As our classroom library bookshelf says, "We read to know that we are not alone." My high school students are at a sensitive place in their lives: adolescence. Reading is a great way for them to escape the angst of teenagerdom, and to remind them that they are not alone.
My students come to me as low or non-readers, suffering amidst a culture that does not place much value on literacy.
Through circumstances that are not their fault, they learn to fear, dislike, and avoid reading, because they are not very good at it. The only reason they're struggling is because they lack practice, which we can give to them by having them read engaging, high-interest texts.
Most of my students come to our high school from a middle school on the "wrong side of the tracks." For the first time, they meet students from our district's other feeder school: an affluent, suburban middle school. They are at a huge disadvantage compared to these kids, and need all the help possible to get on even footing with them.
My Project
The books we are requesting are books that will help my students in three ways. First, they are books at all reading levels, meaning that I can help match a student's ability to a book they can actually tackle. This will build their confidence and their fluency simultaneously.
Second, the books in our cart are extremely popular texts--bestsellers on Amazon. They are stories of awkward teenagers thrust into fascinating situations (sometimes humorous, adventurous, or dangerous). They are time-tested and very popular with adolescents.
Finally, adding these books to our classroom library will allow me to build an independent reading program into our curriculum. This structured time to read will help my students build stamina, interest, and fluency as readers. Practice is the only way to help them grow, and without books, they simply cannot practice.
These books will make a difference to my current and future students for years to come.
By becoming better readers, my students will go into the world as better critical thinkers, connectors, and citizens. Only you can help them do that!
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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. Karnes and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.