Shout Out to East Palo Alto Teacher: Help Students Learn to Read and Speak English

I remember last year sitting in my son's kindergarten class at their reading comprehension station, where they'd listen to a story then write and draw pictures about it. I was amazed to see an actual cassette tape! When was the last time you saw one of those? But we know that In many classrooms around Silicon Valley, our children have incredible technology to help with their reading comprehension: Ipods, MP3 players and laptops.  What a new way of learning....    They are the "fortunate" students.

I see there is a school around here (East Palo Alto) that doesn't even have these cassette players. Or reading stations! We all know how important it is for ALL our kids to read and pronounce words properly, especially ESL students!  Ms. B, a librarian in nearby East Palo Alto has put out this request and she is  hoping that the Silicon Valley Community will give her students a fighting chance at learning and reading in English:

Using a listening center allows students to read the text and hear the language fluency simultaneously. Having listening centers available to students is HUGE!

Giving them the opportunity to hear fluent English and read along gives them the exposure to language they need to become fluent in speaking English.

Your help will ensure my students exposure to the English language. Their fluency and confidence in reading will only grow through the use of a listening center!

My kids went to pre-school in East Palo Alto and it's clear they didn't have a lot of the bells and whistles like other school. The issues go well beyond that, but this is a small way you can help.  In preschool these are nice to have, but the amazing teachers gave my kids an enriching experience without fancy toys or equipment.  As they got older though, these supplies are not "nice to have" - they are essential to create productive and enthusiastic students.  So can you give a little to this deserving school and their students, or to any of the Silicon Valley schools on our DonorsChoose.org board? (You can even donate $1 towards any of these requests!) In fact a shout-out to my own son's school who is in need of an LCD Projector? Think they'd notice if one just walked away at my company?

Come on Silicon Valley!  Won't you consider helping out Ms. B and our children in East Palo Alto?

Original post on Silicon Valley Moms by Nicole, who will donate herself just as soon as she figures out how to take advantage of corporate matching. Her personal blog is Not Just a Working Mom.

Nicole