of a desk and classroom encylopedia for this proposal is $233, 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 a 5th grade reading teacher at KIPP Infinity Charter School in Harlem, New York. We are a unique school. Our students commute from the South Bronx, Washington Heights and Harlem to be part of a school that believes that by working hard and being nice they can succeed in the nation's top high schools and colleges. Our students and families have committed to hours from 730 to 6 daily and every other Saturday.
I teach the students how to be good readers. A strategy that I try to teach throughout the year is: good readers (when they come across a subject that they don't know very well in their book) go and build their knowledge about that subject area, so they can understand their book better.
For example, I am reading Death of Vishnu. This book takes place in Bombay and has ties to Hinduism. I need to learn more about Bombay and Hinduism to really understand this book.
While this strategy is CRUCIAL to build STRONG readers, we don't have the tools for the students to go out and build their prior knowledge.
The BEST resource is an encyclopedia. Everyone remembers using encyclopedias growing up from creating reports on Washington State History to Tazmanian Devils. Unfortunately, our students don't have this wonderful resource because encyclopedias aren't inexpensive.
If you could purchase our school a set of encyclopedias, we could use it for years to come. I don't believe that encyclopedias go out of date- you can find information on Washington State and Tazmanian Devils from a 2005 encyclopedia to a 2015 encyclopedia.
If you also purchase this encyclopedia the students will have the tools to really build their prior knowledge individually, based on the subject area of their books.
Thank you so much for your help and support.
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