"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" This is one of my very favorite quotes by the great Dr. Seuss. I have it hanging in my classroom and refer to it often, as it says exactly what I believe and want my students to understand!
My students love to read.
Even students that have never read before come to me saying how much they love a series or author they have discovered. This is music to my ears because I believe reading is the most important skill a student can possess. It is a passion that can be replaced with nothing else. My students have gone above and beyond their Reading Counts goal of 1200 class points and we are almost to 2000! This goal means we get an ice cream party, which is always a sweet reward to hard work. While the chocolate sauce and sprinkles may be an extrinsic reward for a seemingly short-term goal, the real prize is the intellect and experiences brought to my students by none other than the pages of a great book.
We are proud of where we live and how we have grown to overcome many challenges. Even at over 80% free and reduced-price lunch rates, we have been ranked first in our conference for student achievement. Low income does not equal low expectations for our students!
My Project
We've all seen science fair projects, but what about a reading fair? 4th graders participate by using tri-fold boards, but instead of displaying a science experiment, they showcase their favorite book. Students identify author, characters, conflict, resolution, etc. on the boards and then make models of their characters using the requested clay. This is a fun project that promotes focusing on literary elements and comprehension, but also lets students utilize their amazing creative artistic abilities using a variety of mediums. My students just began having art as a special class last year, and now they still only get it for half a year. Adding an art element to our reading projects will surely enhance their creativity and provide added motivation!
Critical thinking and collaboration are also at an all-time high during this project. Students are encouraged to work together and think outside the box when choosing how to display their book. No more black and white book reports!
Just the requested tri-fold boards are about $3 each for students and unfortunately are not provided by our school.
While this does not seem like a huge expense, to many families it can be hard to purchase these necessary materials. That is where you come in! Knowing that their materials are available to them at no cost takes a huge burden off of students and their families, especially after having to buy school clothes and supplies. This will allow students to focus only on their creations!
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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. Swaringim and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.