"One more time, guys, please close your independent reading books or else I will...all right...all right, you can have five more minutes."
The best part of being an English teacher is watching your students fall in love with reading. Please help inspire that love in my classroom!
My ninth graders are entering high school for the first time, and are receiving many mixed messages about what it means to be "cool" and to "fit in".
I'd like to immerse my students in an environment where being intelligent and a good reader is valued and "cool". This is a challenge because many students enter as struggling or reluctant readers who read below grade level. A few have been voraciously reading all summer, some still hold that spark from that one book they secretly enjoyed in their eighth grade class, and some have yet to experience the immense joy that comes from reading an amazing book.
Most of my students receive free or reduced price lunch and do not have money to buy books they are interested in. Also, my school does not have a library from which they can take out books.
My Project
I'm looking to build a classroom library so I can implement an independent reading project that works! I'm requesting books that span many reading levels and genres that suit my students' individual interests and reading levels.
I will be utilizing GoodReads.com (a social media site for books) where students will be held accountable for reading, while sharing their excitement about their books. I've had a ton of success with this in the past, especially with reluctant, disengaged readers. This activity allows students to practice good reading techniques that they can take with them into other subject areas and their lives, while participating in an engaging social media activity.
Most importantly, this classroom library will offer my students a choice. Students are much more likely to view reading as a priority when they have some ownership in the reading process.
Research shows that, if done right, independent reading improves comprehension and builds vocabulary, fluency, and background.
It is my responsibility to provide my students with ample opportunities to build these crucial skills and raise reading levels. This classroom library will foster a culture that values intelligence and inspires a lifetime love of reading.
I sincerely appreciate any donation you can give! Thank you so much for your support.
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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. A. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.