My students need building materials, such as tiles, gears and bricks, that will help them develop planning and thinking skills, as well as inspire their creativity and increase the social interaction that is crucial at their age.
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
My kindergarten students are English language learners whose school is located near low-cost housing projects, in a high poverty area, in California. All students receive free breakfast and lunch. Most students come from families whose parents cannot support them with literacy or homework, as they cannot speak sufficient English, or are sometimes illiterate. Additionally, some of them spend most of their day at school, in an afterschool program, as their parents are not able to care for them at home.
The majority of my students begin the year with little or no knowledge of age-appropriate skills, such as letter and number recognition.
Some have not attended preschool. Notwithstanding, the work we do in our classroom, to meet the needs of all students, by the end of the year, some are far below grade level.
My Project
Our daily schedule is filled with academic subjects that require children to focus in very specific ways: sitting on the rug in their assigned spots, working at their desks, etc. So, it becomes extremely important that children be given regular times during the week to choose ways in which they can build creativity based on their interests.
Choice Center Time enables kindergarten students to develop ways in which they want to express their creativity, while also building communication skills with their classmates.
In our classroom, children might be seen painting, playing in the theater or kitchen center, creating with playdough, or simply playing a board game with friends.
Many children in our class, both boys and girls, have expressed a desire for more building supplies. We currently have a set of old Legos and some Lincoln logs. By receiving materials such as Playstix, Gear Builders, Building Bricks, and Magna Tiles, children will have a variety of activities to choose from, while also having the opportunity to develop spatial and kinesthetic learning skills, while learning to work with their classmates in a group situation.
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. Schaefer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
