My students need a document camera to watch me model, a sand and water table to accommodate their sensory needs, and large tweezers to help build fine motor skills.
I am blessed with a wonderful group of sweet, hard-working kiddos! My students live in a high-poverty area where many families struggle to meet basic needs, such as food and clothing. Students at my school receive a free breakfast, lunch, and snack every day, and are also supplied with shoes, clothing, and meals for the weekend when needed.
My students bring life, energy, diversity, and love into my classroom, they also bring with them a unique set of needs and challenges.
Many students in my class have special needs, including: Autism, ADHD, speech problems, underdeveloped motor skills, and blindness. Creating an inclusive environment where each child can succeed is my goal. Additionally, half of my students are English learners, so supporting both their English development and maintaining their native language are a priority for me.
My Project
The document camera, which has a 'zoom' function, will make a huge difference for many of my students who have poor eyesight but cannot afford glasses, and will especially benefit my student who is partially blind. It will allow me to project a real-time video-feed on my whiteboard. This will ensure that all students can see me, model, using small manipulatives like creating an ABC pattern with colored blocks on my desk, or demonstrating how to hold a pencil and form letter 'R'. I can also put a book under the camera so students can read along with me. The possibilities are endless!
The large, easy-grip tweezers will help students develop their fine motor skills which are essential for hand-writing.
Simple activities like using the tweezers to sort pom-poms by color will be educational and developmental.
The sand and water table will be used for a variety of purposes, including science discoveries and demonstrations, as well as 'Seek and Find' activities with various sensory materials, such as pasta. This will be fun for all, but especially beneficial for my students with Autism who need that sensory input.
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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. Gouveia and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
