2008 Grant Proposal Details

Listening to Literature Together   Edison Elementary

Total: $2000

Description:  To raise enthusiasm and skills for reading, we plan to provide students with access to audio books and related literacy materials on iPods, during whole-class instruction, within small groups and, especially for struggling readers, at home. We plan to pilot this literacy and technology integration project in our kindergarten classes. Listening to audio recordings of books as they read enables children to improve decoding, fluency and vocabulary, to better meet state-wide benchmarks for reading and to develop a life-long love of literature. This project includes three parts: 1. Listening with My Class - to enrich all-class activities, our kindergarten teachers will organize their listening libraries (music, stories, books, etc.) using iPod Nanos. By centralizing their audio materials, teachers can bring more audio material into daily instruction with less disruption of class time. This will require 2 iPod Nanos, one for each classroom. 2. Listening with My Friends - We’ll use iPod Nanos, along with comfortable, over-the-ear headphones, and headphone splitters, in our listening centers so that two or more children can read along with a book as they listen. This will require 6 additional iPod Nanos, 12 headphones, 6 headphone splitters and 2 USB hubs for charging and syncing the iPods. 3. Listening with My Family - We’ll use the more compact iPod Shuffles to accompany books that we send home with children who need extra support in reading. The Shuffle Packs will include the iPod Shuffle, printed book, headphones, a laminated sheet of instructions, and a “Parent Comments” form, in a compact container. We will create a library of audio books to go with favorite books in our existing classrooms and library. We'll use existing CD recordings that come with our reading curriculum, plus have parents, local celebrities, teachers, grandparents, and others read & record stories, and save them into iTunes software. From there, we plan to create playlists organized by (1) reading level (2) reading program and (3) theme. These playlists may also include relevant songs and poems (e.g. a "Bugs" playlist would include “The Very Busy Spider” as well as our kindergartners singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider”). Teachers will download the playlists to the iPods as needed, and a printed list would be available if needed, as a reference. We anticipate that beyond enjoying the stories themselves, the kids will enjoy discovering their favorite PE teacher, their grandmother or other familiar voices reading to them.

Why is this important?  As both technology and our library materials are changing, our listening centers can’t keep up. Many of our books are on tape but our tape machines are not working. There are many valuable books that go along with our units that do not have a recording. Our reading curriculum includes several CD’s with audio recordings. We will be able to enhance the existing curriculum with these recordings and improve access to them by organizing them on the iPods for classroom and home use. Listening to audio stories builds comprehension, fluency and vocabulary skills. Children can have a discussion about a book that they have all heard – whether they can read it or not. Research shows that following along in a text with a fluent reader improves reading fluency. Seeing and hearing new words read in the context of a story builds vocabulary.

Who will be served?  This grant will enable us to pilot our “Listening to Literature Together” audiobook project at the kindergarten level, where most of the students are at a literacy level appropriate to following along with a narrated text. Edison has over 50 kindergarten students. We hope to build the program in subsequent years to reach other grade levels. The recordings will also be available to our entire student body of 300+ students via a computer in the library.

How will this be evaluated?  • We’ll monitor our Kinders’ reading levels at least 3 times per year, using district grade level benchmarks (Easy CBMs) for reading. Students who do not meet benchmarks will receive added support through the “Listening with My Family” component of our program. We’ll monitor these students’ reading levels more frequently. • We’ll check in with our teachers to insure our process for recording and transferring audiobooks goes smoothly. • We’ll monitor our kinders’ use of recorded books on a regular basis, as a whole class, in small groups, and at home. • We’ll ask our families for feedback on our “Listen with My Family” program through the comment forms included with our “Shuffle Packs.”

Does this build on existing programs?  • Our school improvement plan emphasizing supporting all students to reach grade-level reading and literacy benchmarks. Audio recordings provide a basic support for literacy instruction at the primary grades, improving childrens’ confidence and independence as readers. • Our school improvement plan also has a technology integration component, to focus on 21st century skills. This project builds on our teachers’ and students’ ability to leverage technology to improve skills.

Budget:  Staffing: Our training needs will be met by our tech specialist during her regular hours, with support from a parent volunteer. -- Supplies: Our printing and laminating costs will be covered by regular classroom budgets -- Equipment: -- iPod Shuffles: $42. each x 12 = $504. -- iPod Nanos: $126. each x 8 = $1,008.-- USB Hubs: $49. each x 2 = $98. -- Kids’ Full Ear Headphones $14. Each x 24 = $336. -- Headphone Splitters: $3. each x 6 = $18. - Cases for home use $3. each X 12 = $36. -- Total: $2,000.

Proposal #:  37