Here in Coney Island my students run the gamut from loving to read to not interested in reading anything at all.
All of my students are hungry to experience the world and when students find books that they can relate to - they devour them.
Their eyes light up when they learn something new and their foreheads crinkle when they become curious about a topic or want to know how something works. There are few things more exciting than watching students get this feeling from reading.
We are a title I middle school serving grades 6-8 where all students receive free lunch. Students are proud of the progress that they make daily in becoming better versions of themselves and look forward to contributing great things to society at large.
My Project
You know that moment when you are reading and the world around you melts away? That feeling that you are one with the characters in the book. You know them. You are them. That is the feeling that this project is about.
Once students are introduced to the possibilities of the world by seeing themselves in the books that they read, they will go on to live in and create a world where they not only feel the right to exist but do so while soaring.
We are creating a ProjectLit Book club here in Coney Island where students can read books like Children of Blood and Bone and Ghost, which feature characters that look and sound like them. As some of our students love reading on the floor (I remember reading under the desk when I was in 5th grade!) we will use floor desks to help them stay comfortable.
This will be more than reading books and discussing them. Students will have the opportunity to read books with their parents and other community members, creating that community feel for the love of reading. Students will also create a section in our new school online magazine in which they complete book reviews, interview each other and adults, as well as begin to write their own stories.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Ms. Spears and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
