I teach in the largest school district in the state of Kansas. My school is a Title I school with a good size population of ESOL students. I teach 2nd graders for all of their core subject areas. My students learn best when I am able to teach to a variety of learning styles and integrate technology. Books and CD’s for our listening center would allow me to reach all of my students.
This year I started a listening center in my class. However, I only have five books and CD’s. The students have shown a great interest in this new center, but we need more books and CD’s for our listening library. Our project "Read to Me" - Read Aloud to Develop Fluency will allow students to listen to several stories during our reading center. Read alouds are important for developing a child’s comprehension and reading fluency. The more opportunities student can get to be read to the better. It is essential that students practice language skills by listening to the rhythm and rhyme of a story. It is also necessary to develop phonemic awareness skills. These language skills will reinforce skills the students will be learning during their reading instruction and help our ESOL students as well.
According to Dr. Margaret Allen, “Research has confirmed that the more children practice reading, the better they read. Also, the more children read familiar texts, the more automatically they recognize words. The more automatically children recognize words, the more fluently they read. And, the more fluent children become, the more natural, expressive, and confident they are in their reading. When children do not have to concentrate on decoding words, they can focus their attention on understanding the text, which in turn leads to greater comprehension, understanding, and learning.” Reading aloud to children enables them to connect with characters, experience emotions, encounter unfamiliar words and scenarios, recognize the sequential nature of stories, learn new vocabulary, and even become storytellers themselves. "Read to Me" - Read Aloud to Build Fluency will also provide an opportunity for children with a variety of learning styles to absorb and integrate new information. Students will listen to many stories and books.
Your help will ensure that my students take an active role in the reading process. As students are listening to stories, they will be gaining essential listening skills. The effect is an education that puts an emphasis on learning by doing. Student knowledge and learning in literature are enhanced as a result. This will help to create a community of life-long readers. "Read to Me" - Read Aloud to Build Fluency can easily be implemented because it focuses on language arts education standards. This center will be used daily by my 2nd grade students. Instruction will meet the needs and abilities of all students.
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