Help me give my students some SUPER fun, engaging ways to work on their letter recognition, name writing, math and fine motor skills...and they'll think they're playing...shhhh!!!
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.
My Students
"It's OK, I'm just learning!"
This is how I always start off our first day of school.
I make a "mistake," and then we all practice saying this together. I find it calms fears and lets students know that this is a safe place where we can take chances and make mistakes together!
My students come from very diverse backgrounds and bring with them a variety of challenges daily when they enter the classroom.
Our school is a Title I urban school with the most diverse population in our district, serving over 80% of our students a free or reduced-price lunch.
Each day, it is my job to make students feel safe. I put on my "acting" hat to make lessons entertaining and fun and to inspire them to do their personal best! The fact that they have such varying levels of ability makes this a little tricky, and I've found that they are most successful when they are given opportunities to practice skills in a variety of ways both cooperatively in groups and individually. (The best part is, they often think they are "just playing." Mwah haha!)
My Project
Our class will be starting the school year with Distance Learning. Normally, students spend lots of time exploring the many manipulatives we have in our classrooms. These "toys" actually help build very important skills such as fine motor, pattern building, letter and number recognition, name writing, and even important social skills as they share their experiences with their classmates. Students are often times very timid and shy at the beginning of the year, but I think that sharing their experiences with these different activities and showing their creations during our Zoom meetings will be a great icebreaker!
I would like to recreate these exploration and sharing experiences for our students who will be learning at home by providing them with fun and creative opportunities to experiment with these items and share what they've created during our virtual meetings.
I would love to recreate the "normal" kindergarten experiences they would be having if we were physically in the classroom. The items chosen will have many different uses. The pony beads and pipe cleaners can be used to create patterns and artwork while strengthening fine motor skills. The puzzles will help build those spatial and math skills. The foam alphabet letters and bath crayons can be used to work on letter identification and name writing all while getting squeaky clean...how fun is that!?! Even the baggies and containers to hold the materials help strengthen fine motor skills!
Thank you for considering helping to make this very NOT normal experience more special and memorable for these "COVID kids"!
More than half of 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
SANNIX Puzzles for Kids Ages 3-8, 60 Pieces Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Preschool Educational Learning Toys Set for Boys and Girls (4 Pack)
• Amazon Business
$11.99
14
$167.86
Endangered Species by Sud Smart Bath Crayons
• Amazon Business
$4.18
28
$117.04
Tub Cubby Foam Bath Letters and Numbers Toys Fun for Kids - Large ABC 123 Spell and Count Alphabet Bathtub Play Set - Magically Stick to Wet Walls - CPSIA Seal of Safety BPA-Free (Pastel)
• Amazon Business
$4.00
28
$112.00
Freshware Food Storage Containers [50 Set] 8 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe
• Amazon Business
$15.99
2
$31.98
Pony Beads, 3600 PCS 9MM Pony Beads Set in 24 Colors for Bracelets Making, DIY Crafts
• Amazon Business
$12.99
2
$25.98
Caydo 2000 Pieces Assorted Sizes Multicolor Pompoms Glitter Pom Poms with 4 Sizes Wiggle Eyes for Valentine Day Hobby DIY Art Craft Supplies
• Amazon Business
$11.99
2
$23.98
1600 Pieces Pipe Cleaners in 32 Colors Chenille Stems for Home and School DIY Art Crafts (0.23 x 11.8 Inches)
• Amazon Business
$19.99
1
$19.99
SUNEE Plastic Mesh Zipper Pouch (6 Color, 18 Packs) - Extra Large Zip File Folder Bags for Office Supplies, Cosmetics, Travel Storage, Bills, Accessories Organizing Storage
• Amazon Business
$16.65
1
$16.65
SUNEE Plastic Mesh Zipper Pouch (6 Color, 18 Packs) - Extra Large Zip File Folder Bags for Office Supplies, Cosmetics, Travel Storage, Bills, Accessories Organizing Storage
• Amazon Business
$16.65
1
$16.65
Freshware Food Storage Containers [50 Set] 8 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe
• Amazon Business
$15.99
1
$15.99
Shappy 20 Pieces 50 mm Plastic Handle Metal Alligator Clips (Black and Red)
• Amazon Business
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. Dilling and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
