MERIDIAN, Idaho — Editor's note: This content is sponsored by CapEd Credit Union.
You may have heard the saying "a book is a gift you can open again and again." Getting kids interested in that gift is the goal for a Meridian special education teacher.
This week's Innovative Educator is meeting her students where they are, working to improve literacy.
Jean Ramirez said, "I just I love the relationship part of it," but there's one problem.
"These kids are, I'm losing them. We have no way to practice with interesting, cool books," Ramirez said.
Ramirez is a special education teacher at Chaparral Elementary School, who has a compassionate teaching style. That compassion includes meeting children where they are, matching their age with the content.
"Sometimes you have a fifth grader that's reading at a kindergarten level, and it's just so important to try to match their interest level with their with their age level," Ramirez said.
It's something that Ramirez said isn't always available.
"I felt like there was something missing in my curriculum, and it was mainly for the older kids," Ramirez said. "So, the fourth and fifth grade, struggling readers, the materials that we have to practice their reading, oftentimes have pictures and content that is not really at their interest level."
So, she found books that help gain students' interest, but are also at their reading level.
"They're reading an actual chapter book or an informational book that is really interesting to them," Ramirez said.
The topics she's bringing to Chaparral Elementary School includes animation, rafting, Minecraft, computers, video games and more. Ramirez said the strategy is making a difference.
"They get excited, they're more engaged, and it's fun to see," Ramirez said.
To help her continue making the world of books interesting, she recently received a grant from CapEd Credit Union.
"It was definitely freeing to know that I'm going to have this supplemental information," Ramirez said.
Ramirez is using that money to buy more books.
"It's chapter books or workbooks, that it's just very comprehensive," Ramirez said. "It's just great to know that I have something to hold their interest."
It's a fairly new project for the special education teacher.
"My favorite part is just seeing the kids light up when they finally understand something that they've been struggling with," Ramirez said.
Ramirez is hoping the project will get more kids to live the world of books, because for her, "that's what it's all about."
She is also working with other teachers to help implement this in more classrooms.
Educators, for information on submitting an application for a classroom grant through the Idaho CapEd Foundation, visit www.capedfoundation.org. If you would like to nominate an Innovative Educator, send us an email to innovativeeducator@ktvb.com.
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