In my district, only 37% of the high school graduates leave high school with the required classes to attend a state college and the majority of students in the district report that they do not have books in their homes. This means that the only exposure they have to reading material is in school.
My classroom is designated for students with a variety of language challenges, ranging from Autism and Auditory Processing Disorder to fluency and articulation disorders.
This makes language in any form particularly difficult for them. Reading, of course, is no exception. Despite the fact that my students love to listen to stories read and discussed aloud, it is difficult to enjoy something independently that is hard to master. Do you relish memories of your high school chemistry classes? Or learning to write a persuasive essay? For my students the simple act of enjoying a novel can be an intimidating and disheartening experience, especially if they have to tackle books alone.
My Project
In my classroom we are lucky to be able to have small groups split between a teacher and an instructional assistant. However, students rarely have the opportunity to choose a book independently and enjoy it like many of their peers do. With your help I can provide a listening station with a variety of chapter books for them to explore! With this listening center we can provide a third small group, making it possible to tailor each group even more to individual student needs and allowing students to build and develop independent interests at the listening center. Every student should have the chance to delve into an imaginary world of their choosing. No one should be prohibited from the world of stories because they struggle with language.
With 5 personal CD players and 12 audiobooks/texts we can change the way at least 15 students engage with reading material.
By supporting our project with a small donation you are creating change, you are giving my students a window into countless the imaginary worlds that await them on library shelves everywhere. Part of who we become as adults stem from our experiences as children. These experiences include the imaginary and real. You can share this experience with children by supporting 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. G. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.