My students are active learners and want to be recognized for who they are and not limited by their learning disabilities. Most students have some form of learning disability in reading with an average reading level of 3-5 grade. They are active in the school culture, most are integrated into general education classes such as social studies and science.
Reading is an important activity that they frequently miss out on.
Some students are embarrassed by their disability and don't want others to know they are on an IEP. But when they have a book they can relate to and one they are able to read independently, they have a sense of accomplishment.
My Project
I want to begin the new school year with the intent of helping students recognize their own uniqueness and the uniqueness of others around them. I want students to reach beyond themselves and recognize they can make a difference starting in the classroom and extending into the school. I want students to develop skills in communication as they discuss the various points of view in the text. I want students to develop skills in basic reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and written expression.
Students will be able to read independently and in small groups about an individual who struggles to be accepted and seen as just another student.
This story is not too far removed from the lives of most high school students. It is a story that is filled with emotion and has the readers cheering and at times in tears for the characters. They can still remember what it was like to be in 5th grade and can identify with the roles of the characters. Most students will be able to read this independently. Each week the class will focus on one of the precepts presented in the text. They will be asked to compare and contrast the characters in the story and their own responses. I want my students to recognize they can make a difference.
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