You Can Help Make Reading FUN for Struggling Readers!
My students need an iPod touch to add excitement to reading for scholars with learning disabilities who struggle with phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My scholars who struggle with reading do not look forward to our reading block; they carry with them the burden of being an unsuccessful reader, and are often reluctant to read. I believe that an iPod touch will blur the lines of learning and fun just enough to improve reading achievement!
As a Special Education Teacher I work with scholars who have identified disabilities.
I am inspired each day by how hard my scholars work to overcome their disabilities; I am passionate about finding the right level of support that will guide them towards achieving their goals.
At our school we call our students scholars, and live by the motto: be kind, be safe, and work hard. We are a public charter school serving a low-income community in Chicago, Illinois. The school began just 7 years ago as a Pre-K through 2nd grade and has expanded to Pre-K through 8th grade today. Our curriculum is college-prep focused, with the core belief that a high quality education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
This year our school has put together a small team of teachers tasked with trying out new technology and reporting on the results. It is our goal that technology will enhance our ability to respond to the needs of individual scholars and enhance the process of learning.
My Project
I believe that the iPod touch has the capacity to have an overwhelming life-changing affect on the scholars in my classroom. It is my understanding that children who struggle in the area of reading have fewer opportunities to practice reading, making it even more difficult for them to improve at the rate of their peers. I plan to overcome this stark reality with the lure and excitement of the iPod touch, which has been proven to increase reading fluency at a faster rate than traditional methods.
Aside from the hundreds of reading apps available for the iPod touch, my scholars will be able to record their reading and easily play it back in seconds. Listening to your reading is a research-based strategy for increasing fluency. In addition to the voice recorder, the iPod touch also has a video camera, where my students can make videos of themselves reading books to younger children, and again hear themselves reading.
Please help me get an iPod touch for my classroom.
I know that this tool will increase the fun and excitement of reading, and almost certainly improve my scholars' reading success!
It is my long-term goal to get a number of iPods (and maybe even iPads) in my classroom; my school has no budget for these items, so I must find alternative funding sources such as grants and donorschoose.org to fulfill this aspiration. Please help me make the first step trying to compromise the digital divide.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Mettler and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.