Reading CAN be fun

Have you ever heard friends or acquaintances talking about a book or movie or television show and wanted to join in but couldn't because you didn't read or see it? My middle school Hispanic (ESL) kids experience that everyday because the books they are able to read in English are nowhere near the grade level books that their peers are reading.

Okay, so I not above using this blog to push an agenda, at least a small one. Teachers, as you know, have limited resources. We sometimes have to look outside our school budgets to get some things that we want or need to help our students. Donors Choose is a website dedicated to helping teachers find funding for these small project outside of our own pocketbooks. I have recently posted a proposal on Donors Choose to help improve my students literacy skills.

The proposal will give you more details but, in a nutshell, I would like some Spanish language versions of novels that my students would otherwise read in English, if they could. Books like Harry Potter, The Outsiders, Little Women, Hatchet, The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, and more are available in Spanish. These books will allow my Hispanic students to read complex and interesting texts at the same level as their peers. Many of Hispanic studnts are currently stuck reading Arthur books (1st and 2nd grade level) or other similar books because they don't have the literacy skills in English to read what their peers are reading. Reading for fun in Spanish will develop their Spanish literacy skills (which helps their English literacy skills!) while giving them the opportunity to connect with their friends.

Check out more details at the following website and feel free to send this link to everyone you know! The total proposal only costs $414 so even small donations will make this dream come true!
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=209646