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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Velez from Staten Island, NY is requesting educational kits & games through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Velez is requesting

Empowering Swd & Ell Readers: Sensory Phonics Tools for Success

Help me give my students the tools they need to become strong readers. Many of my students are ELL with diverse needs, and incorporating multisensory tools into our classroom will allow them to engage more fully and effectively.

  • $495 goal

This project expired on April 29, 2025.

This project expired on April 29, 2025.

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

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.

My Project

The `sensory phonics tools I am requesting will significantly enhance my students' reading skills by providing them with multi-sensory experiences that align with the science of reading. When students engage multiple senses—sight, sound, touch, and movement—it strengthens neural pathways and promotes better retention and understanding of key phonics concepts. These tools will allow my students in our dual language ICT classroom to physically manipulate letters, sounds, and words in both languages, helping them make stronger connections between phonemic awareness and decoding skills. As a result, they will build a more solid foundation in reading, which is essential for their academic growth.

My goals for this project are to support my English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities (SWD) by offering them hands-on, interactive phonics tools that cater to their diverse learning needs.

The use of multi-sensory materials will help these students engage in phonics lessons more deeply, improving their decoding skills, reading fluency, and comprehension. By providing an environment where learning is active and engaging, I aim to give my students the confidence and ability to succeed as readers, ensuring they have the foundational skills needed for long-term academic achievement.

What makes my students special is their resilience and determination. Many of my students are ELLs, and several have IEPs that support their unique learning needs. Despite the challenges they face, they are motivated and eager to learn. Our school is located in a Title 1 area, where the majority of families face economic hardships. My students are working hard to overcome language barriers and learning disabilities, making significant strides in their literacy development. By supporting them with multi-sensory phonics tools, we can ensure they develop the skills and confidence to become strong, successful readers in both languages, setting them up for success both now and in the future.

Ms. Velez PS 84 Waverly Empowered Lrnrs Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Velez

Staten Island, NY View local requests

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

Never Before Funded 18 students impacted

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Velez is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Montessori Sand Tray for Kids 3 4 5 6 Years Old Sand Writing Tray Learning Sensory Toy Educational Alphabet and Phonic Words Comes with Sand, Tray, Lid, 2 Sets of Flashcards, Stylus (Beige) • Amazon Business $29.99 6 $179.94
hand2mind Talking Mirror My Sounds Phoneme Set (96275) • Quill.com $23.12 4 $92.48
30 Pack Mini Magnetic Drawing Board for Kid(6 Colors), Keychain Clip Doodle sketch Writing Pad, Toy Bulk for Toddler Rainbow Birthday Party Favor Classroom Supplies Treasure Box Prize Goody Bag Filler • Amazon Business $35.98 1 $35.98
hand2mind Alphabet Sensory Bubble Popper, Multicolor, 6/Set (95429) • Quill.com $26.82 1 $26.82
Gamenote Word Building Desktop Pocket Chart - CVCC & CCVC Word Phonics Game，Sight Words Flash Cards Kindergarten Classroom Must Haves，Blending Board for Kids Learning Reading and Spelling • Amazon Business $19.98 1 $19.98
Gamenote Word Building Desktop Pocket Chart Tent Flash Cards Kit - CVC Words Phonics Games Blending Board for Kindergarten Reading and Spelling • Amazon Business $18.98 1 $18.98
edxeducation Jumbo Tweezers - Set of 12 - Ages 18m+ - 6 Colors - Plastic Tweezers for Kids - Toddler Tongs for Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Bins • Amazon Business $10.63 1 $10.63

Materials cost

$384.81

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.77

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$420.58

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$74.22

Total project goal

$494.80

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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. Velez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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