Frederick Douglass once said, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." I will teach all of my students to read this year so that they can be forever free. Leveled guided reading books and highlighter tape will help all of my students to meet and surpass their end of year goals.
My students live in a high-poverty area of the Bronx.
All of them qualify for free lunch. While the situation they were born into is dire, my students work hard each day to achieve their goals. They are zesty and come to school eager to learn. They sing songs like "Read, Baby, Read" which reminds them of the importance of learning how to and loving reading.
My kindergarten students are the Yale University class of 2029. They are active learners. At the ages of four and five, they are already questioning each other's ideas and stating their opinions by using evidence. They raise their hands to advocate for their learning. They explain when they are confused and volunteer to help a friend. My students are already lovers of learning. With your help, they will have the resources to help them meet their goals for this year and beyond.
My Project
I am requesting leveled books for my students. Most of my kindergarten students started the year off as emergent readers. The end of year goal for my students is to read and comprehend at a level D. I have requested level A through E books. While the end of year goal is a D, my personal goal is for all of my students to read at a level E so that they are set up for success in first grade. I am asking for three additional sets of each of the levels so that at least four of my students can read a book at the same time. This will allow my students to discuss what they are reading with a friend. All of my students will be using the library at school and they will also be able to borrow these books to read at home.
I have also requested the highlighter tape so that students can "highlight" sight words and chunks of words within their leveled books. By identifying sight words and chunks of words, my students will become fluent readers.
When you donate to this project you will be helping the Yale University class of 2029 meet their reading goals.
Guided reading books are essential to teaching children how to read. My students, many of whom do not have books at home, will also be able to borrow books from their classroom library to read with their parents. This donation will also be used in my future kindergarten classrooms. Thank you for helping my current and future students be "free forever."
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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. Torres and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.