Albert Einstein once said, "Play is the highest form of research."
It is through play that young children learn about the world around them.
I have a fantastic group of students, raging in age from 3 to 5 years old.
All of my students have severe impairments that limit their ability to access the general education curriculum.
Our school is located in a low-income area and serves a high- need population. As educators we strive to provide a classroom environment and educational experience that fosters social, emotional, and cognitive growth for all of our students. Our goal is to create a space where students feel happy and safe; a space in which they will thrive as young learners.
My Project
The students in my classroom benefit from hands-on experiences that will encourage them to explore more about their world. The resources that I am requesting are designed to encourage children to develop and use pretend play skills. These skills are an essential part of a child's skill set. Due to disabilities, it can be a challenge for some of my students to engage in imaginary or pretend play, therefore requiring regular opportunities throughout the day to practice.
Dramatic play materials such as the cash register, pretend cooking set, a grocery basket and pizza kit will enhance the dramatic play center. Encouraging the students to interact with other "shoppers" and "restaurant diners." The camping kit will be added to our camping prop box for small group play. The prop box is a set of materials grouped by theme which helps guide students toward imaginative role playing, a skill that most of my students will not acquire on their own, but need to be taught explicitly.
My students are a wonderful bunch who enjoy coming to school with their teachers and peers.
Social interaction can be difficult for many of my students and providing them materials that encourage this interaction is critical.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Kowalski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
