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.
My Students
The expression "It's all Greek to me" can be applied to the students in my class who have language processing disabilities. What we take for granted in understanding our language is something they get so excited about when they learn. Please help them make sense of this complicated language.
The only way to describe my students is by saying they are resilient.
Many of them were born with physical handicaps such as shortened limbs, deformed legs, or even spina bifida. Some spend their days in wheelchairs. They have learning difficulties. They all attend their local public school and they work harder than any other children I know. A majority of them are living below the poverty level and come from homes where there is usually only one guardian, which is not always a biological parent. They are a reminder that it's the climb that matters, not the results.
My Project
Many of my students have reading and writing levels two years below where they should be. This year they have to learn to write three paragraph essays when they can't even write a three word sentence. Why? Their language processing difficulties get in the way of them learning simple sight words or decodable words. As a result, they cannot understand literature or write. They shut down. They do not want to do anything because they are frustrated. The word journals will be used to help them with spelling difficult words quickly. If they are stuck on a word, they can look back in their journal and feel more successful as writers. The reading journals will help them better understand grade level literature so that they can talk about how they understand books that are above their levels. Imagine how exciting it would be to show what you know about something that is difficult for you to understand. Hopefully it will build a love and desire for learning to read.
The best way this project will make a difference is by removing the elephant in the room.
We all know children who are two years behind grade level feel embarrassed by the fact that they cannot do what their classmates may be doing. So why not try to remove the barriers that hinder their progress? Let's provide them with the tools that will help remove the elephant in the room and help them navigate past the difficulties of reading and writing
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Signorile and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.