Grant Helped Outfit Skippack Elementary Class with Amplification System

The following was submitted by Michelle Brown of the Perkiomen Valley School District:

Thanks to the generosity of the Perkiomen Valley School District Foundation, a grant was presented to Judy Kling, school counselor at Skippack Elementary School, for the purchase of a classroom amplification system. Research has shown the following benefits of an amplification system: 30 percent of the children will hear the teacher better, attention and on-task times improve, class interaction and participation increases, behavior problems are reduced, and ESL students, and learning disabled students can benefit.

From the first day the system was installed in Kathy Lepore’s first-grade classroom, she has been thrilled with the results. Lepore has noticed an increase in the attentiveness of her students.

There has also been a notable difference in the amount of student participation. Because the students are so enthusiastic to speak into the microphone, they are raising their hands at every opportunity.

Additionally, the students are more attentive to each other. First-graders tend to speak in very soft voices. Now that each of the students has “found his/her voice,” the other students really do listen. 

The school's sincerest gratitude goes to the foundation for making this system available to Lepore’s first grade classroom.