Come this August, my currently empty classroom will be teeming with eager, compassionate, and energetic kindergarteners, ready or not to take on what may be their first experience with school.
As I’ve gotten to know this bunch and their families this summer, it is evident that this cohort comes from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, nationalities, income statuses, and family set-ups.
I am eager to start the year off with opportunities for them to celebrate one anothers differences while coming together as a cohesive, caring community of learners.
My Project
Our school enjoyed a Reading A-Z "RAZ Plus" online account this past school year, which became a true game-changer during distance learning. Our students were able to log into a kid-friendly "Reading Room," access easy-to-navigate online books at their individual reading levels, read together in small online groups, and improve their reading skills across the board. Even before distance learning, downloading and printing mini-books at all reading levels from the platform, was a welcomed part of our small group, guided reading routines.
Because of my students' measurable successes this past spring, I am certain that continued online access to RAZ Plus will be an integral part of our distance learning this fall.
The platform makes it easy for parents to log in and track their child's progress, as well as for students to engage with reading independently. They can record themselves reading books, highlight and identify unknown words, and take comprehension quizzes, all of which teachers can interact with and gather as data to inform our instruction. Plus, an all-time favorite is a student's ability to unlock cool outfits and pets for their RAZ robot avatar as their reading skills increase!
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 Ms. Cornell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
