My project has two powerful, complimentary purposes: to give my students books that reflect their cultural diversity and to give them books that meet both their academic and social-emotional needs.
I want my students to fall in love with reading, but reading is often a scary and intimidating activity for a middle school student with a disability who is from another culture.
Most of the books I am hoping to add to my classroom library are called "high-low" books - high-interest, low-readability. As a student with a disability, reading is often an unenjoyable, discouraging activity. Most of the books my students want to read are too challenging for them, and most of the books that my students can read are not age-appropriate for them. As you can imagine, it is difficult to find books that are targeted toward the interests of a middle school student but are written at a kinder-grade level. High-low books will meet the academic rigor as well as the social/emotional interest of my students!
In addition, I want my students to be able to connect with the books they are reading in an intimate way. I owe it to my students to read to them protagonists that reflect their unique cultures, families, and dreams. Growing up in a predominantly white country when you are not white is scary and it is important for my students to celebrate their cultures not only in their homes, but in my classroom and in their community. Each book in this project was carefully chosen to empower, inspire, and reflect each my students. Thank you for taking the time to consider supporting my project!
About my class
My project has two powerful, complimentary purposes: to give my students books that reflect their cultural diversity and to give them books that meet both their academic and social-emotional needs.
I want my students to fall in love with reading, but reading is often a scary and intimidating activity for a middle school student with a disability who is from another culture.
Most of the books I am hoping to add to my classroom library are called "high-low" books - high-interest, low-readability. As a student with a disability, reading is often an unenjoyable, discouraging activity. Most of the books my students want to read are too challenging for them, and most of the books that my students can read are not age-appropriate for them. As you can imagine, it is difficult to find books that are targeted toward the interests of a middle school student but are written at a kinder-grade level. High-low books will meet the academic rigor as well as the social/emotional interest of my students!
In addition, I want my students to be able to connect with the books they are reading in an intimate way. I owe it to my students to read to them protagonists that reflect their unique cultures, families, and dreams. Growing up in a predominantly white country when you are not white is scary and it is important for my students to celebrate their cultures not only in their homes, but in my classroom and in their community. Each book in this project was carefully chosen to empower, inspire, and reflect each my students. Thank you for taking the time to consider supporting my project!
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