Can you imagine your teacher asking you to read books that you can "really read," but not having that type of text available to you in your classroom? That is a problem my kindergarten students face everyday. My students need text on their level, but that type of text is limited in our classroom.
I work in a kindergarten classroom in a public school with great diversity.
I teach students who are ELL, students with learning disabilities, and typically developing students. My district has implemented a new curriculum. Because we are not an at-risk school, we do not receive Title I or any other funds to purchase materials needed for the curriculum. This means that any teaching materials we need in the classroom are not likely to be purchased by the school district; and in the end, the teachers donate their own money to purchase these materials.
My students are lively and eager to learn. When I bring out a new text to share with them, their eyes light up. They enjoy showing me all the new things they are learning about reading and language and they are little sponges! As a teacher, I struggle finding text that is appropriate and on my students' level as my district requires that I teach a certain curriculum and in a special style, but doesn't provide materials from which I can teach.
My Project
My students will use the big books and leveled readers I am requesting every single day. The big books will be used by myself and my students to teach concepts about print and reading behaviors including comprehension skills. The leveled readers will be in my students' book bags and used daily as they strive to work to become on- and above-level readers. Research shows that readers improve their reading skills by reading from text that is predictable and on their reading level daily. If books are in the classroom for them to practice their reading skills, they will be able to meet state and national standards set forth by our Common Core Guidelines. This will certainly lead to continued success in school for my students. We need these leveled texts in our classroom for the success of these little readers!
Your support of this project will give my kindergarten students the chance they need to be successful.
It will ultimately give them the books they need and allow them to have a true love of learning. It will give them access to building a firm foundation in literacy that will be built upon as they travel through their school career.
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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 Mrs. Durrett and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.