2008 Grant Proposal Details

Reading Buddies   Arts & Technology Academy

Total: $847

Description:  Reading Buddies is a project where we loan struggling readers iPods nanos containing a recorded playlist along with a packet of reading scripts to take home each day as their “Reading Buddy.” It is a unique new way to do homework and learn more about reading and literature. The object is to engage students and have student practice longer after school. In essence, we are hoping to extend the school day using technology to assist. This program is modeled after Howard Elementary’s award winning program. With the proposed purchases we can create lessons geared to in-class instruction that change each week. They would be designed so children are able to do nightly lessons independently. Students would be encouraged to share with their parent/guardian. These lessons would contain songs, reading prompts, and poems that help them practice phonemic awareness and alphabetic principal in addition to specific phonics skill acquisition lessons. Reading Buddy lessons would be referenced to daily classroom reading lessons.

Why is this important?  The Kindergarten program this year is half day. This project is critical to extending the school day in order to help the students’ read at grade level. All the recent research shows that without early intervention, struggling readers will remain struggling readers, further exacerbating the achievement gap.

Who will be served?  This will serve all students in Kinder who are not reading at grade level on a daily basis.

How will this be evaluated?  We will regularly evaluate reading skills using Easy Curriculum-Based Measurement (Easy CBM).

Does this build on existing programs?  No

Budget:  8 refurbished iPond nano 4GB at 79.00 each $632.00 - USB hub $15.00 - Materials (consumables) $200.00 - Bags, cards, daubers, color printing - Total Request: $847.00. We are requesting $500.00 The budget for this project is 847. We are asking EEF to partially fund this project.

Proposal #:  6