Building Bridges in Education Through Integration

Funded Aug 1, 2019

We were so excited to receive our books and are so thankful for them. I have been able to use the books to teach in depth comprehension skills, how to relate concepts from one text to another, and how to use books to research. The book Lions of Little Rock, was a wonderful story that helped my students learn about life in our state in the 1950s. Students were able to relate to two little girls fighting for their friendship. They also used the books about Arkansas History to connect history lessons to the struggles of the girls in the story, like segregation. The book also provided an opportunity for me to teach inferences and similes. The main character compares other characters to drinks, so students made inferences based on what they knew and read about the character and what they know about the drink to see how they were similar and to describe their character traits. We used the books about the US government to learn about our country's symbols, government, and geography. Students were able to write their own Classroom Constitution after reading the book about the United States Constitution. We also read Holes and watched the movie to see how movies and books compare.

In our classroom, reading is for fun. I want students to grow a love for reading. I try to find books that will touch their hearts and help them relate to the real world. We read aloud and love to share all of the new things we learn. These books have been PERFECT for my class.

My students have absolutely fallen in love with Holes and Lions of Little Rock. They could not wait to read them each day. They would rather read than do any other class work. They are still talking about them now!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Ridenhour