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.
As media specialist, I see 5 or 6 classes a day or 660 students over a six day period. We are learning information literacy skills and research from Kindergarten through 5th grade. We read books online with audio on iPads. They are all reading at same time with their books and no headphones.
We are a Title I school in Stamford, CT located downtown and have been growing annually with 92 English Language learners this year.
We have a limited budget for books, so the headphones would take a big chunk of our funds. We need to get our students excited about books, reading and learning at a very young age. Our focus is on non-fiction books this year, but we are able to have the children use reading, phonics and spellings apps on the iPads. Our students population is from the local community, along with students selected by lottery. Over 50 percent of our students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
My Project
My students need headphones in the library media center to work with reading apps on pads. The headphones will be used by students throughout the day by all students in K-5. I have 660 students or 31 classes in the media center with a maximum of 25 per class. Our students will use RAZ, vocabulary, spelling, and reading books on the iPads that require headphones so they don't have to hear the other students books. We continue to add apps to our iPads, but the focus has been to use a district wide product (Reading A-Z) that allows each student to have assigned books at the appropriate reading level. This product can be used in school or at home and having a headphone to work independently reading the book in a non-distractive manner.
Our student reading levels will improve.
Our primary grade students will have exposure to eBooks in school and become familiar with the no excuse words and sounding out words that are unfamiliar to them. They will learn phonics and writing and be able to work independently with their own learning, although closely monitored and administrated by their teacher. Students will be able to hear their own book and not everyone else's book around them.
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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. Colonnese and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
