My students come to school eager to learn about the world around them. They love to sit down with a friend to read, and they love to talk! Our school is an urban elementary school with many bilingual students who are learning English. Some of our students have recently arrived in the United States and did not have an opportunity to attend school before. Our school has two special programs. We have a bio-smart focus which provides enrichment and challenges in science. We also offer a Spanish and English dual-immersion program, in which students learn in two languages.
Every day I see my students working together, playing together, and engaged in learning about math, reading, writing, and science.
They are a community of learners that cares about each other.
My Project
My first graders love books and are eager to learn to read. I selected books from Hameray Books. These books are designed to support young children as they learn beginning reading skills. The books feature characters that reflect the cultures and races of students in our classroom. The children in the stories are from many cultures, including Latino, Somali, African American, Asian, Middle Eastern, and European backgrounds- just like the students in our class.
My students are affirmed when they see their own cultures and skin-tones reflected in the characters in the stories they read.
They see that stories are about all of them and that they are all important. They can recognize themselves in the stories as well as their friends and classmates.
The books also feature stories and themes about children doing things that my students are familiar with: going to school, playing with friends, and taking care of pets. Families in the stories do things that my students know about and like to do: visiting grandma, eating tortillas, helping mom and dad, working together at home, wearing special cultural clothing, going to the park, playing at the beach, and going fishing. My students can understand and relate to these stories.
Reading stories about children who look like us and have similar interests helps first graders have conversations about what makes us all unique and special. It helps students to identify and appreciate their own race and culture as well as those of their classmates. Thank you for helping my students learn about themselves and others through the stories they read.
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