{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Cesar Chavez Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":25.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6345884,"projectId":7012400,"letterContent":"Bringing back reading for pleasure gives students the opportunity to discover that books can be more than an assignment—they can be an escape, an adventure, and a source of connection. By creating a space where students can choose books that interest them, we can help rebuild confidence, curiosity, and a genuine love of reading.\r\nFor many students, reading has become something they associate with tests, grades, worksheets, and frustration. When reading is difficult, students may begin to avoid it altogether. Over time, they can lose confidence in themselves as readers and may not see reading as something they can enjoy. I want to help change that experience by giving students opportunities to read for themselves, at their own pace, and about topics that genuinely interest them.\r\n\r\nI especially want to bring back the excitement of books that made reading feel like an adventure. Books such as Choose Your Own Adventure bring back memories of my own childhood. I'm a kid from the '80s, and I remember the excitement of picking up a book, making choices, turning the pages, and wondering where the story would take me next. Reading didn't always feel like schoolwork—it felt like an adventure. I want my students to experience that same excitement and joy.\r\n\r\nI also want students to experience reading as something they can do for fun, not just something they have to do for a grade. The Sight Word Diner Reading Fluency Game is one way to make reading practice more interactive and engaging. Turning fluency practice into a game can help students practice important sight words, build automaticity, and develop confidence while creating a positive experience around reading. Sometimes a little fun can make a big difference in a student's willingness to keep trying.\r\n\r\nA classroom library with a variety of books can make a meaningful difference. Students should be able to find stories that reflect their lives, introduce them to new experiences, make them laugh, spark their imagination, or simply provide a quiet break from the demands of the school day. Graphic novels, novels, mysteries, sports stories, biographies, fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction, and interactive books like Choose Your Own Adventure can all provide an entry point into reading.\r\n\r\nChoice is especially important. When students have a voice in what they read, they are more likely to become invested in the experience. A student who may not choose a traditional novel might become excited about a graphic novel, a book about an athlete they admire, or a nonfiction book about a subject they love. That first connection can be the beginning of a much stronger relationship with reading.\r\n\r\nFor students who struggle with dyslexia or other reading challenges, creating positive experiences with books is particularly important. Providing accessible books, audiobooks, games, and other supports can allow students to practice reading without feeling defined by their difficulties. The goal is not simply to get students to read more pages. It is to help them see themselves as capable readers and learners.\r\n\r\nMy hope is to create a classroom where students once again see books and reading as something they can enjoy—not something they have to fear. I want to fill the room with books, games, and activities that invite students to explore, choose, imagine, practice, and discover. I want my students to enjoy reading the way I did growing up—a little curious, a little adventurous, and excited to see what happens next.\r\n\r\nBringing back reading for pleasure is about more than putting books on a shelf. It is about bringing back curiosity, creating memories, making learning fun, and giving students the opportunity to fall in love with reading again.","fullyFundedDate":1670999113328,"projectUrl":"project/fun-reading-games-and-materials/7012400/","projectTitle":"Fun Reading Games and Materials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gaid","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6345884_orig.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1632506344290","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/makingadifference"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_60487","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":629,"numTeachers":26,"percentFrplEligible":70,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":97,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"24.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":74.4,"schoolId":60487,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Cesar Chavez Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Cesar Chavez Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/greenfield-union-school-district/cesar-chavez-elementary/60487"}