We are a K-6, Title I school where over 70% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Over 8 different languages are spoken in our school, with a majority being Spanish, Russian/Ukrainian, and Somali. Many of our families are immigrants who are not familiar with the American education system, so a vast majority of our kindergartners come to school not knowing the English language and also not knowing simple foundational skills such as writing their name, recognizing their letters, using scissors, etc.
Despite their struggles, my students persevere in school and want to do well.
They come to school each day with smiles on their faces and are eager to learn. My students love to read and are learning to become great mathematicians. Their excitement is contagious!
My kindergartners come to us with a wide range of prior experiences. My students love hands-on learning experiences. They enjoy participating in shared experiences with their classmates. The kindergartners are very good at sharing, both orally and in written form, things they have learned from hands-on experiences.
My Project
I have devoted time in my daily schedule for differentiated groups for reading/writing. This means that I work with small groups of students based on their educational needs every day in literacy in addition to the core content the whole class receives.
The work that I do with these children at this time is intentional and I strive to make it fun and interesting for them.
My students are split academically. Half of my students are meeting standards and half of my students are working below standard. While I am working with small groups of children, the other children are given individual time to practice skills that are being taught in core instruction and in small group instruction. These manipulatives will also serve a purpose during this time. The puzzle is a fun independent (or small group) activity that kids can work on not just matching beginning sounds with the letter but also working on their logic skills (how to make the puzzle pieces fit together). The word family books are perfect for my at standard students who are ready to start reading simple books! Kindergarten is their first experience in school! This is where we teach the foundations of reading and get them excited to learn to read! These interactive cards can be tailored to each of the needs of my kiddos!
These are just a view examples of how these manipulatives will help my students! Help me to enhance learning and close the achievement gap! These materials make it engaging for students and holds them accountable for their learning!
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