Homework Revolution: Playing Games for Growing Brains!
My students need games and puzzles that will support their cognitive and motor development, such as Jenga, chess, and legos.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. L.'s classroom raised $400
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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
Last week, a student asked, "Could we just do our math instead of recess?" Today, another commented, "I just want to stay here and practice. I don't want to go outside!" When the learning is fun enough, the difference between the yard and the classroom becomes inconsequential. That is the true goal.
My school is a bilingual elementary school in Washington Heights, a diverse (though predominantly Latino) neighborhood in upper Manhattan.
As an Expeditionary Learning school, our instruction is based on the principles of character, academic rigor, and high quality work. In the primary grades, we believe in honoring the development of the whole child, and infuse play and playfulness, music, and art into our learning throughout the day.
My students are creative, kind, and culturally aware first graders. They can greet you in 5 different languages. They love to sing, meditate, and collaborate.
My students learn in Spanish for half of each day, and in English for the other half. While some are learning Spanish, others are learning English -- every child is both a teacher and a learner.
With all these wonderful attributes, it bears noting that we are a 95% free lunch public school in serious need of additional resources to provide the education we envision for our students!
My Project
Homework is a very controversial issue these days. We want our young children to continue learning and growing beyond the schoolyard gate, without the stress of a big HW packet.
Yet much of our children's time without homework is spent in front of a TV or a smartphone screen -- even before age 5!
My goal is to create a class set of resources for "Play Homework", to support my students in developing skills they need to be successful, while embracing the playfulness that is at the heart of childhood.
Games like Chess, Jungle Speed, and Set help children to develop their capacity for problem-solving and pattern recognition, while more physical games like Jenga allow young children to slow down and think like engineers, while mastering gross motor skills. Puzzles also support problem solving while supporting the acquisition of key background knowledge.
Einstein said that "Play is the highest form of research." Please help me to send the research home with my precious first graders!
80% of my class entered 1st grade reading at a PreK or KG level.
We have a long way to go, but want to ensure that our students develop holistically, and that they benefit from the wide range of activities that support cognitive growth along multiple dimensions.
Play homework also supports our parents in engaging with their children in healthy, enjoyable activities without screens or devices.
Play homework may be the wave of the future -- please join me in this exciting experiment! ¡Vámonos!
More than three‑quarters 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
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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. L. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
