The cost of 13 different book bundles from AKJ Educational Services, including Natural Disasters, Pets, Donosaurs, and Jim Trelease Read-Alouds, for a total of 126 books, is $830, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
As an elementary school media specialist in SC, my goal is to offer numerous opportunities that promote reading and that transform children into lifelong readers. One program that I have developed is the Birthday Book Giveaway. Basically, this program provides a new book and bookmark to each student in our school. After they are honored on the morning news show, children with birthdays are invited to the media center to choose a book from a large selection of brand new paperback books.
The Birthday Book Giveaway is very effective in sending a powerful message to children about the importance of reading. Giving a book as a gift is the ultimate way for adults to share their enthusiasm for reading and to show children how much books are valued.
This program ‘reaches' all the children at our school, not just those from one group. For underprivileged children, this book may be the only gift that they get on their special day. For children of higher income, the book may be the only non-electronic gift they receive. For slow readers, the book serves as an invaluable practice tool for reading. For skillful readers, the book becomes a new treasure to dive into.
The program doesn't stop at the point of book selection. Instead, the gift keeps on giving... The student proudly takes home the book and reads it (because he selected it) and then rereads it. The book is put on the shelf for a later time, for keepsake, or to be shared with siblings or friends. Other students after reading their book might decide to participate in another reading promotional program called the Book Exchange. The Book Exchange is a room in which students swap out used books for other used books. So if students part with their birthday books, they can bring them to the Book Exchange and select another. Once they read that one, they return it and take another, and so on; and there you have it-- a lifelong reader!
A variety of titles have been selected providing a much higher quality choice of literature than what we had previously been able to afford. This program is a great way to give the ‘gift of reading' to hundreds of children.
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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. F. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.