I teach at a school where many students are from a low socio-economic background and many are English learners or have special needs. These are students who have not always had consistent access to books and reading outside of school. Supporting them as readers is important as it will help them as learners in all subjects.
They are passionate and happy kids who love to be active and involved in their own learning.
My number one goal as a teacher is to make sure that all students feel welcomed, cared about, and capable of learning and growing. Students realize that they matter and can succeed both in my classroom and as they move forward through school and life.
My Project
Reading instruction is primarily taught in kindergarten through second grade. After this, instruction switches from learning to read to reading to learn. Students now use reading to learn about other subjects, or analyze an author's writing. Some students fell behind in learning to read. Some are learning English as a second language, some struggle with learning difficulties, and some have problems outside of school. All now find that school is hard or not fun because they cannot access the content if they are not at grade level in reading. These kids continue to fall further and further behind in all subjects if they do not catch up in reading.
Study after study has shown that the best way to improve reading is to read more.
However, these students are often reluctant readers as it has been so hard for them. Many of my students who struggle with reading, though, have found a passion for graphic novels. The pictures allow them to understand the text. And the continued practice in reading helps them build their skills as readers. It allows them to connect with books in a way that they might not have found in strictly text based novels.
I would like help in purchasing more graphic novels for our classroom library. The more books students have access to that are accessible for them, the more they will read, and the more they read, the more they can improve in subjects across the board.
Anything you can give to help students find a passion for reading is appreciated!
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