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
California is facing unprecedented budget cuts, especially in education. Our library is poorly stocked & students have difficulty finding books that interest them. I have a small collection of books that I regularly lend to students & try my best to encourage this by explaining a particular book.
Our school is in a poor neighborhood.
Many of my students have parents who work two jobs & are rarely home to encourage them to read or do their homework. Our students face many challenges, including gangs, violence, & poverty. I am amazed by my students' perseverance & resilience. I want to prepare as many of them for college & the future as I can & I believe better reading skills would help a great deal.
I had one Senior student who said he "never finished a book" because he "didn't like any of them." He was the first student I had to read my copy of City of Bones & loved it. He read all 5 books in the series & said he was inspired to find more books like that. By graduation, he had finished another 2 books & encouraged my other students to read them as well.
My Project
I have witnessed how difficult it is to inspire students to begin the habit of regular reading because they traditionally say that they "never read." I know that nothing will better prepare my students for college than a habit of reading every single day & to see that there are many different types of books for them to read.
Giving my students the chance to read from books they choose & that I can personally recommend increases their chances of becoming regular readers & regular readers have a far greater chance of future success. Reading increases vocabulary, improves grammar, & students are more likely to have buy-in with the school. These books are the gateway to literature & eventually college level skills.
Having engaging books is important for my students now & it is only the beginning.
I have seen many students begin by reading books they like & later it opens the door other possible books to read. These books will have a large impact on the students I have now & for many more in the years to come. I have a very meager amount of personal books to lend students, but I regularly hear students asking for other books I don't have.
Nearly all 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. Carrie Wan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
