Let's Talk: Books to Help Kids Learn Coping Skills
My students need 2 copies of "Bullying in Schools" and 22 books about bullying, stress, loss, separation, divorce, and handicaps to use as discussion starters.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. H.'s classroom raised $459
This project is fully funded
My Students
Gandhi once said that stress is always hungry, don't let it consume you. Everyday my students struggle with stress due to lots of difficult issues. When they experience fear or stress, they need to read and then talk it out. We desperately need some books to use as discussion starters.
Many of my students are the children of deployed military personnel.
My school has a tradition of being a neighborhood school, but it is now a school in transition. Our stable neighborhood is changing. 18.4% of the families receive supplemental Social Security income or public assistance. Over half of my students qualify for free or reduced price breakfast and lunch. Our student population is racially and ethnically diverse. One out of every 9 students is in ELL programs. We have students who have recently arrived from Somalia, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, as well as natives from Alaskan rural areas.
Although they represent the very best in America, many of my students suffer from low self esteem. We have problems with bullying on the playground and teasing and name calling in the classroom. Stress is interfering with learning. We need to change the climate in our classroom. We need to confront stressful issues.
My Project
To build compassion and empathy among my multiethnic and multilingual students, I need books about coping with stressful situations to use as the basis of a discussion group. Even though many of my students cannot read yet, they do enjoy listening to stories and looking at pictures. I plan to create a group of 4th grade students who will listen and react to books about tough topics. We do not have enough money to buy these new, desperately needed books for our library.
Sharing a book together will help students gain control over difficult situations.
Seeing how characters dealt with the situation helps create coping skills. Nonfiction books help answer questions students did not even know they had. We need these essential books for our library. We need the help of Donors Choose.
More than half 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. H. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.