My students need engaging and hands-on materials, including student timers, a magnetic activity center and a comprehension kit, to use while completing independent literacy centers.
Imagine trying to read a book and nothing on the page makes sense. Imagine being told you spelled everything wrong on your paper, when to you all the words are spelled the way they sound. Learning disabilities affect many students, but should never keep them from the love of learning.
My students are generally a year behind in their reading abilities due to their disabilities.
In order to not make them feel ashamed or embarrassed, I am always looking for new and intriguing ways to teach them to love reading while learning new skills and techniques.
My students can hold the most interesting conversations I think I have had to date. They are always eager to share information and obtain new information. They adore and thrive off of the comfort of always having your classroom to come to every day and know that you are a source of stable dependency. They will convince you of the reasons you need a recycling bin in your classroom or explain why a moose is the most terrifying animal in the world. They are the kids that brighten your day every day and have no idea they are doing so.
My Project
Many students at the elementary level do not understand the meaning or true value on an education or how they must learn to advocate for themselves during the process. Due to many of my students having disabilities, my goal is to teach them independence while learning, all while learning to advocate for themselves in the areas of their educational needs even from a young age. The perfect way to do so is through literacy centers. These centers are independent parts of a students reading block that give them the chance to complete work on their own. The only dilemma is that it must be intriguing enough to keep their focus and make them really take an interest in their self instructed learning. Some of the materials I am asking for are items such as matching games that work with the complicated parts of the English language such as synonyms, antonyms and homophones. Another product I am asking for is timers. This will allow my students to set goals for themselves while reading.
My project is so important to me because, I understand the struggles my students are going through when trying to break the many secrets to the English language as we know it.
Having a disability myself during my school years makes me strive everyday to provide my students with all and every material that can give them that light bulb moment where everything that was once confusing and frustrating becomes enjoyable and seen as worth something to them.
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