Who remembers learning to read? It is a long developmental process that is hard to understand once you've mastered it! My kindergartners have to read aloud during independent reading time, and that makes for a loud classroom. We need something to lessen the din!
We are a class of 22 kindergartners (ages 5 and 6) and one teacher (age unpublished) in Missouri.
It is the sweetest bunch of students I have ever had. They are so kind and have such good manners - they even say "Excuse me" and "thank you" to each other! They are so proud of the reading progress they've made so far (which is a LOT) and we can't wait to continue to grow as readers together. Our school houses grades K-6, so we are definitely the "babies" of the school. Anything we can do to make us feel more like the "big kids" is special, and reading independently helps us feel big.
My Project
It is developmentally appropriate for students of this age to read aloud to themselves. They have to hear the words spoken and cannot yet "read silently." We have 20-25 minutes of independent reading time a day, and as much as I'd like it to be a quiet time, it's just not possible. I have some whisper phones that I've made from PVC pipe; the children hold it like a phone, and it allows them to read aloud quietly and hear it directly in their ears, without disturbing others. The problems are 1) I don't have enough for the entire class and 2) they are hand-held. The kids have enough to juggle with holding the book with one hand, and tracking the print (using their pointer finger to keep their place) with the other hand. It would be so nice to have hands-free whisper phones for the entire class. I have a strong feeling it would renew their interest and motivation to read too!
I think most people would agree that learning to read opens countless doors for students.
Improved reading helps in all other subject matters as well. As we expect kids to learn to read at younger and younger ages, we need adaptations to help keep the task developmentally appropriate. Kids at this age cannot read silently, so these WhisperPhones will help them learn to read, protect a quiet learning environment, add motivation, and help me ensure that everyone is on-task at all times.
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