Stacy Tedesco

Tedesco’s innovative teaching idea, “Listening for Literacy”, is designed to engage students who are significantly struggling with the use of MP3 players. The established and proven program, founded by three teachers who recognized the need for students to practice their reading and literacy skills at home, provides audio accompaniment to reading materials so that students can independently hear and practice language skills at home. The MP3 players contain sounds, songs, sight words, and leveled text customized to each student. During the pilot program last year, 32 students were served in kindergarten through fifth grade, but the grant will allow the program to expand to reach 100 students during the 2013-2014 school year. Tedesco, one of the founding teachers of “Listening for Literacy”, and who lives in Washington, D.C., hopes Thomson Elementary students who are struggling with literacy will improve and build their individual literacy confidence.