Out With the Old and In With the New--Dictionaries That Is!
My students need access to six dictionaries that are not from 1974! Students need to be able to look up spelling and definitions of words in order to be successful writers.
I teach 6th grade English/Language Arts. As Robert Frost said;
"Life is tons of discipline. Your first discipline is your vocabulary; then your grammar and your punctuation."
In order to acquire a decent vocabulary, students need access to materials containing the information they need.
Our school is made up of a mix of socioeconomic families.
The majority of our families are below the poverty level, while others are just barely middle class. Even though many of our students enjoy being outside, hunting, and four-wheeling, most of my students have yet to leave the county outside of rare field trips. A lack of exposure has led these students to have a limited knowledge of the world and a limited vocabulary. They tend to be fluent readers of texts, but not in reading and understanding formal writing.
My Project
I teach a varied mix of students. I have gifted and talented students, learning disabled students, average students, and everything in between. No matter what level a student is, a dictionary is a great resource. Students use dictionaries almost daily in my classroom. They use them to look up new vocabulary words, correct spellings, parts of speech, and the real meanings of words they use out of context!
The majority of the dictionaries in my classroom are old, as in they are from 1974.
I have several dollar pocket dictionaries, but they have a limited number of words and the small print tends to really frustrate the students. Students need to have current materials available. Especially things like dictionaries. My students have been overjoyed by past donations. Knowing people care about them, really encourages them to use the donated items and take great care of them!
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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. Burns and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
