Past projects 2
Visual Vocabulary!
Funded Dec 7, 2009First, I would like to thank everyone for your generous donation and for your time. Your donation helped field the way for better understanding of vocabulary. Many times students become frustrated when they read and cannot decipher an unfamiliar word and become altogether turned off to reading. This year it was my job to make my students with special needs excited about reading again. This was a difficult task but your donations opened me to many new opportunities.
With your donation I was able to visually represent vocabulary and show different techniques on how to define an unfamiliar term. Not only did I show images to make a connection with the vocabulary but had the students themselves come up and write their own self-written definition. This improved and expanded their vocabulary leaps and bounds! Before I knew it the students were scoring 80's and above on their vocabulary exams. They now run to class to read the class novels, because they know that unfamiliar words won't stop them anymore.
Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for assisting in the success of my students. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vazquez
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.Make My Students Be MONSTER Readers
Funded Oct 30, 2009I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for donating Monster to my Literacy Special Education class. My students are of all different reading levels, but most of if not all have told me more than once that they "hate reading." As a literacy teacher you can imagine my astonishment. I realized that to get my students to read I had to give them a book that was relevant and that they could relate to. Monster by Walter Dean Myers was the perfect solution.
In Monster, the student found a protagonist/antagonist that they could see themselves being. They felt invested in the story and therefore became invested in their own reading skills. I would have my students waiting in front my class EARLY just so they could start reading as soon as we entered. Students who normally stayed quiet in class were begging for a part in the reading. This not only improved my class time but my project intake. I have three literacy courses and I received 98% of my projects based on Monster. Unfortunately, this is usually unheard of!
Through your donation you have helped instill the love of reading in my students. I hope to continue with this momentum and create more interest. Thank you again for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vazquez
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.