www.southmountain.somsd.k12.nj.us
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somef benefits south mountain An interview with SOMEF Grant Recipient, Ellie Esposito The Listening Center equipment takes it a step further. It has been shown in research that audio books enrich children’s reading experiences. Hearing a book on tape helps children see how words on the page can come a live in a fluid, expressive way. It helps them focus on the sounds of words read without interruption and provides a model for fluent reading. Audio books also improve listening skills and empower children with language learning differences by promoting independent learning and participation. Narrators of these audio books often tend to embellish their storytelling with silly voices and dramatic enhancements. This emphasizes reading as a source of pleasure rather than a skill, and makes children eager to learn how to read.
You received two SOMEF grants this year, one for 1 the reading mentor electronic system and a second
one for a CD listening center with audio books. How did you identify the need for each project?
The need for the Reading Mentor was identified due to the fact that there were some 2nd grade students who were having extreme difficulty learning how to read and write. The Reading Mentor system would allow these children to independently practice letter sounds, decode and pronounce words, and master sentence structure. Once purchased with SOMEF grant funds, the Reading Mentor was used to engage the students by incorporating sight, sound, and touch for a highly interactive, multi-sensory learning experience.
Prior to the CD Listening Center grant being funded, the 2nd grade classrooms at South Mountain Elementary were equipped with outdated tape audio players and a very limited number of books on tape to share between classrooms. The second grade teachers were interested in obtaining dual CD/tape players to make use of the tapes that they currently had, as well as purchase and use more updated and durable CDs. Over a two year period, SOMEF funded the CD/tape Listening Center equipment, as well as books on CD, for all five 2nd grade classrooms at South Mountain .
By providing the Reading Mentor and the Listening Center equipment to the children, we are giving them the tools they need to enjoy, and ultimately understand, text more deeply.
Will future second graders benefit from the 4 grants you received?
The Listening Center equipment that has been purchased by the SOMEF grants is still in the 2nd grade classrooms and is still being utilized by all the 2nd grade teachers. I anticipate that this equipment will be used by the 2nd grade teachers for many years to come. The Reading Mentor system is currently being used by the Special Education department at South Mountain for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who are experiencing reading difficulties.
Can you describe how the equipment is used 2 on a daily basis? The Reading Mentor was used in the 2nd grade inclusion classroom last year on a daily basis by those students who were having difficulty catching on to the concepts that make reading and writing possible. They spent about 20 minutes each day with the system. The Reading Mentor was also used last year for the on-grade level readers while they were in Literacy Centers. While in the Centers, small groups of students practiced decoding, pronunciation, and mastery of sentence structure with the system.
Do you believe you could have obtained the same results without the SOMEF grant?
I know I would not have been able to obtain the same results without SOMEF funding.
I would like to personally thank SOMEF for its tireless efforts in helping teachers obtain the funds necessary to try new ideas and provide their students with educational experiences and materials that require additional funds that our district can’t afford.
Additionally, the Listening Center equipment and books were used on a daily basis in classroom Literacy Centers to help build children’s reading skills.
How does the new equipment affect the children’s 3 reading comprehension on a long term basis? The Reading Mentor and Listening Center equipment really work hand-in-hand to help the complex task of reading come together for students. The Reading Mentor focuses on the basics of reading – on teaching the skills necessary to become a proficient reader.