Teach 36 children with limited English to read

Dear our Donors!

It is time to share with you that our winter book is Indian in the Cupboard, the 1988 fantasy novel by Lynne Reid Bands, called by The New York Times, "the best novel of the year" when it was published in 1980. It revolves around a young boy discovering that when he locks a toy plastic Iroquois Indian in an old bathroom cupboard, the figure comes to life.

The theme of friendship between persons from different worlds resonates for our young Literacy Master Map Program readers who are from different cultural backgrounds. In reading this book, both in class and independently at home, the students will gain 65 vocabulary items, weekly opportunities to demonstrate comprehension and recall and structured writing exercises to encourage higher level thinking skills. Joyful weekly classes promote joyful reading experiences at home and culminate in students who strengthen their verbal skills and emotional growth. Our students participate in varied types of conversations and discussions with peers and adults. They establish Conversational Rules: listening when someone is speaking; one person speaks at a time; the need to stay on a topic, and responding to questions asked.

Our reading specialist Mrs. Green says that she looks forward to her weekly gathering with our Literacy Master Map Program readers. They are each dear to her and she constantly says how impressed she is with one of them and their remarkable families.