ALPHA BETA FOUNDATION

October 2024

 

Dear Alpha Beta Foundation,

 

My name is Nora Restrepo, I am in my second year of teaching as a special education teacher. I currently teach in a 3rd grade ICT classroom at PS164 in Brooklyn. I I was originally supposed to be in 1st grade ICT but unfortunately, things are always changing in the DOE.  I would like to thank Alpha Beta Foundation for their “fund a teacher” stipend. This money has helped me purchase books and tools to assist my students to become better, and more fluent in math and in reading. 

 

 I knew what my incoming first graders needed; they needed phonics. I was able to get access to my new 3rd grade class list and their data from last year and saw they needed phonemic awareness help. In third grade phonics is going to look different than it does in first grade. In third grade phonics, students go more in depth learning about vowel teams, magic e, blends, and CVCC words and high frequency words are more complicated. Students also need to retain the words they have previously mastered. I bought tools that students would need to help them in these areas. The high frequency words or sight word cards are a good quick drill used before we start reading a story and or to use when students are getting ready to write.

 

I also noticed that the students could read but are they really understanding what they are reading? To make things fun I purchased dice that have reading comprehension questions on them to spark conversations before reading, during and after reading. Along with the dice, I purchased four sets of books that are easily decodable for students to practice 3rd grade phonics skills and comprehension skills. I also bought guided reading strips to help my students keep their place as they are reading. They can feel confident in reading and try their best. 

 

Reading is very hard for some students; it was especially for me. I liked reading; however, comprehension was always difficult for me. I want my students to learn and have fun while reading.  I plan to use the reading comprehension dice and cards in small groups and or independently. 

 

Times are changing and we now have sound walls and morphology walls, instead of word walls. Now we want students to understand why the word says that sound and how it changes the meaning of the word. A morphology wall focuses on prefixes and suffixes and the BINGO game will help students to practice those skills. They can have fun while practicing their language skills.

 

 I was also able to get different math tools that can be used. Multiplication and division are very big in 3rd grade.  I purchased a BINGO game that will help my students practice and memorize the multiplication tables and have fun making it a little competition. Some students still need some support in basic math facts 1-20 and the flash cards are used for early finishers. These items can be used in partnership, small groups, and or independently for the students to achieve their own goals at their own pace. Like my grandpa would always say “education is not a race”.

 

Again, thank you Alpha Beta Foundation for your generosity.

 

Nora Restrepo

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