I am a fourth grade English-Language Arts and Social Studies teacher in Queen Creek, Arizona. I have fifty-six wonderful, energetic, enthusiastic students. The majority of them are accelerated in math, but they are not avid readers and writers. They are eager to learn and excited to come to school each day, and I would love to see them all develop a passion for reading and writing. They are a very bright group of students that keep me on my toes!
My fourth graders are very active and enjoy hands on activities with a lot of movement.
They thrive on movement and independent choice. I am constantly searching for ways to challenge them and keep them engaged in learning. They enjoy learning centers, readers' theater, working with partners and groups, learning through games, and any activity that uses technology. My hope is, that through the use of centers with engaging activities and flexible seating, I can pique their interests in reading and writing.
Like most fourth graders, my students love choices and a feeling of empowerment. Differentiating is a must with this group. They are definitely kids of character, and these kiddos are really going to go places!
My Project
Literacy centers with flexible seating allow students to have movement in their day and sit comfortably while they learn. Reinforcing language arts concepts through games and mainpulatives helps increase student engagement and interest. My students work well in a variety of locations in our room while discussing and collaborating with their peers. When given these opportunities, they almost always make good choices, are more engaged, get more work completed, and learn more than when they are just sitting at their desks.
The items I have selected will help my students by giving them additional seating options and activities to provide more effective learning.
The cushions and book pillows will allow for additional comfortable floor seating options. They are lightweight and can be easily used in many areas of the classroom. The bench will give students a special spot for reading in the independent reading nook. The language games and books will help students work together to reinforce concepts they are learning, such as vocabulary, grammar, idioms, and similes.
I have seen the benefits of literature centers with engaging activities and flexible seating. Adding more of these opportunities to our classroom should help improve student learning even 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. Bodnar and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.