I am currently a first grade teacher in an at-risk school in NC. It is a small rural school where many of the children have very limited opportunities for people to read to them at home. Many of my students have parents that have low literacy skills with which to help their children.
I have designed homework book bags for my students to take home and use. These book bags have proved to be a very useful tool in developing knowledge and interest in my students for various subjects. Each book bag is centered on a particular theme and contains various books - both fiction and non-fiction - on each particular theme, as well as activities and games.
I would love to create more book bags now that I have seen their tremendous success, but am lacking funds to do this. Not only have these book bags engaged my students, but they have had the amazing secondary effect of interesting the parents of these children in their schoolwork. For many of my students, this is the first time their parents have been involved in their activities at school. In this newest book bag, I would like to have a Fisher Price Touch Reading system with some story books to allow students to read books either on their own or with a parent that cannot read well themselves. It always helps to have a buddy to read with, so I would like to include a stuffed buddy for them to share their reading with if parents are unavailable.
The great thing about this idea is that it will benefit not only my current class but future classes as well. This will also help those parents with poor reading skills to help their children work on their reading at home if they so desire.
I glow with excitement at the sight of these beginning readers as they discover literature. I want so desperately to continue this initial joy into later success in school and who knows maybe even break this cycle of illiteracy that is rampant in this area.
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