I teach at a rural Title 1 school. My classroom consists of 20-25 third grade students. The majority of my students live below the poverty level and receive free breakfast and lunch. Many of my students come from single family homes or are being raised by grandparents.
Even with these hardships, you couldn't find a more persistent group of students.
They strive every day to learn and push themselves. Their parents work with them at home tirelessly, so they can get the education they need to accomplish their desires.
My Project
I feel it is important to make sure that I am meeting the reading needs of students on their level. I want below-grade level, on-grade level, and above grade level students to grow in their reading ability.
I want my above grade level readers to grow in their ability as much as my below-grade level students.
To this end, I use chapter books in my classroom. One of my favorite chapter book to use is "The Pinballs" because it uses great figurative language and supports inferencing skills. It also creates impactful discussion where I am only the facilitator of their learning.
I have been using the same copies of "The Pinballs" for the past ten years. The binding glue has dried out causing pages to fall out. The covers are being held with massive amounts of tape and packing tape is holding individual pages together. I want a new set of books, so that I can continue to use this book effectively in my classroom.
I also want to add titles of other Betsy Byars books to my classroom library. I find that once students finish reading books by an author they like, that they want to read more titles by the same author. I want to make sure I have the resources to give them that opportunity.
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. Navarre and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.