Backing Bilingualism

Funded Sep 11, 2023

Since receiving your generous donations, I have been able to provide more effective support for my students' speech and language development. Many of my students have cognitive/sensory processing difficulties and were struggling to recognize and label grade-level vocabulary concepts from pictures. The Lakeshore Early Learning Activity Boxes and the Lakeshore Building Language Lotto have been invaluable in providing my students with easily accessible stimuli in the form of real objects, to help them integrate sensory information through both sight and touch and better learn the foundational vocabulary that is integral to their success in the classroom.

Not only are these donated materials supportive academically and linguistically, but they also make learning fun and motivating for my young students! Many children learn best through play and exploration of their environment. It makes me feel excited when my students come to Speech and point to the colorful boxes, demonstrating their interest in the therapy materials and activities that we use them for. The addition of the rainbow pop-it has also been so helpful for my students with sensory seeking behaviors. Not only do they enjoy the fun colors, but it helps them keep their hands busy so that they can focus on trying their best during sessions.

My next step in using these materials to support my students goes beyond the speech therapy room; I am currently implementing sign language education for classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and other related service providers at Tubman Elementary School to better support their students with limited/developing verbal communication skills. The Sign Language WT Cards have played a major role in my ability to pursue this educational endeavor. With more school professionals able to consistently model sign language in the classroom, my students will have even greater access to the communication they need to succeed.

Thank you once again for your support!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Stoddard