2013 - 14 Educational Grant Application
Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2013, by 4pm
Name of Grant: Who Wrote It?
Name of person(s) submitted by: (if submitted by a team of teachers, grade level, etc. please list all names
involved and select one individual to be the contact person for the grant.)
Gretchen Wollmuth
Campus/Department: Cheatham Elementary School
Grade Level(s): k-2
Total Dollar Amount Requested: $1,409.80
Number of students who would be involved/impacted by grant: 160+
Name of principal or immediate supervisor who will approve submission: Leslie Norris
Project Purpose: What is the problem, need or opportunity that this grant will address? What is the
student need which the project will address? The purpose should explain what students will know and be able
to do as a result of this project. Please explain how a problem will be addressed or a situation improved because
of the grant. (200 words or less)
The purposes for conducting an Author Study are countless! A slew of skills teachers want students to
utilize in the learning process can be met by implementing an author study. As teachers capitalize on
children’s excitement to know and share the chosen books, the relevant tools of communication and
comprehension emerge from children’s skills –
whether it’s reading, writing, or the arts. Students come to understand the purposefulness of skills
when they are taught in broader contexts and are more likely to apply them in new situations.
Skills become strategies.
1. Help students develop their reading skills
2. Build critical thinking skills
3. Improve writing skills
4. Forge a deeper attachment to books
5. Establish a community of readers
6. Expose kids to different types of literary voices and styles
7. Predictability and safety decreases anxiety with known books
8. Students who are intimidating by reading and new books become more comfortable with the known
characters and settings.
9. Make connections across the curriculum
10. The students get excited when they recognize characters and names
Author studies are an entertaining way to spark students' life-long interest in reading, a particularly
important factor for new readers and reluctant readers.
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/authorstudy/reasons/
Project Description: How will the project or program be implemented? Describe activities and tasks.
Who is the target population and in what ways will they benefit? (200 words or less)
The target population will be all students throughout the year. The students will be introduced to an
author in a small group setting. The students will explore the author’s different books and how his or
her style is unique to that author. They will read them, explore the books, and do activities to better
understand the writers and their messages. While the students are exploring the different authors, they
are also working on their reading skills and strategies. Some students are very intimidated and worried
about reading. Professionals say that predictability and safety decreases anxiety. By exposing
students who do not have any self-confidence in reading to predictable and safe books, provides them
with the security they need to work and self-check on their reading skills.
We always start out the year studying the Black Lagoon books. Those books are never put down again
throughout the rest of the year. The students love them.
Other authors that we have studied and the kids can’t stop talking about are Robert Munsch, Mo
Williams, and Chester.
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Allen ISD Goals/TEKS: Which Allen ISD goals/TEKS does this project support? Limit to top two or three
examples. (50 words or less)
4(L4)
Understand literary forms by recognizing and distinguishing among such types of text as stories and books•
recognize types of text and their characteristics
7(A)
connect the meaning of a well-known story to other significant ideas among multiple textscompare/contrast characters, ideas, events, and themes
Measurements: What specific measurements will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the project?
(100 words or less)
The students will be involved in a culminating activity at the end of the study to show the effectiveness. The main
form of measurement will be observation. When the books are used and manipulated by the children because
they can’t stop reading that author, that will show the effectiveness of the project.
Teaching Methods: What teaching methods will be used to implement this project? (100 words or less)
This project was created to be used with guided reading groups. The students will be introduced to the
book in guided reading. They will read the books and gain familiarity with the authors and the
characters. As each new book is introduced, the child will become more comfortable with that author
and be able to really work on his or her reading skills and understanding the author’s message and
purpose.
Timeline for project: Funds will be available after September 1, 2013. (50 words or less)
The materials needed for the project will be purchased as soon as the funds are available.
Curriculum/System Support: Explain how this idea or project enhances/supports Allen ISD curriculum or
existing systems. (100 words or less)
Author studies support Allen ISD curriculum by providing another new way to get students reading. Allen ISD
strives to get students “face in book” in meaningful ways by providing quality literature. The author study allows
the students to fall in love with reading and be exposed to different new literature.
Additional Comments: Include any additional comments or information. (100 words or less)
Ben’s books—Author, Beverly Randell
Baby Bear Books—Author, Beverly Randell
Kitty Cat and Fat Cat—Author, Annette Smith
Little Chimp—Author, Beverly Randell
Froggy—Author, Jonathan London
Mr. Putter—Cynthia Rylant
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Grant Budget: specific product numbers, vendor addresses, etc. are not required on this budget page.
The name of the product or the type of training or estimated cost of transportation is sufficient.
*Please round numbers to the nearest dollar amount.
Rigby PM Platinum: Red Ben's Teddy Bear 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Red Ben's Treasure Hunt 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Red Birthday Cake for Ben, A 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Yellow Story Books Ben's Dad 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Green Fiction Ben's Tooth 6pk
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
Rigby PM Platinum: Red Father Bear Goes Fishing 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Yellow Story Books Baby Bear Goes Fishing 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Yellow Story Books Blackberries 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Blue Baby Bear's Present 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Blue Honey for Baby Bear 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Blue Mushrooms for Dinner 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Green Fiction Father Bear's Surprise 6pk
Rigby PM Platinum: Green Fiction House Hunting 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Blue Fiction Baby Bear Climbs a Tree 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Blue Fiction Baby Bear's Hiding Place 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Green Fiction Bears and the Magpie, The 6pk
Rigby Mother Bear's Scarf 6-Pack
Rigby Blue Eggs and Dandelions 6-Pack
Amazon--Baby Bear’s Real Name
Amazon—Wake Up Father Bear
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$36.30
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$36.90
$36.90
$6.45 x6
$6.40 x6
Rigby PM Platinum: Red Kitty and the Birds 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Kitty Cat 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Kitty Cat and Fat Cat 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Kitty Cat and the Fish 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Yellow Story Books Kitty Cat Plays Inside 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Blue Fiction Kitty Cat and the Paint 6pk
Kitty Cat and the Bird 6-Pack
Kitty Cat Runs Up a Tree 6-Pack
Fat Cat's Chair 6-Pack
$36.30
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$36.90
$36.90
$36.90
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Here Comes Little Chimp 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Little Chimp 6pk
$37.50
$37.50
Rigby PM Plus: Red Fiction Little Chimp and Big Chimp 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Yellow Little Chimp Runs Away 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Blue Fiction Little Chimp and the Bees 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Blue Fiction Little Chimp and Baby Chimp 6pk
Rigby PM Plus: Green Fiction Little Chimp and the Termites 6pk
Little Chimp is Brave 6-Pack
Little Chimp Finds Some Fruit 6-Pack
Little Chimp and Buffalo 6-Pack
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$37.50
$36.90
$36.90
$36.90
$1,098.00
Froggy Bakes a Cake by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz (Jan 10, 2000)

$3.39 Paperback X 4
Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz (Jun 1, 1997)
 $5.99 Paperback X4
Froggy Plays Soccer by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz (Mar 19, 2001)
 $5.99 Paperback X4
Froggy Goes to Hawaii by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz (Apr 12, 2012)
 $5.99 Paperback X4
Froggy Plays T-ball by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz (Feb 5, 2009)
 $5.99 Paperback X4
$119.80
Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant
$5.13
Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Run the Race by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Spill the Beans by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Clear the Decks by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter & Tabby Spin the Yarn by Cynthia Rylant
$6.00
$5.19
$5.21
$5.25
$5.12
$5.28
$5.28
192.00
Additional Funds: Are there any additional funds available for this grant? Campus or district funds? PTA funds?
If you have or will be seeking funds from any other sources to help with this project, please explain.