More than a third 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.
Support her classroom with a gift that fosters learning.
Monthly
One-time
Support Ms. Stiltner's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.
Monthly
One-time
Make a donation Ms. Stiltner can use on her next classroom project.
The reading skills of my high school students improve when they spend time reading books they choose that speak to what they care about. My students have at least 10 minutes every class to read their own books. There is no homework, assignments or journal writing. It is 10 minutes of quiet time for them to interact and connect with a world where they can imagine other lives and reflect what it means to be human.
They can travel to far off lands and this time in quite reflection can change lives. Many of my students lack books, time and opportunities for quiet reading. This time to read exposes my students to an internal world that provides them a chance to develop their identities and think deeply about what they value in life. It is a break from the fast-paced, technology heavy daily diet of the typical high school student.
High interest books at their reading levels are needed to engage them in independent reading. It is hard to find books that teens want to read but are at lower reading levels. The books chosen for this project meet these qualifications. These titles have been shown in my past experience to be current titles my teen students want to read and are written at grade levels my students can access independently. Often the school's media center does not have these books or enough copies. Also, my students do not come from families that can provide books and do not visit our local public library. I hook kids on independent reading when I immediately put a physical book in their hands that matches their interests and their reading level.
About my class
The reading skills of my high school students improve when they spend time reading books they choose that speak to what they care about. My students have at least 10 minutes every class to read their own books. There is no homework, assignments or journal writing. It is 10 minutes of quiet time for them to interact and connect with a world where they can imagine other lives and reflect what it means to be human.
They can travel to far off lands and this time in quite reflection can change lives. Many of my students lack books, time and opportunities for quiet reading. This time to read exposes my students to an internal world that provides them a chance to develop their identities and think deeply about what they value in life. It is a break from the fast-paced, technology heavy daily diet of the typical high school student.
High interest books at their reading levels are needed to engage them in independent reading. It is hard to find books that teens want to read but are at lower reading levels. The books chosen for this project meet these qualifications. These titles have been shown in my past experience to be current titles my teen students want to read and are written at grade levels my students can access independently. Often the school's media center does not have these books or enough copies. Also, my students do not come from families that can provide books and do not visit our local public library. I hook kids on independent reading when I immediately put a physical book in their hands that matches their interests and their reading level.