Learning to Solve Problems and Work Together Through Games!
My students need an assortment of 13 board games and card games for groups of students to play together.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. O.'s classroom raised $422
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Sitting at home, alone, playing video games with a computer. That is what my students think of when I mention 'games' to them. My students don't grow up playing games with other kids, learning how to interact and solve problems with others. I teach 6th grade in a public middle school in California, in an extremely low-income community. Our families are typically below the poverty level, lacking the money to spend on extra games and enrichment, and the students come in far below grade level in both academics and interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
The first time I introduced board games to my students I sat back, amazed, as I realized that they could barely get started on their own. They had never played Monopoly, Sorry, Life, or any of the games I learned as a kid. Moreover, they couldn't work as a group to read the instructions or solve disagreements as the games progressed. I realized, through talking with them, that they had never had the opportunity to play board games with other kids. Most of them considered 'games' to be video games they played by themselves, in their rooms, with only a computer for company. There are no interpersonal skills needed to play the games they're used to, and there are never any problems that need solving, because the computer figures it all out for them. The students were totally lost when it came to human-powered games.
My students need practice working with others to read directions, decide on rules, and work through problems that arise in the course of a game. Playing board games with other students teaches them to try new things (they've never heard of the games Clue, Life, or many others) and to work through frustrations and disagreements. In order for them to get this practice, we need games to play! By having a variety of games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, Life, Sorry!, Mastermind, and Checkers, available for my students during lunch, after school, and a games elective period, the students will have access to the tools they need to practice essential interpersonal skills. Playing games gives them a chance to work together, enjoy the company of other kids, and have fun in a productive setting.
Your help will increase my students' interpersonal skills and give them the confidence they need to work through problems in their lives outside of the classroom - all while having fun!
This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Ms. O. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
