What my Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, middle-school-students lack in HEARING, they make up for with HARD WORK, and HEART! These exceptional students live and learn in New York City. In a world dominated by sound, most children learn new vocabulary and language by overhearing them in conversations that interest them. This is why Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, my students, must work so much harder to learn about things that other children pick up incidentally. They are at a disadvantage in the hearing world when it comes to language.
My Project
As Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing middle school students from low-income families, many of my students lack the experiences that many of us took for granted growing up, like holding a crisp, recent edition of a colorful magazine in their eager, little hands. In this digital age the opportunity to actually hold print in-hand is becoming less and less. In addition, as part of the state writing standards, students are expected to write about what they have learned and create their own informational texts, such as articles, without having the opportunity to view many examples themselves.
Magazines offer instant gratification, there is no waiting to turn on, log in, or refresh, it's information at-hand in it's finest form!
Magazines offer the perfect opportunity for students to learn about something they would never have searched for on the internet, or may have merely 'scrolled past'. The colorful, age-appropriate magazines I am asking for, Time for Kids and Scholastic are designed to engage all readers, including reluctant readers. In contrast to our typical picture-less, black and white books printed in 1993, magazines such as 'Time for Kids' offer current events with beautiful color images that draw the reader in, inform, and transport them to a different place. These periodicals will spark their imagination, inspire their own writing, and make them a member of the global community.
More than three‑quarters 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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