In the Community: Walnut Grove Intermediate School, West Covina, CA

Home » In the Community: Walnut Grove Intermediate School, West Covina, CA

 

Each month, a member of the Westchester K-12 team has the opportunity to make an impact in a local community by contributing to a classroom project on DonorsChoose.org that is in need of funding. Anne Riccio, Senior Supervising Editor, ELA & Humanities tells us about the project she chose in May:

Tell us about the DonorsChoose project you selected: Books to the Ceiling! Books to the Sky! will supply books to 7th and 8th grade public school students in West Covina, CA. Students will use the books to practice reading skills such as fluency, decoding, and comprehension.

Name/Location of School: Walnut Grove Intermediate School, West Covina, CA

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Jones

Grade Level: 6-8

Subject (if applicable): Literacy

Project Description: Reading is the key to progress and growth in all subject areas. Hi-interest, low-level books appeal to the reader’s interest with subjects that match their age level even though it is not grade level. Students, especially in middle school and high school, who are reading below grade level are more likely to want to read a book if it is not only at their reading level but also at their interest level. I want books that capture the hearts and minds of my students. These books will help give them the necessary tools and open up a world of reading to them.

Why did you select this project? 

Mrs. Jones’ reading class is designed for older students identified as having Dyslexia. She uses materials to help her students build the necessary phonemic and phonic skills to decode and also to encode (spell). She notes that her students have a variety of taste in books and she wants to offer them a selection of books to choose from. She will use the books in a small group setting for daily practice. Mrs. Jones also notes that many of the students she teaches are from low-income households and/or have other struggles in their personal lives. They also have specific learning disabilities in areas affecting reading, writing, and/or math. They are in need of intensive interventions in the area of reading skills such as decoding, encoding (spelling), reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Providing books to this teacher and her students is a joy.

If the teacher has contacted you since their project was funded, please share their comments.

Mrs. Jones placed this note on her project page:

I can’t thank you enough. I am so excited to put together these units for the students and to get them reading material they will feel good about. The more my students read, the more they have opportunities to practice the skills I teach them. Thank you for believing in this project and thank you so much for your generosity!

With gratitude,
Mrs. Jones

How did it feel to be able to help fund this classroom’s project?

Great! In the teacher’s words, “Reading is the key to progress and growth in all subject areas. These books will help give (my students) the necessary tools and open up a world of reading to them.”


Learn how your contribution can help make a big difference for a classroom in need by visiting the DonorsChoose website.


 

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