My students need extraordinary books to meet their unique learning needs. Shakespeare is hard to read, but illustrated books with translated text can make reading fun!
The students in this seventh grade classroom present with intellectual, social, and emotional disabilities. They are all on IEPs (individual education plans) that range from struggles with communication, mathematics, reading, writing, and social/emotional abilities. I teach four classes of 10-15 students per class (approximately 30-40 students total).
These students range in abilities, experiences with trauma, instability with their housing, foster care, and homelessness.
Many participate in the school's family outreach program that supplies essential clothing and/or a backpack of food on the weekends for families in severe need. Despite their struggles, these students are sensitive, kind, and above all they desire positive attention.
On Saint Patrick's Day, the students were asked what they would wish for if they caught a leprechaun. Here are some responses:
"My dad to get a job"
"My mother to get well"
"I wish we weren't homeless"
"I wish we could have a T.V."
"I wish I could live with my parents again"
These wishes could break my heart! They want things that most of us take for granted. These are just 11-12 year old children!
My Project
Imagine students that struggle to read trying to navigate Shakespeare's unique linguistics in the classic Midsummer Night's Dream, and they thought traditional English was challenging! As students with disabilities, they need a super hero to save them from this catastrophe! There are graphic novels and illustrated stories written for young children that breaks down the dialogue and includes pictures. Let's face it, when you were a child, weren't you more likely to pick a book with pictures than just words? If you don't understand the vocabulary, pictures are essential to build a visual and understand the story, especially with a complicated love-story told by Shakespheare!
Kids love to be given choices!
They don't have a choice to read or not, but imagine an author that provides the students an opportunity to make choices for the main character and see how those choices impact the story ending. For students developing social skills, they need reminders of how their choices have an impact and sometimes a consequence. The Chinese dragons book is a fictional adventure, at a reduced reading level, that allows for multiple endings to the story. The reader makes a choice for character at a pivotal point and depending on their choices they are directed to a certain page to keep reading based on that decision. There are also times, when even the teacher does not have control over what the students read. Middle school common core curriculum frameworks suggests students read certain classical texts. This is where you come in.
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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. Rose and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
