My Title I school is tucked into a neighborhood. All of the students receive free breakfast and lunch as well as a third meal at the end of the school day. Our students are excited to come to school to learn and interact with their friends. As the reading specialist for my school, I interact with each and every student throughout the week. We love to share and discuss books with one another.
From kindergarten through fifth grade, my students are growing their love of reading on a daily basis.
Students often stop to share with me what they are currently reading. They will stop me in the hall to ask if I have another copy of a book they saw a friend reading. They will thank me for providing new and exciting books for their teachers to read aloud. Students in various grade levels will talk and laugh about books we have read as a school. My students' increasing love of books is growing a culture of literacy in our building.
My Project
Each semester I choose a 5th grade class to participate in a pen pal project with a children's literature class at a local university. Each 5th grader is paired with a college student to write back and forth once a week. The goal of the project is to engage the students in authentic discussions about reading and writing. Through this project, the children's lit professor and I have discovered that the journal also serves as an emotional outlet for some students. This year, the children's lit students will read El Deafo by Cece Bell, and we are hoping that my students will be able to read along with them.
El Deafo is a memoir in graphic novel form that will help my students reflect on how they can persevere through difficult life experiences.
Using this book, we will explore the genre of graphic novels, practice using this genre in our pen pal writing and explore important life experiences. Because both the college students and my 5th graders will read El Deafo, they will have common ground for reading and writing discussions in their journals. My students will also see that writing can be a powerful tool for working through life events. We would then like the students to continue this exploration through the reading of Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke.
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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