GRANT PROPOSAL

Patricia Riordan
LIS 725
The Frances Xavier Warde School is a Catholic elementary school in
downtown Chicago that provides an academically excellent, values-oriented
education to students of all ethnic, religious, cultural and socio-economic
backgrounds. It provides need-based scholarships to 30% of its students.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Library Media center, located at the primary level campus serves
preschool through 3rd grade students with weekly lessons in storytelling,
literature appreciation, library skills and media instruction. Our mission is to
create a nurturing and engaging environment in which students can
successfully seek information and ideas for their educational, informational,
and recreational needs. The library seeks to promote an appreciation of
literature enabling students to interpret meaning from print as well as visuals
in a variety of ways.
NEED
Including audiobooks in the library media center as well as the classroom can
benefit students literacy skills in many ways. Increasing the audiobook
collection In the Library Media center at Frances Xavier Warde will benefit
students and teachers in a variety of ways:

Allow teachers to use technology in the classroom to engage learners

in the 21st century reading and writing instruction
Differentiate instruction between students of all levels and abilities
Increase language learning
Increase vocabulary development which impacts reading success
Allow students to read the same book and discuss
Supports students with visual, physical or learning disabilities
Builds confidence in students who struggle to read, understand or see
printed words
Increases interest in challenging literacy material
Increases comprehension when used with text

IMPACT
Research shows that audiobooks increase language and vocabulary
development. The specific project for which we seek funding is to increase
the Library Media centers audiobook collection for use by students during
library classes, as well as, to be a resource for teachers in the classroom.

Including audiobooks in the library media space allows students to listen to

books read that would be otherwise challenging for them to read on their
own thereby differentiating instruction.
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
The audiobooks will serve approximately 320 students from kindergarten
through third grade in the Library Media center. Additionally, several
audiobooks will be available in the library circulation for teachers to use in
the classroom.
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
ELA Literacy SL2.2
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text
read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
ELA Literacy SL2.5
Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add
drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when
appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
ELA Literacy SL3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a
text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
PROMOTION
Photos of students using the Playaway audiobooks will be uploaded to the
digital TV photo share in the reception area of FXW school. Pictures of
students using Playaway audiobooks in the library media center and the
classroom will be posted on the classroom blogs, in the school weekly
newsletter, School library web pages, and the school yearbook. Students will
also showcase the audiobooks on the morning broadcast.
SUSTAINABILITY
Include new and current audiobooks into the yearly budget
PROJECT BUDGET
35 Pre-loaded audio Playaway Books
Tax and Shipping

35 @ $40 =

+$1400.00

+$130.00

Gift from Parent Association

TOTAL COST

-$250.00
$1280.00

PUBLICITY/PRESS RELEASE
The Frances Xavier Warde School located in the west loop received $1400.00
from Helping Hands Grant Foundation last week for audiobooks to enhance
their Library/Media Center and classroom collection. Research shows that
audiobooks increase students language and vocabulary development as well
as promote 21st Century technology skills.