This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
The majority of students in our rural school district come from low-income/high-poverty households with an average income of $19,000 a year. All of our students receive free breakfast daily, and many receive free lunch. Many children come from single-parent households or are being raised by grandparents. In addition to all of these challenges, my students also have difficulty communicating the same as their peers.
Despite these hardships, my students LOVE to work on their communication skills!
I use toys, play food, art, movement, pictures, and food to keep students creatively engaged!
My Project
I am requesting an electronic keyboard to use in my classroom, specifically for students who stutter or have Apraxia of speech. Do you wonder how a keyboard could be used in speech-language therapy?
Research shows music and the brain are often team players when it comes to speech, language, emotions, and processing.
I hold a weekly support/therapy group for 4th and 5th graders who stutter. Children who stutter usually become fluent when following predictable beats. Singing and speaking to a slower beat is a great way to practice smooth transitions within a small group! An electronic keyboard would have a preset beat for pacing words and for practicing smooth transitions.
An electronic keyboard could also be used as a pacing tool for students with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). By the 4th or 5th grade, students with CAS have usually mastered 1-2 syllable words, but still have difficulty saying words with 3, 4, and 5 syllables. Words such as “elephant” and "dinosaur" become “eh-fan” and di-soar."
My students could benefit from the electronic keyboard in many other ways! The record feature would allow students to hear their own speech during playback. The piano feature of the keyboard could help students practice using inflection for questions through changes in pitch.
The addition of a keyboard to my classroom would benefit many students for years to come!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Patti Tillman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
