My middle school is in a diverse, high-poverty, urban area in Durham, NC. We have an economically, racially, linguistically, and culturally-diverse group of middle school students. We are a Title I school, with over 80% of our students participating in free and reduced lunch. Our ESL program serves over 100 English Language Learners (ELLs) from all over the world.
Hailing from the Americas, East Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, our students often express their desire for interesting books, in English they can understand.
However, they are intimidated by material that requires English fluency to appreciate, or put off by books that are geared towards young children. We want to provide interesting, accessible, and relevant literature to our middle schoolers, in the pursuit of building their reading skills and fostering their love for reading.
My Project
Much available literature for ELLs is in the form of young children’s books, short stories, or simplified news articles, including most online content. These materials are certainly useful, but hardly suffice for the type of literature that will keep middle school learners coming back for more.
Saddleback Publishing is one of a few companies that provides high-interest literature at a variety of reading levels, and caters to a wide range of age groups.
These books will provide thematically interesting and age-appropriate reading for my middle schoolers. As we build their comfort and ability in reading English, we will use these books for independent reading time, conversation, and individual reflection. The books' themes, rich images and accessible language will make reading a joy for our students!
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