Amplify Your Voice

Learning to express oneself orally in class is an important skill for third graders. But not every student feels confident projecting their voice loud enough to be heard. To encourage even the most bashful students to share during classroom discussions, third-grade Westchester teacher Stacey Foster purchased a Catchbox, a soft, throwable student microphone that not only amplifies students’ voices but also provides a visual clue of who “has the floor.” This useful and fun classroom tool was funded through a DEF grant, reinforces the “think-pair-share” discussion system, and encourages student engagement.