Books-on-Tape to Increase My Students\' Interest, Fluency, and Comprehension
The cost of four cassette players, four sets of headphones, a set of books on tape (including \"The Watsons Go to Birmingham\" and \"Bridge to Terabithia), and a storage unit for the materials is $682, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
The school where I teach is in an impoverished area of the South Bronx, where 94 percent of the students receive free lunch and speak English as a second language.
Most of my thirty-four students are struggling readers. They are therefore unable to read books that correspond to their age and interest level and must choose \"boring\" books for younger children instead. As a result, many lose interest in reading and refuse to do it independently. Yet they absolutely love listening to me read aloud, especially when they can follow along with a copy of the text. During this time, they are relaxed and focused. I set aside thirty minutes for daily read-alouds, but since many of my students\' parents cannot read English, this chunk of time does not provide them with enough exposure to the language.
English-language learners need prolonged and consistent exposure to English literature before they can learn to read with expression, fluency, and confidence. I would like to provide my students with more opportunities to listen to excellent readers read books that capture their interest and motivate them to work toward mastering the texts on their own. Since there is only one of me and thirty-four of them, I cannot do this alone. This is where you can help. I am asking for a set of books-on-tape that includes such cherished titles as \"Bridge to Teribithia,\" and \"The Watsons Go To Birmingham,\" along with four quality head phones and four cassette players.
With these materials, my students can listen to grade-level stories and follow along with their own copy without growing frustrated. They can also tune out distractions during independent reading time and even take the cassette players home so that they can gain more of the reading exposure they need to improve.
My students and I thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!
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