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.
My Students
With one simple book recommendation, a passion for Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series has spread like wildfire throughout my first grade classroom!
I teach in an urban school in northern Illinois.
Many of my students are discovering a love of reading, but often do not have books of their own to read at home. Nearly all of my students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and over half are English Language Learners. My students come from a neighborhood plagued by violence and poverty, but they love to come to school and laugh at the antics of a lovable elephant and pig.
My Project
So what's the problem? Our classroom library contains well-worn Elephant and Piggie books that have been read day in and day out by hundreds of first graders over the years. Most are literally falling apart, and the ones still in good condition are quickly snapped up during library checkout, leaving a long waiting list of children for each of the coveted titles.
A simple solution to our problem is to expand our collection of Elephant and Piggie books to include double copies of each title. The text is a dialogue between Elephant and his friend, Piggie, so these books are perfect for partner reading. Since introducing these books to my students, I've seen fluency improve drastically, and they read the text aloud in a way that really conveys the feelings of these favorite characters. Being able to read these books - and to do so well - while also getting a good laugh from the funny predicaments the characters face is highly motivating to my young readers.
Your donation will make it possible for my students to truly engage with high-quality books, and enable them to be fluent, confident readers who genuinely love to read.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Angie Stewart and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
