Within the Head Start program, we strive to use building blocks to assist our students across the board for continued educational success. Many of our students are in their first year of school, which at age 3, can be quite scary to begin with. Having universal tools to reach students of all backgrounds will assist in unified educational experiences.
How can we build excitement in learning for students without a variety of exciting tools to assist the initial spark?
Our students do have some educational toys currently, but we are looking to expand the collection to allow for being able to see numbers, letters, etc. used in different ways. The students in our classroom come from low-income families where many are unable to afford certain luxuries. Building a classroom environment that houses some of those necessary, educational luxuries will not only spark their excitement, but will also give them an escape from outside distractions even for just a few hours a day.
My Project
My students have been hard at work using the materials that we currently have. They have been building towers as tall as them—some even taller—along with forts, houses, robots, dinosaurs, and so much more! Their imaginations have been growing since adding to our collection with the new materials from our ‘Building Brighter Futures’ first project. To accommodate the number of students that want to use these materials, I am looking to add more of what we received. I love seeing my students grow each day using their imagination to design and build different projects.
Through using these building blocks during their choice time, the students are also expanding their knowledge of science and mathematics: (even basic physics concepts—gravity and balance) measuring, counting, identifying shapes/colors, organizing, problem solving, understanding structure and stability, etc.
They are enhancing fine motor skills through using the play/figurine people that we currently have. I am looking to add to the collection for the students to build off prior knowledge both in and outside of the classroom. Our students see a variety of community helpers throughout their lives let alone daily. Some of the students come from large families, while others from small families. Our classroom is also well diverse, and it would be great for them to have more relate-able materials. Help us have a ‘block party’!
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 Mrs. Pontius and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.