The cost of the vocabulary-building games and activities is $304, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
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.
No, I do not plan on having my class of second graders write their college application essays this year. However, it is my deepest hope that in a few years they will each embrace that task and I want them to be ready!
In the meantime, we're working hard every day. The kids are making great progress, but are distinctly struggling in one area-- vocabulary.
A weak vocabulary is a documented barrier in the learning progress for low-income students (for the details, see "What it Takes to Make a Student" in the NY Times Nov. 26, 2006). The students' limited word bank prevents them from recognizing words in their reading, and also makes comprehension a real struggle. When writing, their self-expression and creativity are stifled as they struggle to articulate and describe all that they are thinking.
Put simply, "Hart and Risley showed that language exposure in early childhood correlated strongly with I.Q. and academic success later on in a child's life," and "that vocabulary growth differed sharply by class and that the gap between the classes opened early."
Unfortunately, my over-burdened school presently has no resources to devote to closing this gap.
The materials I am requesting are all vocabulary-building games and activities designed to expose kids to more words, and to parts of words that will help them figure out other new words they encounter. These materials will be used to develop a vocabulary-building curriculum that will be lively, engaging, and effective. This is the first essential step to closing the class-based vocabulary achievement gap and ensuring that my students can, when the time is right, submit some awesome college applications.
Thank you so much for your consideration!
Nearly all 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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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 Ms. Berkowitz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
