Build it and they will come! It's something critical to Special Ed... build confidence and, with support, students will achieve beyond expectations. A leveled book library in my Special Ed classroom will allow access to books written at students' individual reading levels & encourage them to soar!
Your donation will help a group of 15 special needs students in grades K to 5, most of whom are living at or below poverty level and attending a regular education urban public school in Missouri.
The range of disabilities served in our classroom includes autism, specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and other health impairment. Some students stay in my classroom for most of their day (Self-Contained, Cross-Categorical) due to the significant challenges they face in the regular education setting. Other students leave their regular education classrooms for shorter periods to come to my classroom for additional supports in identified areas of need (Resource services).
Because of budget constraints, there has been little to no funding available to buy anything this year for our classroom. Our students are not reading at their assigned grade level and need books that are written at their level to engage them and build their confidence in their reading skills.
My Project
Help fund our project and be part of a truly amazing experience. Imagine a fourth grade student coming to you reading at a Kindergarten level and constantly stating "I can't read". I live this scenario regularly as a Special Ed teacher. Frustrated and thinking poorly of himself, you introduce to him a book written at his level... you prompt him and tell him you believe he can read it. He begrudgingly takes the book and opens it, continuing to show his doubt in his facial expression. He looks at page one and discovers he recognizes those basic words with picture cues... his face lights up and an exclamation of excitement slips out of his mouth..."I CAN read!". There is no greater joy in teaching than in that moment! That joy continues as you get to witness his word recognition grow and skills in phonetic decoding develop through reading more books at his level and then books at the next level and then at the following level. Students will learn that they CAN read with a leveled library.
Make a difference in the lives of 15 special needs children this year and countless others in years to come by helping build a leveled book library in our classroom.
As self-confidence builds in one area (reading), it will escalate in other areas (math, spelling, writing),which will help them develop into confident adults. Help students forge into the world with an "I CAN" attitude by starting here. Show children of the "Show Me" state (Missouri) that YOU believe "they CAN," too! Thank you!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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