Reaching Diverse Students Through Diverse Literature
Help me give my students books in which they see themselves. We need books that are either about children from different backgrounds and races or are written by authors who represent diverse cultures.
We have approximately 900 students in grades 6-8 in my school who represent different races and backgrounds. Many struggle with reading, and a third of our student population have parents who do not speak English in their homes.
These children want to learn and to prosper academically, but they need resources at school to achieve success.
For many, the only access they have to books is at school. They are unable to get to the public library so the school library is vital for them to thrive academically.
My Project
Reading is fundamental for academic success, therefore educators and parents expect our children to use their school library to find books to read. In today's world, though, books are competing with electronic devices, video games, etc. Time is also limited. Most students have hectic schedules after school in which they are expected to babysit younger siblings or are involved in extracurricular activities. Because of these constraints, school libraries must provide interesting, engaging books to ensure that reading is a priority for our students.
To motivate students to read, we must furnish literature that speaks to our children, which is why my library collection needs more diverse books.
Humans gravitate to ideas and people like themselves. Books are no different.
The titles I am requesting in this grant are diverse and many of these stories mirror the lives of our students. Our student population is multi-cultural. Our students come from different backgrounds and places. They want to relate to the stories they read. These types of engaging books are vital for academic success because if students can't relate to a book they won't want to read. We must provide the incentive through our school library offerings. Students who read, succeed.
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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. Myers and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
