My students need board games! Board games are where many of us learned strategy, cooperation and collaboration. Our early social skills started with a board game like Labrynth or Blokus.
Our building is a k-6 building that continually grows in cultural diversity having students from Mexico, Bulgaria, Poland, India and many other countries across the world. As a Title I school, our building attempts to provide each of its 512 students with some of the basic needs they may not be able to receive outside of school. We are home to a Spanish dual language program, which begins in kindergarten and goes through sixth grade. In addition, our building is a site for the intellectual disabilities program.
We believe that our students can achieve high expectations and each student sets goals in both reading and math.
Throughout the year we are constantly gauging how are students are working towards achieving that goal through data driven conversations with students, parents and staff members.
My Project
My students needs games that will encourage them to think, to learn from each other and to work together. It seems as though, the students in my building, tend to not have a whole lot of experience playing board games [whether that's from lack of family time, lack of actual board games at home or an over abundance of video games at their fingertips...]. Yet, these board games are where early learning takes place. Social skills are developed from the get go as students - dependent on the game - have to collaborate in order develop a strategy that leads them to victory OR compete against one another as they sharpen their problem solving skills in order to out duel an opponent. Let's face it...board games is where it all began. Reading directions, setting up the game and working towards a specific objective. Often times there is reading, mathematics and forward thinking involved that enhances a child's cognitive abilities without them even realizing it! Talk about the secret benefits of play time! So, these games will be purchased and put to use in a manner that every classroom in my building will be provided with a game in order to share in the fun of learning. Grade levels will be able to utilize the materials within centers, during PBIS incentive days or simply as an additional recess resource in order to allow their students to have fun learning. By including materials such as the board games we are looking to purchase, students' cognitive skills are sure to sharpen which in turn will influence them as a learner within the classroom - helping individuals work towards their academic and social goals - with the help of our undercover agent... PLAY!
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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 Mr. VanDeSampel and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
