My students need play food, a cash register, a work bench with fake tools, giant blocks, alphabet activity mats, a cd player and a class set of musical instruments.
The kindergarten children are confident in spirit, infinite in resources, and eager to learn. Everything is still possible. ~Robert Fulghum.
So much of kindergarten today is not the kindergarten we remember. In many ways, today's kindergarten classes are yesteryear's first grade.
My students attend kindergarten in Seattle.
I call them my tiny United Nations, because our class is incredibly diverse in language, race and culture. 50% of my students are English language learners. They come from homes whose first languages are Somali, Spanish, Amharic, German and Vietnamese. 70% of my class is made up of students of color. The diversity and the way these 5 year olds notice and yet don't notice it, is vibrant, entertaining and endearing.
All of my students have things in common though. They love to learn. They love to sing. They love to explore and create. As Robert Fulghum stated in the quote above, "everything is still possible". They thrive when our activities are truly kindergarten activities and sometimes struggle with the demands of a first grade level curriculum with desk work, standardized tests and building stamina to do "school work". The purpose of my grant is to bring music and play back to my kindergarten classroom.
My Project
As I have gotten to know my young learners better, I see how critical it is to carve out spaces for them to express themselves, move, explore, and actively engage in problem solving. These resources would make it possible to have music and dramatic play become part of the fabric of our day. With enough instruments for the entire class, we can use them to sing our daily songs about math, friendship and reading. The cd player would allow us to listen to songs as a whole class and at the students' listening center. The food, cash register and work bench will help them in dramatic play to act out adult roles, problem solve how to share and decide on and take turns playing different parts. We currently have a play stove and sink, but my young boys all try to use the one tiny tool belt to emulate the men in their lives. A large workbench with tools would make this accessible to more of them.
The saying goes that "everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten".
That author wasn't talking about phoneme segmentation, sight word memorization, or even math facts. He was talking about the real kindergarten experience.
Playing, exploring, imagining, and singing in a safe space with other children. Learning to engage in and appreciate the world around them with other learners. That critical space is losing ground each year. Please help me bring music and play, and through it, creativity back to my kindergartners' world. Their imaginations will be forever grateful to you.
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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. Kribbs and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
