Past projects 13
Reading is Caring, We Need Books for Sharing!
Funded Dec 20, 2016As soon as our books arrived my students got right to work on them. The very first thing we did was to explore all of the new books. I put them all out on the table in different stations and just let my students explore the books (hold them, look at the pictures, and read them). They were so excited just by this part alone. It was the first time this year they held brand new, beautiful books in their hands. Once the exploration was finished I pulled them all to our meeting area and told them the story of how we got the beautiful new books (from our donors who took our classroom under their wing and helped us out). My students were wowed by the kindness and generosity towards them from complete strangers.
From there my students chose the books they were most interested in and made reading baggies containing those books. They read those books everyday in reading workshop, the time during the day when the students read independently, with groups, or with partners. Now, everyday, they use the books during this workshop and they are so engaged in these stories.
The best part is that they have begun to take the books home, sharing their favorites in their bags with their family. The feedback we have gotten from the families on these new books and the take home baggies has been nothing but positive. They are thrilled that their children have access to such great books and they are happy to see a love of reading being fostered between the classroom and home by bring these books back and forth.
Your donations is what has been able to make all of this joy happen and we are truly thankful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Corelli
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 3 other donors.Help! We Have A Reading Emergency!
Funded Jun 8, 2015Hello everyone, I just wanted to take a few minutes and thank you for your generosity and your cooperation because, together, you helped make my classroom a better place. Slowly, I have been revealing the books and reading materials to my students. Each time I bring out something new I am hit with responses like "wow", "I can't wait to read those", and "I am so excited". Everyday, during reading time, the students are eagerly approaching our classroom library and anxiously borrowing books from the basket you gave them. They are sharing books with one another and forming book clubs where they are talking about their favorite parts and favorite characters. I am even reading aloud one of the books each day so we can enjoy them together. My students and I are so grateful for your donations. You all have truly made reading exciting again in my classroom. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Corelli
Rip Roarin' Readers
Funded Sep 16, 2013The day that I opened the boxes to show my students our new books was the day that reading really changed for the better in our third grade classroom. I brought all my students over to our meeting area and explained to them what it means to donate things and how lucky we were because people were kind enough to donate some things to us. Huge smiles went across my student's faces followed by excited cries and questions of "what was donated to us". I gave the students a few clues and right away they figured it out and started cheering that we had new books donated to our library. I slowly opened up the boxes pulling out one book at a time. As I pulled each book out the student's cheered and gasped and put their hands in the air. They were truly thrilled. With each book I held it up and gave a little preview to them of what each book was about. They loved how clean and bright the covers were (nothing like we have now). They said the stories sounded so exciting and so interesting and they couldn't wait to borrow them from our library. They were even more thrilled to hear that Roald Dahl and Louis Sachar were the author's of all of the books as I have read aloud books by both author's to them and they were in love. We all then traveled over to the library and together we added the books in. I wanted the students to feel like they had ownership in the great way the library was turning over and I also wanted them to know where the books were so when they could finally get their hands on them they knew exactly where to find them.
Since then each time the students head to the library to go book shopping the books you have donated are always the first books chosen. They are so, so interested in each story and as soon as they finish one they can't wait to grab another. The conversation that I hear during book talks, the intent and concentration I see during independent reading, the enthusiasm behind their book clubs, and the work they are producing has completely gone to another level. Their interest and their enthusiasm and their love of reading has really been revived. Thank you so much for bringing that back to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Corelli