My students need simplified books to help begin units for various purposes. Many of them have also never been read to as children.
$287 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Our School is on the Southeast central side of Tucson, Arizona. Our student body is made up of more than 50% Latino students. 65% of our students are eligible for free or reduced school lunch. Only 35% of our students are considered proficient according to standardized testing on math and English. We have more students with disabilities than other schools in Arizona. Our students have 3% more out-of-school suspension, arrests, and referrals to law enforcement than the rest of Arizona. We have a 30% chronic absenteeism rate (15 or more missed days of school) and only 1 counselor for 670 students.
At our school, teachers are paid significantly less than at average Arizona schools, which already underpay teachers, even by American standards.
I teach 8th Grade English Language Arts, including culturally relevant curriculum, which aims to include multiple cultural perspectives on learning.
My Project
Many of my students are reading at very, very low levels and others are capable of reading advanced texts. Although I teach 8th grade, they read anywhere from 1st through college level. I have struggled to present materials to these students at varied levels so they can all get something out of a unit of study. Children's books and early reading, especially Dr. Seuss books, are a quintessential American experience that the majority of my students did not have. Few of my students were read to as children, which has contributed to their struggles with reading, both content-wise and in terms of enjoyment. Having these lower-level books read to them will help introduce any of the units I begin thematically, and encourage a love of reading, in addition to teaching morals across the board. The other benefit of Dr. Seuss books is that they teach different elements of literature, especially rhyming, which promotes mastery of language. The transparencies will help students to follow along in their books and participate in different simulation activities.
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. Tompkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
