Past projects 15
We Love Reading! Help Us Get High Quality Books!
Funded Jan 19, 2017Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students can not stop reading the new books! There is nothing more exciting than a kid who "didn't like to read" announcing that they "finished a book in less than a week and can I please get a new one!?"
Without your donations my library would not have the high interest and on level books that my students need. My classroom structured as a readers workshop where we read one anchor text together and apply a skill (characterization, author's purpose, theme, etc.) and then students apply that same skill to their leveled independent reading books. Having a variety of books to choose from makes this process so much more meaningful to students and it is why I believe my students reading levels grow so quickly in one year!
We are in the process of re-taking our Fountas and Pinell reading inventory and so far 100% of my kids have gone up two levels and I know that is in part because they have access to these amazing new books!
Thank you!!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Help Expose My Thinking With a Document Camera!
Funded Dec 12, 2016Thank you so much for your kindness. This donation may seem insignificant, but having a functional document camera can make the world of difference in an English classroom. The document camera has lots of functions, but the one we use the most is to project what I'm doing on paper on the board so that students can see. This was a great tool to use to teach my students how to annotate or mark up the text. Prior to my class many students were underlining or highlighting EVERY sentence. I was able to teach them, with the help of the document camera, how to selectively highlight and annotate the text with a purpose. I also have taught my students how to chunk the text- or put notes in the margins about what the text is about. Without a real time document camera these things would be so much more difficult to teach.
My students favorite use of the document camera however is putting their own work up their to get feedback ("glows" and "grows"). When we write in class we know that the best way to improve is in the moment feedback. I may notice that students are making the same mistake and put someones work on the document camera to show students how to fix it. This makes such a difference in their writing.
While everyone in the class has benefited from the document camera the students that are behind with their reading and writing skills have benefited the most! These students are able to see EXACTLY what I'm doing and make sure their paper matches mine. This also helps some of my students who get lost or loose focus re-focus them selves.
We are so appreciative of Donors Choose and your donation! I would not be able to give my students the same public school education that I do without your help. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Help Fuel Our Love Of Reading Fire!
Funded Dec 23, 2013Thank you so much for providing my students these high level and high interest reading books. We were able to order books that were rated as the best Young Adult books of 2013 because of your kindness. Because of you my students have read a total of 105 books this year- the most that my class has ever read collectively! We have students that have improved their reading skills from a 3rd/4th grade level to a 7th grade level and that is ALL because of having great literature available! In my classroom I started the year with not a single child on grade level and we currently have 7 students reading on an 8th grade level! It is because of your generosity that have allowed my students to thrive.
Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
We Can't Get Enough Books!
Funded Dec 9, 2013Thank you so much for donating to my classroom,
The students have loved the Time for Kids subscription; especially some of my reluctant readers. They are excited to read about the news, make connections with the articles, and talk about what they have learned. It is especially exciting for the students who do not have access to newspapers and magazines at home. They love having their very own magazine that they can annotate, write in and keep! Students are using the resource to become better readers and develop a passion for learning about the world around them. Having a resources such as Time for Kids has allowed students to learn more about the Olympics, Tornadoes, and even video games!
Thank you so much for your commitment to supporting DC Public school students! We super appreciate it!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Reading is FUNdamental
Funded Sep 29, 2013Thank you so much for donating to my classroom. My students are incredibly invested in our independent reading time because of the wide array of classroom books that are on their reading levels. This investment is because of your generosity.
My students this year have read 89 books independently! That means that on average each child has almost read 4 novels since September! That is a big jump for some of my students who before this year "never liked to read". Your books have helped push my advanced readers to even great heights and they have helped support my struggling readers by hooking them into reading with high interest novels. I have one boy who for the first time in his life is reading a book he likes. That is an incredible gift to give a child.
Thank you. Your support is appreciated a thousand times over.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Bean Bags Make Reading More Fun!
Funded Jan 28, 2013Thank you so much for donating to my classroom. My students love the bean bags and it is a true and clear motivator to support some of my struggling readers. The amount of reading in my classroom has increased simply because students now have a more comfortable place to sit. This positive is because of you and your generosity!
My students reading has improved drastically since the beginning of the year, with some of my students growing 2 years of reading in just 4 months- and I credit that to having a safe and inviting classroom. Thank you!!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Reading is FUNdamental!
Funded Dec 28, 2012Thank you so much for helping my classroom purchase the books that we need to be successful. I have seen such an increase in the desire to read because of the new books that we have been given because of your generosity. I have students who never used to be interested in reading who are begging to read multiple books at once! I have students who were able to borrow 4 books over spring break for the first time and it is because of your donations.
My students and I greatly appreciate your donation to our classroom. It is because of you that my students have become life long readers :)
Thank you a million times over,”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Help Me Assess My Students!
Funded Jul 24, 2012Thank you so much for fully funding my classroom project. My students are now able to get tested to know their reading level using the Fountas and Pinnell leveling assessment system. With this assessment system my students are going to be able to know where they are, set goals for where they want to be, and push themselves and each other to reach those reading goals. It is amazing to see how well students do when they have hard data that shows them what they know and where they are and allows them to see where they need to be. It is especially helpful to have an accurate and specific reading assessment system. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
Books! Books! Books!
Funded Mar 22, 2012Thank you so much for donating leveled books to my classroom! I have just started to do end of year reading tests and my students have shown such awesome improvement. I know that the reason they have increased their reading levels (sometimes by 3 grade levels) is because they had books that were on their level and that they were interested in them.
It is because of your generous donations that my students were able to have access to those types of books and we can not thank you enough. I hope you can see that you are the ones that make a difference in my classroom.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon
This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 3 other donors.Show Me Some Fiction!
Funded Jan 20, 2012Thank you so much for donating to my classroom. I can already see the tremendous impact that having leveled fiction books has made on my students. During our independent reading I see all my students engaging with their text at a much deeper level than before when they were attempting to read books that were too difficult or too easy. The impact of engaging with a text that is on their just right level is going to be huge and will potentially last them a lifetime. Being able to enjoy reading and feel successful is something that will propel them through middle school and high school.
Your donation has allowed over 100 students to have a more challenging, a more appropriate and a more engaging experience in their english classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Alwon