I have had the pleasure of working with amazing first grade students who truly have a love for reading! My students enjoy picking books that they know are just right for them based on their reading levels. They know that these books will not make them frustrated, and help to build them into confident and independent readers. Most of my students come from low-income families and are on free or reduced lunch plans. These students are not always able to have a variety of books available to them at home, especially ones that are leveled just right for them. Unfortunately I am unable to afford the book bins needed to organize these books for my class. My students and I would truly appreciate book bins so that they are able to easily find books from their just-right reading level!
My Project
I recently took over a first grade class at the end of the year from a teacher that was moving. After coming back to the classroom after about 11 years of being a stay-at-home mom, I have had to borrow a lot of items from other teachers. I was able to acquire a nice size classroom library, but unfortunately have no way to keep them and sort them by reading levels for my students.
These students did not have many books in the classroom before I took over, and have been so excited about having books to read!
They also love that they can find their own reading level and have a variety of books to read themselves (thanks to my borrowed bins.) I also want my future students to have the opportunity to choose a just right book for them to help keep their reading frustration down. Having my own class sets of book bins will allow al of my students to become confident, independent readers.
I also use table book bins at each student table so that they can read once they have finished work. These table bins are rotated frequently, giving my students a new set of books to enjoy.
Lastly, since most of my students come from low-income families and are on free/reduced lunch, I understand that they may not have the opportunity to have a variety of books at home for them. This is why I send just-right leveled books home with them on a weekly basis to practice at home and share with their families. The book buddy storage bags will help to transport those leveled readers to and from school with students.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Maggie and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
