If you walked into my 3rd grade French dual language classroom, you would find the bright and curious faces of 26 students who come from anglophone and francophone homes. These 8 year-olds are eager to learn about the world around them in both English and French.
My students are voracious readers who love nothing more than to settle down with a good book in either English or French.
They are excited not only to learn to read, but also to read to learn. It is a pure joy to witness them develop the reading skills that will help them become life-long learners in two languages.
My Project
This year, I will be teaching my students all of the subject areas in English and French. In the past, I was partnered with another teacher who provided English instruction in a different classroom.
This programmatic change from a side-by-side dual language class to a self-contained one means that I will need more English reading materials in my own classroom.
These books will allow me to build a more robust classroom library, including a diverse collection of texts that I can read aloud to the class for instructional purposes. I envision creating a lending library where my students will find books that excite and engage them. They will read these books independently in school and will also be able to take them home to continue reading at night.
Finally, I have looked for titles that support my school's commitment to Culturally Responsive - Sustaining Education (CR-SE). After all, the stories in our books serve as both "mirrors" and "windows" to human experience. My students should have books that act as "mirrors" to their own lives, validating their experiences and identities. However, they should also read books that act as "windows," providing them with opportunities to walk in someone else's shoes, so that they can develop multiple perspectives and a greater sense of empathy towards those who may be different from 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 Ms. Rotella and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
