This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Our children love books. Most of them are not yet reading. They look at books on the rug or in our "Book Nook" and flip through the pages, imagining the story. We need a listening center, complete with a CD player, headphones and CDs so they can choose their favorite books to read/listen to.
Our children are 3 to 5 years old.
They come from varied backgrounds - high poverty, middle income, college educated parents and parents who have not finished high school. We are a mixture of races and nationalities, and have several children with little or no English. Some children enter the program with a large vocabulary and interest in books already established; some have very little of either. Ours is a public school in Chicago that is diverse in race, nationality, class, language and ability.
My Project
I would set the listening center up in our book area so the children will be able to independently choose a book and CD to listen to. They can curl up on the couch, in our little house structure stuffed with pillows, or sit on the rug. We will have small puppets or other "props" to go with the books. In the beginning of the year we will practice how to take care of the CD player, the CDs and the books, and give extra support to children who have a harder time with it. They will also be able to listen to music. With wireless headsets, they will be able to work at a nearby table drawing if they like. This activity is important because a big part of what we do in preschool is invite children to learn to read by giving them great stories. They follow along with the book as best they can or just listen and look at the pictures.
I believe this listening center will help children see books as a source of pleasure, inviting them into special worlds of stories and information, inviting them to be curious and knowledgeable.
Since they use the listening center independently, they are in control of their learning and that is a powerful lesson to get them ready for kindergarten. This center will have a very important benefit for children learning English who will be able to hear it spoken as they read it.
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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 Ms. Averill and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.