Building Independence and Confidence in Readers and Writers
My students need 12 whisper phones that allow them to hear themselves clearly while speaking softly to develop their reading fluency and writing skills.
$179 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Studies show that poverty and low parental education greatly effect children's early language development and school performance. Students from low-income families come to school with limited vocabulary and language skills, but we can build those language skills and prepare them for the future.
My students are smart, capable, and creative but also surrounded by poverty.
They come from homes with little conversation. Research proves that children of poverty are more likely to hear commands from adults like "Turn off the TV," then to engage in conversational discourse. By the time they come to school, they struggle to speak in complete sentences, recognize correct grammar, and have a very limited vocabulary. Yet, they love to hear stories and tell stories. They have so much to say once they find the words.
My Project
The Whisperphone allows students to hear themselves clearly while speaking in a softly and not distracting other kids. Students can read to themselves to practice reading with expression and move away from robot reading. Even the most reluctant readers will be begging to read because it's fun! The bonus is that they are working on their fluency and enhancing their comprehension while they do it. You can't beat something that makes the student and the teacher happy! For kids that have not heard proper grammar modeled for them, reading aloud is one of the best ways to build their language skills and vocabulary. Students can also use the Whisperphone to read their own writing for editing purposes. Many students with underdeveloped language skills have trouble conveying themselves on paper, but when they read it aloud they often spot errors and learn to self-correct. Improved communication skills lead to increased student self-worth, laying a foundation for future success.
Learning to read and write clearly are essential to changing their lives and breaking the poverty cycle.
The Whisperphones will provide my students the opportunity to continue working on these skills at any point during the school day. It empowers them to have a voice and tell their stories.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Kendall and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
