This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
- Frederick Douglass.
My students are on the brink of being able to forever free themselves. All it they need is that ONE book, that ONE experience reading, to transport them from their minds' constraints.
The students who enter my classroom year after year are on the threshold of discovering the world around them.
They come from the poorest of circumstances in our county. They live with their families in single rooms within shared households. At times, they walk the neighborhoods with their mothers, in order to make sure they aren't making any noise in these houses. At eight years old, they often hold the position of the "family translator." They are usually exposed to life's unfairness early, yet kept underexposed to the vast world that is theirs to explore. They come to school everyday knowing that they are safe, there is food for them, and there are adults to care for them. But, what they are only just beginning to discover is that there is SO much more for them at school. There is the potential to discover themselves and begin to determine their own course!
My Project
The library in our classroom is a hodge-podge of book titles, levels, and wear. Each day, when the students participate in our Daily 5 routine (20 minutes of reading to self, 20 minutes of reading with a partner, etc.), they approach their book boxes with a certain amount of resign. For their boxes are not filled with treasure for their burgeoning imaginations, but with remnants and discards. Thus, without adequate titles at appropriate levels, their reading development stalls along with their desire. With the infusion of titles that this donation would bring to our library the students would be able to READ! They could hopefully find a series that suited their tastes and fall in love with not only the story, but the act of reading as well. These books will give them a choice, depth, and breadth of titles to explore.
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.
Love of books is the best of all."
- Jacqueline Kennedy.
The lives of the students who enter my classroom are so very small. It is my hope that with the implementation of this project their lives will expend beyond imagination. Through learning to read, and hopefully falling in love with books, my students will begin to see themselves in the world around them. They will begin to trust, participate, and explore.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Bailey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
