Improving Literacy Through Books For Special Needs Students
My students need read-alongs library to support our reading and literacy program in our special day class.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. A's classroom raised $918
This project is fully funded
My Students
Nothings feels like holding a real book in your palms as you get lost in a good story your book is about to unfold. In our highly technological immersed society, where our youngsters know everything about tablets and computers, having a physical book in your hands still is the real deal.
Our students belong in a K-3 special day class in a regular public school setting.
They have diverse, special needs and they love listening to songs and stories. We currently cater to seven children, two girls and five boys.
Some are diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Orthopedic Impairment, Autism, and Severe Intellectual disability. They communicate through picture exchange and other assisted technology with speech generating device. All of them follow a highly structure curriculum designed to make everything predictable and appropriate to their cognitive abilities.
All of them are mobile and are able to walk and play independently. They enjoy socializing with typically developing peers where they are mainstreamed for social and academic skills. Everyone of them enjoy listening to stories and songs in books and with highly visual support.
My Project
Through stories, we can persistently activate our students minds. Visuals give great enhancement to their attention span and they can follow better through pictures and words combined. Having a choice of books to enjoy during free time and stories to support lessons in ELD, Reading and Language, our students can definitely benefit from having a wide variety of books to choose from. They'll be able to describe better and learn new simple vocabularies that they can use to enhance their functional skills. This can also aid them to add more words in their vocabulary to help them express themselves and communicate with more effectiveness. It can teach them numbers relating to what story they have chosen and integrate characters with problem solving skills needed in Math. There are a number of ways these books can help our students retain information and relate personal experiences through the characters and values they will be exposed to through the stories the books offer.
I once read that "The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." Sharing this magical experience of believing in the power of books with our special needs students gives me hope in empowering them through the lessons a book can offer.
Integrating academics through the stories they listen to will only deepen their understanding of what they can learn and what we, as educators can help them achieve.
More than half of 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. A and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
