"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it."
- William Arthur Ward
My students attend a very diverse middle school in Southern California.
This multicultural setting is comprised of students that come from many backgrounds and speak dozens of different languages. After the release of our school's most recent stellar testing scores, it's even more important to continue with the upward trend of our student body. We have enthusiastic students who want to learn, but the right variety of resources to keep learning interesting and engaging. We have started the year reading shorter works of literature and participating in a Reader's Workshop program that allows students to read and journal appropriate novels individually. Now it is time to begin reading novels together, participating in literature circles and reader's theater to better our reading comprehension, critical thinking, and communication/discussion skills. All combined, reading together and independently, engaging in all types of literature helps develop students' love of reading.
My Project
This project is requesting a high-interest, grade and reading level appropriate novel that students will read during our English class time for literature circles to encourage discussion and writing. The novel, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths, provides not just opportunity for students to meet the above concepts but to integrate the grade level study of history and meet the Common Core standards.
Research shows that reading is the best way to strengthen all skills, including writing and improved vocabulary. Reading quality examples of the written word helps promote the quality of writing. This project is important because many of our students come to us with either ambivalence or animosity towards reading, through reading quality literature in class there is a chance to turn this around. The goal of challenging students with a variety of quality literature is to provide them with opportunities to love reading.
Creating a desire to read helps inspire students with a desire to learn.
It is of utmost importance to make our students recognize the value of reading. By allowing them to read interesting, approachable texts, their reading and literacy skills will improve! Ideally as they move through high school, their reading ability will allow them to read complex college level texts, as well as further thought-provoking concepts and ideas on their own.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Stealey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
