Letter Smart: A Multisensory Approach to Teaching Literacy
The cost of one Prestige Pro Starter Set with Block Capital Letters 4" from Ellison Educational Equipment is $1047, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
I am the special services (school needs) literacy teacher at P.S. 131 in Jamaica, Queens. As the special services literacy teacher, I serve P.S. 131's population of emergent readers in grades K through 2. Contingent upon my alternating schedule, by years end I will have serviced a case load in excess of 150 students. Our school is a "title one" school (65% qualifying for free lunch), and approximately 75% of our student body speaks English as a second language. Although my students range in age from 5-8, PS 131 provides many of these students with their first experience of formalized education.
In an effort to differentiate teaching styles to meet the needs of my students, I plan to craft individualized sets of letters for the development of phonemic awareness. These three dimensional letter sets, shaped from a variety of fabrics, ranging from sandpaper to sponge, will aid in the development of students into proficient readers. Although most students are auditory and visual learners, many emergent readers require a more holistic sensory experience. Once students have mastered letter recognition, they will then match letters and sounds with corresponding pictures. Further phonemic skills will be mastered using the alphabet sets by manipulating the letters to form new words. This tactile learning experience will offer my students the opportunity to feel the letters as they distinguish them, associate letters with sounds, and ultimately read.
I am requesting an Ellison Prestige Pro, to facilitate creation of the alphabet sets for my students. The Ellison Prestige Pro is a die cut, hand operated letter cutting machine specifically designed for educators. The Prestige Pro machine enables the operator to craft a variety of letter typefaces from a myriad of materials. By producing vast numbers of letter sets to meet the needs of my students, nearly one third of the PS 131 student body will benefit from the combined efforts of the donor and myself. Approximately 150 students, the entirety of my caseload, will be serviced by the inception of this project.
In summary, the cornerstone of literacy is a strong phonics foundation. Through the reproduction of letter sets, I will enable my caseload of emergent readers to actualize their potential to learn. Useful during the school day and after classes have ended, the alphabet sets will provide emergent readers with needed reinforcement.
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