Half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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On the first day of school we always do a get to know each other scavenger hunt. This year I tailored it to my English class, and made all the questions about my students' reading lives. One question I threw on there was: Who did not read any books over the summer? I included that question because I thought it would stump the students. I was sure that in my classroom of readers, there was no way that someone had not read. Turns out I was wrong. In each of my 5 classes there were 3-7 students who had read no books over the summer. I was positively stunned! Some of these were the same students who, unless the reading is assigned, never pick up a book for pleasure. With those same students I also did a textual lineage assignment, where they had to create a bookshelf of all the books that have impacted their lives. I noticed that the students who hadn't read during the summer, were also the students that had put graphic novels on their bookshelves.
My classroom desperately needs a rich and varied selection of graphic novels to keep my readers engaged. I want to ensure that those students who have had successful reading experiences in the past with graphic novels will continue to do so. I hope to use these graphic novels to not only introduce the genre to those who are unfamiliar, but to also foster a sustained reading life in those who are struggling. I believe these books will positively impact all of my students, but especially those who read only two books a year because they're required.
About my class
On the first day of school we always do a get to know each other scavenger hunt. This year I tailored it to my English class, and made all the questions about my students' reading lives. One question I threw on there was: Who did not read any books over the summer? I included that question because I thought it would stump the students. I was sure that in my classroom of readers, there was no way that someone had not read. Turns out I was wrong. In each of my 5 classes there were 3-7 students who had read no books over the summer. I was positively stunned! Some of these were the same students who, unless the reading is assigned, never pick up a book for pleasure. With those same students I also did a textual lineage assignment, where they had to create a bookshelf of all the books that have impacted their lives. I noticed that the students who hadn't read during the summer, were also the students that had put graphic novels on their bookshelves.
My classroom desperately needs a rich and varied selection of graphic novels to keep my readers engaged. I want to ensure that those students who have had successful reading experiences in the past with graphic novels will continue to do so. I hope to use these graphic novels to not only introduce the genre to those who are unfamiliar, but to also foster a sustained reading life in those who are struggling. I believe these books will positively impact all of my students, but especially those who read only two books a year because they're required.