I have been a first-grade teacher at KBE for the past three years, and our team follows a carefully structured series of thematic units designed around grade-level standards, including social-emotional learning, social studies, and science. These units are intentionally aligned across all first-grade classrooms and taught simultaneously, covering a diverse range of topics such as community, seasons, plants, animals, outer space, growth mindset, kindness, and historical figures.
A key component of these units is access to high-quality read-alouds, which enrich vocabulary, model comprehension strategies, and support writing development. These books also provide valuable opportunities for author and illustrator studies, further deepening students' engagement with literature in meaningful ways.
However, access to these essential texts has been a persistent challenge and is the driving force behind this grant request. In previous years, we have often had to share books between classrooms or search public libraries for additional copies. Too often, we have found ourselves relying on a single copy or even using a youtube video, disrupting the proper scope and sequence of our units and causing misalignment in instruction.
With this grant, we aim to build well-rounded classroom libraries in every first-grade classroom, stocked with high-quality read-alouds in both English and Spanish. By doing so, we will ensure that all students have consistent access to the books they need to fully engage with our thematic units, fostering deeper learning and a lifelong love of reading.