Past projects 12
We Love Fiction!
Funded May 17, 2024Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation! You have really shown my students how much you care for their education and that means so much. You have shared the joy of reading with them and now they will be able to share their love of reading with each other.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by The Montgomery Family Fund and 2 other donors.New Year, New Books!
Funded Sep 21, 2022Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their group mates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their group mates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
My students now have so many books to choose from that the reading will never end!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by The Montgomery Family Fund and 2 other donors.Providing Approachable Books to Reluctant Readers
Funded May 5, 2022Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their group mates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their group mates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
My students now have so many books to choose from that the reading will never end!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 3 other donors.Student Library Wish List!
Funded Feb 4, 2022Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their group mates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their group mates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
My students now have so many books to choose from that the reading will never end!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Creating Empathy With Fiction
Funded May 3, 2022Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their group mates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their group mates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
My students now have so many books to choose from that the reading will never end!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and one other donor.The Fun of Reading Never Ends!
Funded May 7, 2024Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their group mates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their group mates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
My students now have so many books to choose from that the reading will never end!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.We Love to Read Fiction!
Funded May 10, 2024Thank you so much for helping to bring new, engaging, high-interest books into my classroom for my students to enjoy. Your support means so much! We can’t wait to begin reading and to dive into new adventures. You are the reason a reluctant reader may create a love for reading in my classroom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by The Montgomery Family Fund and 5 other donors.Growing Our Imaginations Through Pictures!
Funded Sep 8, 2022Thank you so much for your donation of picture books for our classroom library! Picture books allow us to learn and grow in so many ways. My students are able to use them to better understand plot, theme, and characterization. We will use them to help our social emotional growth as well.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by The Montgomery Family Fund and 6 other donors.Growing our Imaginations through Pictures
Funded May 3, 2022Thank you so much for your very generous donation to our classroom library! My students are so grateful for kind people like you who support their love of reading. There is something magical about the day new books arrive in our classroom. It’s like the students love of reading is rejuvenated when they have new options to pick from. Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.The Reading NEVER Ends!
Funded Jan 16, 2022Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation to our classroom library! You will never fully know the impact you have had on my students' lives. My students have slowly redeveloped their love of reading throughout the school year as we slowly moved away from the association they made between reading and having to complete school work with reading for enjoyment. Most of them have found the fun in reading again and have found themselves exploring new genres and new topics they never would have picked up before. Your donation has helped make that possible for them!
Every day we start class with 15 minutes of reading student-selected texts. Students pick a purpose for their reading that day. They may choose to examine the plot, characters, conflict, theme, text structure, character choices, predictions, and many other skills they have learned to apply to their own reading throughout the school year. While they read their chosen text, they apply their understanding of the skills to analyze the story. When we are done with independent reading for the day, students demonstrate their understanding of the text by creating a short answer response where they explain what they took away from their reading about their chosen skill and use evidence from the text to support their answer. I have found that this simple task has made students much better at reading comprehension, but it is not so overwhelming that they associate reading with having to "work".
On Fridays, we end independent reading time with "Book Talk Friday". Students are placed into random groups, and they have one minute each to discuss different aspects of the book they are currently reading. At the end of their minute, they tell their groupmates if they would recommend the book they are currently reading and why they would recommend it. Their groupmates then write down the title and author of the book if it sounds interesting so they constantly have a list going of books they want to try out. To me, this is their opportunity to practice the real-life application of a book club where people get together to discuss the books they are reading, what they like and dislike about the books, and hopefully leave with some new titles they want to try.
Research says to create the best classroom environment for independent reading to prosper, teachers need to have a minimum of 500 books on display for students to view and look through at any given time. As a teacher, it is very challenging to build a classroom library all on your own. This is where you and your donation came in. Without you, I would have to hear daily: "Ms! There is nothing to read!" "Ms! Nothing in your library looks interesting!" "Ms! I have read all these books already!" Thanks to you and your generosity instead I hear: "Ms! I can't believe you have this book!" "Ms! I have been wanting to read this book and now I can!" "Ms! I did not use to like reading, and now I do!" You have helped make that change happen, and I am so grateful for you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Damante
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.