Contextual Consumption of Vital Vocabulary

Funded Sep 19, 2018

My goal with this project was multifaceted. I recognized the need for high-quality, high-interest reading materials in order to expand my students' academic vocabulary. I wanted useful, practical teacher materials that supported supplemental reading. I hoped to appeal to the wide range of skills and talents of our English Language Learners (ELs) through discussions of timely, relevant texts. I wanted to use materials that students could transport easily, share with their families and friends and keep as their own. And of course, I wanted to find ways to integrate texts of varied lengths into a single day's lesson, providing material which both accommodated students' skill levels and encouraged and supported student task-accomplishment. These Scholastic magazines, Junior Scholastic and Science World, met all of these criteria.

Due to changes in my student roster at the start of the school year, I found ways to share these magazines at both the middle school and the high school at which I work each day. Thus, their impact was expanded to reach EL students grades 6-12 and from newcomer to near proficient levels of English development. I rotated titles bi-weekly to maximize the number of lessons during which we worked with these materials in my classrooms. Perhaps the most surprising element occurred when students asked if they could "donate" their magazines after multiple readings to other students in the school. Thus, we created a donation space at the front of the classroom from which students in other classes learned they too could grab a copy of current, age-appropriate reading materials they could take and continue to share as well. What an impact, and what a great indirect lesson in social emotional development this opportunity provided!

Thank you so very much for trusting in my ability and intention to use these materials to make a difference for my students. What I recognized immediately was the thrill students felt with the "ownership" of reading materials, the connections students made between stories and personal experiences, and the pride they showed with having shared stories with friends and family members to spark conversations outside our classrooms. Without your generous donation, I could not have made these materials available to my students and contributed to their academic and personal growth in so many ways. You have made a difference, and I appreciate you.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Huxford