Dear fellow in service teachers,
I am writing to inform you about reading ladders and how I think my ladder would be a great fit in your classroom. Reading ladders are very beneficial for students because they are filled with different texts that might connect to something they are learning about. For instance, you as the teacher may be teaching your class about the importance of friendship so if you have different ladders around your room you can just find the ladder with the theme of friendship and choose a book from it. Students will then see how helpful these ladders are just because they see their teacher utilizing it. The ladder that I have attached is yours truly and I had chosen the theme suffering. I know that this may not be an ideal theme to teach younger youth but I think they can definitely learn from my ladder. I chose the theme suffering because of my anchor text which is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. If you haven’t introduced this book to your students then I’m just going to let you know that you’re depriving them haha. A Monster Calls is no ordinary children’s book. There is no monster under the bed or a boogeyman. It’s simply about a boy who is having a tough time facing reality and accepting that his mom is dying. Tragic but some child in your class might relate to this book so I strongly recommend it. On my reading ladder I have included many other books that are similar to A Monster Calls such as Mummy’s Lump, Grandma, Survivor, and several more. I can’t wait to tell you a little about them. The first is a picture book called Mummy’s lump by Gillian Forrest. This book tells readers about a mother who has found a lump on her breast and she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Her family must cope with the anxiety and worrying of their mother/wife. In the end, we never really find out if Mummy made a full recovery but the book still ends on a happy note. The second picture book is Grandma by Jessica Shepherd and this book is about the relationship between a boy and his grandmother who is suffering from dementia. The third picture book is I’m Worried by Brian Moses and it tells you about a girl who describes how she feels when she is worried and situations which make her feel anxious. Next, there is Mile High Apple Pie and this one is about a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s. My favorites are the young adult novels. The first is no way out and it’s about a guy who has a sick grandma and has been placed in a foster home. Desperate for money, he works for a drug dealer. Second, we have Survivor which is about a girl named Tarah who has kept a secret from every one close to her for years. Third, we have Perks of being a Wallflower. It’s about a socially awkward boy who has dealt with a best friend committing suicide to his own aunt sexually abusing him. The last of our young adult novels is the fault in our stars and it’s about a terminally ill girl named Hazel who falls madly in love with a guy named Augustus who lost his leg to cancer. They become inseparable and stuck at the hip. One day, Augustus finds out that his body is filled with cancer and he will die very soon. A very sad and heartbreaking story. For my graphic novel I chose Monsters and it focuses on the physical symptoms and the traumatic emotional damage of an STD that rarely affects two people the same way. Last but not least is my nonfiction piece. I chose the article about the Orlando shooting because it was a travesty what happened to these people and I’m certain that many families are suffering and grieving this loss around the world. All of these pieces are much relatable to any of us because many have dealt with a traumatic experience or something that has been eating away at us. We’re human. I hope my ladder is beneficial and doesn’t get anyone down.
Yours truly,
Shyheim Jones
