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.
There is nothing more magical than watching a student discover the amazing worlds and ideas that await them in an exciting and enjoyable book.
As a 10th grade English teacher in a low-income urban community one of my many missions to support my students’ development as life-long readers so that they will have the reading skills and abilities to not only get into college but to thrive in college.
In my district students are expected to read twenty books a year. However, many students struggle to meet this goal because they do not have easy access to engaging books, or are not even sure which books to pick up because they have never correlated their everyday interests with reading. When students are introduced to books they like, they are more likely to read and try new books. This not only adds to their enjoyment of reading, but also increases their reading ability and confidence, which is crucial for their understanding of the types of texts they will encounter in college and beyond.
My Project
One of the cornerstones of my class is teaching students to use a metacognitive process while reading, where students analyze their own reading process. In order to get my students thinking about reading, I have them write reflective journals and discuss their reading with others. However, none of this is really possible until a student has a book that is engaging. Students who engaged in reading quickly develop complex metacognitive skills. This ideal result leads to both higher reading levels and stronger writing skills as students develop the thinking that will help them engage with and understand the rich texts they will encounter both in higher grades and college.
The other amazing thing about infusing my class with engaging new titles is that students see that books are not static artifacts from the past, but dynamic opportunities for enjoyment and learning.
Through books students discover the joy of reading, and along the way become stronger thinkers. This is what your gift of the highly engaging books will contribute to all the students who come through my classroom now and for many years to come.
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 Ms. Levey-Pabst and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
