I have been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to work with urban preschool aged Deaf children for many years now. In this past year, teaching this highly active group has become a challenge as they have been forced to do most of their learning through a computer screen. Most of my lessons, prior to remote learning, were conducted through experience-based, play-based, and hands-on activities. It is the most effective and engaging way for these young highly active and highly visual learners to retain language. We have tried to incorporate these teaching techniques as much as possible but have become acutely aware that they lack many of the materials in their home needed to engage in activities similar to that of "in-person schooling".
With Donors Choose this project, it is our hope we will be able to bring the literacy materials from the classroom into each and every student's home.
We want to provide them with their very own magnetic letters, lap boards, language based craft materials, and ASL resources so they can use them both at home and in school pending on the day.
My Project
At the preschool age, majority of learning takes place through hands on experience-based learning. Specifically with our population, maintaining engagement is particularly essential as all our students learn best through visual information. Our classrooms are filled with ASL visuals, magnetic letters, labels, word walls, language based craft materials, etc. When teaching shifted from the classroom to the home, the preschool population suffered the greatest as the students' education became centered around learning through an iPad screen. It is our goal, through this project, that our students although still engaging with us through a screen, will be able to manipulate learning materials they would typically be using to learn at school from home. While they are engaging with these materials provided we will be able to observe and ask questions about their thinking, and expand on their language.
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 Ms. Annie and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.