At Mary R. Fisher Elementary School in Thompson, Connecticut, my twenty kindergarten students come to school energetic and eager to learn every day! They love learning and looking at books in our classroom library. My students especially enjoy listening to and dramatizing the adventures of Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House series for our Tools of the Mind curriculum.
Included with our Tools of the Mind curriculum is a reading system called PowerTools which is only accessible through an iPad app.
Without these iPads, a chunk of our curriculum and student learning potential is diminished. When we gain access to iPads up-to-date with iOS 10, students will participate in shared buddy reading, and use the developmental writing assessment to practice and improve their writing. The PowerTools Reading System lets children read original, engaging, science-based stories on iPads with peers.
The stories are closely integrated with wider science themes and concepts children explore in my class, so they develop children’s scientific understanding while learning to read. My students are passionate about science and will be thrilled to read and write about topics that interest them, therefore boosting their literacy skills and scientific knowledge, and positive interactions with peers.
My Project
We have an exciting opportunity to bring an iPad-based reading system as well as a writing assessment tool into our classroom to boost children’s literacy skills.
The "Tools of the Mind" PowerTools Reading System lets children read original, engaging, science-based stories on iPads with peers.
The stories are closely integrated with wider science themes and concepts children explore in my class, so they develop children’s scientific understanding while learning to read. Children receive continuous reading support through an interactive “Toolbox” that guides them in identifying the best decoding strategies when they need help with a word. While children read, an analytics platform captures and analyzes data on my students’ reading development. With this information, I can easily personalize instruction for each learner.
Each day, children engage in a variety of writing activities in my class. We use dynamic assessment to track each child’s development, but we don’t have the time we need to look at development over time and easily identify children who aren’t making adequate progress. The PowerTools Developmental Writing Assessment allows children to draw and write a message on an iPad. Their whole writing process from start to finish is captured in video, allowing me to easily track their progress over time and understand how to best meet their individual needs as they learn the writing process.
I’m so excited about integrating these tools into my classroom. Please help me give my Kindergarten students a strong foundation in literacy through these powerful PowerTools!
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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. Howard and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
