This year I'm debuting a classroom library. The photo of my "classroom" shows some of the furniture I bought from Facebook Marketplace. Now I just have to fill the shelves with books. I want to ignite a passion for reading in my students and, I believe, giving them plenty of choices is the answer. They will participate in lit circles and also pleasure reading on their own, once we get our library set up. Again, the more choices they have, the better. My students are individuals, so different books will appeal to them. Many young adult novels speak to them directly. They see themselves in the pages of the novel unlike other literature we read.
My goal is to keep my readers reading and to help my non-readers find the books this year that will make lifelong readers out of them. Many of my students read below grade level and much of the curriculum will be very difficult for them. The only way they can improve their reading skills is through practice. In her book "Book Love", Penny Kittle wrote, "I choose to build capacity rather than ignoring the truth that most kids don't--and many can't--read the novels in our curriculum." (Kittle, p. 6) However, when we encourage independent reading, it allows them to build stamina and skills, so they can read the curriculum we want them to be able to read and understand.
The books I've selected for this project will be used for lit circles during our study of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Romeo & Juliet". The "Mockingbird" companions will address injustices that my students currently see, adding relevance. The "Romeo & Juliet" companion selections will show how universal Shakespeare's themes still are all these years later.
Thank you for considering my project!
About my class
This year I'm debuting a classroom library. The photo of my "classroom" shows some of the furniture I bought from Facebook Marketplace. Now I just have to fill the shelves with books. I want to ignite a passion for reading in my students and, I believe, giving them plenty of choices is the answer. They will participate in lit circles and also pleasure reading on their own, once we get our library set up. Again, the more choices they have, the better. My students are individuals, so different books will appeal to them. Many young adult novels speak to them directly. They see themselves in the pages of the novel unlike other literature we read.
My goal is to keep my readers reading and to help my non-readers find the books this year that will make lifelong readers out of them. Many of my students read below grade level and much of the curriculum will be very difficult for them. The only way they can improve their reading skills is through practice. In her book "Book Love", Penny Kittle wrote, "I choose to build capacity rather than ignoring the truth that most kids don't--and many can't--read the novels in our curriculum." (Kittle, p. 6) However, when we encourage independent reading, it allows them to build stamina and skills, so they can read the curriculum we want them to be able to read and understand.
The books I've selected for this project will be used for lit circles during our study of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Romeo & Juliet". The "Mockingbird" companions will address injustices that my students currently see, adding relevance. The "Romeo & Juliet" companion selections will show how universal Shakespeare's themes still are all these years later.
Thank you for considering my project!
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