Reading for pleasure is something students rarely do. Many students often read because they are told to. That is why I want to develop a "Reading for Pleasure" class. In this class, we will do simply that, read for pleasure. No tests, no homework, just read and discuss.
I am a Special Needs teacher with a class consisting of 12 autistic and intellectually impaired students in grades 6-8.
Because we are in a middle school, most of our school's book selection is at grade level, which tends to be much to high for my students. I am in need of book collections that will appeal to my students, but are not too difficult that they become frustrated or overwhelmed with the reading.
My Project
I have decided to start off with the book "Blubber" by Judy Bloom which deals with bullying, a concept that my students are unfortunately all too familiar with, and "The Twits" by Roald Dahl which is more of a comical mystery. I am requesting 14 copies of each book. All reading will be guided by the teacher for fluency purposes, but discussed by the students which will also help them to socialize appropriately with each other.
Reading is such an important part of daily life.
Because students with special needs often struggle with reading and comprehension, I feel as though this type of relaxed environment will provide an opportunity to at least become a bit more comfortable with the concept, exposing them to curriculum without the added pressure of homework and tests.
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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