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A goal we have as a school is to increase reading proficiency. Students do not only read in English classes; rather, they read inside and outside of school and across subjects and classes. Increasing reading proficiency will not only increase students’ mastery of English language arts skills, but will increase their ability to demonstrate and obtain mastery in other classes. Whether it is reading a story problem in math, a chart in science, an article in social studies, or instructions in P.E. class, reading is a skill that will improve students’ mastery of content. According to educational researchers Dr. William Nagy and Dr. Patricia Herman, students who read just twenty minutes a day will encounter 1,800,000 words per school year. In contrast, those who spend only 1 minute a day reading will encounter a measly 8,000 words per school year. In order to get students to read at least 20 minutes each day, these students need access to a great classroom library full of contemporary titles written by a diverse groups or writers and across genres. If funded, Project Reading Engagement! will indeed increase engagement and enjoyment for the entire freshman class at my school. In turn, the skills students gain from their improved reading engagement and enjoyment will translate to mastery across subjects and, more importantly, throughout their lives. After all, everyone is a reader; some readers just haven’t found the right book yet.
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