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.
Remember the excitement of listening to your favorite music on tape? You'd rush to the tape player in your car, crank up the sound only to become frustrated when the tape became entangled in the stereo? If you were lucky you could pull it out and use your fingers to rewind the tape manually.
The children in your life probably have no clue what a tape player was used for, but my students do.
They are forced to use one if they want to listen to their favorite book on tape. They know the drill: tape gets stuck... carefully pull it out... use your fingers to rewind the spool of tape...put it back in the tape player and keep your fingers crossed that it'll work the second time around. We've had to put many good books on tape to rest because they become entangled in the tape player. My first graders are voracious readers and attentive listeners. They become disappointed when there is no time at the end of the day for me to read a book aloud. They come home to parents who've worked a long shift and still have to muster the strength to make dinner and help with homework. Reading to their child becomes a once-in-a-while treat and not an everyday activity. First grade lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning and it begins with literacy. Students deserve a good reading model.
My Project
The tape player in my classroom has probably been around since the 1980's. An updated CD listening center would allow my students the luxury of reading along with books on tape. Individuals and small groups would be able to read and strengthen their language skills while I work with the other students in class. Students who need additional language support could gain new skills in a fun way.
All students in my class would benefit from a new listening center: My English Language Learners would get exposure to proper diction, gifted students would have the ability to read higher level books, visual learners would have bright, colorful books to read, and auditory learners would enjoy listening to a good book. We would be able to bury our old tapes and recycle our tape player. The only thing we should still have left over from the 1980's is the music, not our classroom equipment.
My students need a new CD listening center.
All we have now is a tape player with outdated tapes and old, worn out books. They would love to be able to listen to their favorite books on CD.
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. Meredith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
