My students need 20 picture books to serve as mentor texts as they learn to write like published authors and apply comprehension strategies to stories.
Help inspire my students to write like published authors and think critically about books they read. I teach twenty-two 3rd grade students in a public school where funds are limited but expectations and demands are high.
My school system is very test driven. Administrators, teachers, families, and even students feel tremendous pressure to do well on our state mandated, standardized reading, writing, and math assessments. Even though I teach strategies to help my students do well on standardized, multiple choice tests, I feel it's more important to inspire my students to think critically about their reading and to aspire to writing quality pieces. If students can achieve those skills, they will be better prepared for being 21st century learners as well as will have gained needed knowledge to do well on state mandated standardized tests.
A colleague recently shared a resource with me that teaches students to apply taught, research-based comprehension strategies (ex. visualizing, making inferences, identifying the main idea, making connections and predictions, etc.) to authentic literature. To teach the comprehension strategy, I start by reading an authentic picture book as a shared read aloud. That books serves as a mentor text. I guide students to apply the comprehension strategy to that text. As the week progresses, students begin applying that same strategy to their self-selected independent reading books. Students utilize those taught comprehension strategies when reading increasingly difficult text. I will be teaching students strategies that real readers use! (Not just test taking strategies to pass a test!) This resource also includes a writing component. Similar to the reading, I use authentic picture books as mentor texts to demonstrate how real published authors use the writing strategies I teach. For example, students can see how Cynthia Rylant used sensory details to enhance the book, In November. They can then use the taught strategy to apply to their own piece of writing.
I purchased the teacher resource book with the school money that I had. However, I do not have enough school funds available to purchase the picture books that go along with the reading and writing lessons. I want my students to have access to these picture books in the classroom so they can revisit the books and gather ideas when reading and writing. Your help will ensure that not only my students will do well on the state mandated standardized tests, but more importantly will inspire them to be life long learners.
Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock Bill Peet
• Barnes and Noble
$8.05
1
$8.05
Where Butterflies Grow Joanne Ryder, Lynne Cherry (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Things Will Never Be The Same Tomie dePaola
• Barnes and Noble
$5.39
1
$5.39
Tacky the Penguin Helen Lester, Lynn M. Munsinger (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.25
1
$6.25
Silver Seeds Paul Paolilli, Dan Brewer, Steve Johnson (Illustrator), Lou Fancher (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl Eloise Greenfield, John Steptoe (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Oceans and Seas [Science Kids Series] Nicola Davies
• Barnes and Noble
$6.25
1
$6.25
O Is for Orca: An Alphabet Book Andrea Helman, Art Wolfe (Photographer)
• Barnes and Noble
$9.85
1
$9.85
My Pet Puppy Marilyn Baillie, Jane Kurisu (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$5.35
1
$5.35
Little Panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo Joanne Ryder, World-Famous San Diego Zoo Staff (Photographer)
• Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Kitten Care: A Guide for Young Pet Owners Manufactured by DK Publishing Staff, Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff, Manufactured by Dorling Kindersley Publishing
• Barnes and Noble
$8.99
1
$8.99
In November Cynthia Rylant, Jill Kastner (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$5.40
1
$5.40
If You Were a Writer Joan Lowery Nixon, Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
I Wonder Why the Sea Is Salty and Other Questions about the Oceans Anita Ganeri
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Grandma's Records Eric Velasquez, Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$7.15
1
$7.15
Furry Animal Alphabet Book Jerry Pallotta, Edgar Stewart (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$7.15
1
$7.15
Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir Eloise Greenfield, Lessie Jones Little, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator), Lessie J. Little (Illustrator), Jerrie Pinkney (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$8.99
1
$8.99
Atlantic G. Brian Karas, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$14.39
1
$14.39
Alligator Arrived with Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast Crescent Dragonwagon, Ariane Dewey (Illustrator), Jose Aruego (Illustrator)
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Ocean Life: A Step-by-Step Guide Freddie Levin
• Barnes and Noble
$8.09
1
$8.09
Materials cost
$146.23
Vendor shipping charges
$14.62
Sales tax
$6.21
3rd party payment processing fee
$3.66
Fulfillment labor & materials
$17.00
Total project cost
$188.00
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$41.27
Total project goal
$229.27
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$229.27
4 Donors
-$229.27
Donations toward project cost
-$188.00
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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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 Mrs. Nelson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.