"Raz"zle Dazzle and Reading Comprehension

School:: Naples Park Elementary
Subject:: Language Arts
Teacher:: Nicole Sponseller
Students Impacted:: 25
Grade:: K-5
Date:: September 10, 2018

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

WINGS - $149.90

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 28

The “’Raz’zle Dazzle and Reading Comprehension” grant impacts over 28 students at Naples Park Elementary School on a daily basis. The grant funded a reading program called Raz Kids that helps students improve reading fluency and comprehension. The program is used in the IBI (intensive behavioral intervention) Unit which includes three classrooms that cover grades kindergarten to 5^th grade. The program is accessed using an app on a device on using a computer. Raz Kids is unique for each student who uses the program. The students access reading book, both fiction and non-fiction, which are at their specific independent reading level. As they pass reading comprehension quizzes they can move up to the next reading level. The program also has the ability to read each book to the student. The words are highlighted while a voice reads the book aloud. This makes reading accessible and fun for all students! There is a fun part of the program where students can create a robot based on earning stars for successful reading! I am so grateful for Champions for Learning, the Education Foundation, and all sponsors who participate in the classroom grant process.

grant photo

Original Grant Overview

Goal

My goal is to add some “raz”zle dazzle in reading comprehension by giving students access to the Raz Kids online program. (www.raz-kids.com) Often students who struggle with reading and reading comprehension dread sitting down with a book and reading. With the one year Raz Kids online program subscription students would have access to a program that could make reading a fun activity for them. My hope is that students would gain confidence in reading by successfully moving through different reading levels and passing comprehension quizzes with this program. Differentiated and leveled books can be read aloud to students with this program, this is the feature that will be most useful to my students because of their current reading struggles. Independent reading is an activity that my students avoid or find frustrating for many reasons, in particular understanding vocabulary as well as fluency are skills that are difficult for them. I would like the vocabulary “add-on” option with this program to help with this specific deficit. Some students have used this program in the past with other teachers or schools and ask for it by name because of the success and confidence they gain by using it.

What will be done with my students

Raz Kids is a reading resource students can use to practice reading and improve their literacy skills. Student will gain access to the Raz Kids website that has thousands of differentiated online books and reading passages. These books can be read aloud to the students or students can read them independently. With the year long subscription I am requesting, students would have unique login information which would make books available to them on their specific ability level. The program is interactive, students can use highlighting tools for words or phrases, and extremely kid-friendly. Students can even record themselves reading the book to practice and demonstrate fluency. Another nice feature of the program is leveled reading comprehension quizzes that correspond to books and passages the student reads. As a teacher I would have access to a management portal with different reporting options so that I can monitor my students progress.

Benefits to my students

The biggest benefit would be that my students would love reading. Once students learn to read they can then read to learn and while learning to read is an essential skill in education I also strive for my students to love to read. There is nothing better than helping a student find a book they can’t put down or hearing a student’s enthusiasm about getting lost in the world of a good book. I hope that the Raz Kids program would help my students find a love of books and reading.

Budget Narrative

The items in the budget are two year-long subscriptions. The Raz Kids subscription would be the main program with the leveled reading books and passages and quizzes. The vocabulary add on would be for additional vocabulary lists and words practice specifically chosen for each student.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Raz-Kids 1 Year Subscription	$109.95
2	Vocabulary A-Z Add-On	$39.95
	Total:	$149.90

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.