"I can read!" As a Kindergarten teacher, these three words are magical. By the end of the year, my goal is to hear these words shared proudly from every child in my classroom. The challenge becomes getting them there based on the skills they have when they walk through my door.
My 22 kindergarten students are eager and excited to learn and have a desire to pick up a book and read.
However, close to half of my kindergarteners either have limited English skills or have never been to preschool. Therefore, their basic literacy foundational skills (which are precursors to reading development) are in need of intense instruction and support.
My Project
I am requesting materials that aid in the instruction and support of the key components to beginning reading skills: letter knowledge, phonemic awareness skills (rhyming, segmenting sounds, blending sounds), and vocabulary development. These materials come in the form of hands on center games that will be used during our literacy center time both in an independent and small group setting. These games will be applicable to both of these settings as they will be used for not only initial instruction of the targeted skill, but also for reinforcement purposes. The children will have the opportunity to build, practice, and improve these necessary pre-reading skills which in turn will impact their success when they choose a book to read on their own. By providing these materials that promote vocabulary, alphabet, and phonemic awareness skills on a daily basis, my students will become and will see themselves as readers by the end of their Kindergarten year.
"Books aren't just words... they're also filled with places to go and people to meet".
I want all of my children to feel this way when they sit down to read. In order to get them there, I need these materials to aid in the instruction of the necessary skills that create successful readers.
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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 Mrs. Schmunk and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.