This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Have you ever read a book so good that you couldn't put it down? Unfortunately many of my students have never had this experience. The problem we are currently faced with is that my students want to read, we just don't have enough books they actually like in our outdated classroom library.
I teach seventh and eight grade language arts in a low-income urban school in Missouri.
At the beginning of this year my students read several years below grade level. Even getting them to pick up a book was a battle and they often complained that they "hated" reading. But as the year progresses, my reluctant readers discover that reading could actually be fun.
We have set very high goals for our class this year. The big goal we are working towards is for every student to grow two full years in their reading score. My students have been working incredibly hard to meet this reading goal. Each week they practice an additional two hours of reading outside of the classroom with an independent novel of their choose. As a result of their hard work and determination, their reading scores have already improved. So far in only 4 months we have already grown one FULL year in reading. The problem, however, is that we are quickly running out of reading material.
My Project
In order to continue making progress toward our big goals, our class is in desperate need of more books to read for our independent reading projects. We all know that the only way to get better at something is by practicing. The problem we are currently facing is that we don't have the materials we need in order to practice. A baseball player can't become better with out a bat and readers can't become better without books!
The books we are asking for would provide us with the resources we need in order to continue having an independent reading program. By allowing students to have books that are both of interest to them AND at their reading levels, we will be maximizing their potential for growth. Additionally, the books we are requesting are books that students have specifically asked for. This will help them stay interested in reading and continue to motivate them to reach their big goal.
My students are incredibly motivated individuals that make the biggest gains when they are actually engaged in the material they are reading.
By providing my students with high interest books, you will bring us one step closer to closing the achievement gap for these students and setting them on a better track in life.
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 Mrs. Garcia-Sweeney and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
