What do you do when you can't define a word?
You look it up in a dictionary.
Now imagine that you can't spell the word that you're trying to define. What do you do?
This is a struggle that my students face every day. Electronic dictionaries will allow my students to spell and write with ease.
My class is made up of 14 intelligent and energetic 4th and 5th grade special education students.
They attend a school in a high-poverty urban area of Illinois. Many of my students have recently transferred from other schools that did not always offer the educational opportunities that they deserve. As a result of these past injustices and a variety of disabilities, my students are performing well below grade level. Tasks such as reading, writing and spelling are very difficult for them.
My Project
The addition of electronic dictionaries to our classroom will change my students' opinions of the writing process. Formulating sentences and spelling words will no longer be a daunting task. With this technology, they will be able to use the phonetic spell checker to increase spelling accuracy. They will be able to work independently to increase vocabulary, define words and ultimately create sentences to express their ideas and opinions.
The use of electronic dictionaries will make a huge difference in my classroom.
This technology will help to improve vocabulary, spelling and reading ability. These improvements will ultimately help the students to perform closer to grade level and will ensure success later in life.
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. O'Connor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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