This project is for the kindergarten students at my school. We support a culturally, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse group of learners in both kindergarten classrooms with a wide range of needs. Since the early 1980s, Burlington has officially been a federal refugee resettlement community, and over three decades, we have welcomed to Burlington New Americans from more than 25 countries.
Our classrooms have many ELL students and many students who have experienced trauma in their lives and have some challenges coming to school.
Our classes are inclusive settings that serve students with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism spectrum disorder and specific learning disabilities.
We are unique at the IAA because we offer our students an interdisciplinary curriculum and a dynamic approach to learning where the arts are central to academics. Creativity is pervasive in the student-centered curriculum that values meaningful play. When children are engaged in play they invent scenes and stories, solve problems, and negotiate their way through social roadblocks. We are hoping to purchase a range of materials for the classroom to support play!
My Project
In Kindergarten, learning through play is developmentally appropriate. These materials will enhance my ability to use the vehicle of play as a powerful learning tool in the classroom.
There are many benefits to having children engage in play based learning activities.
When children are engaged in social and fantasy play they are developing their language skills and self regulation abilities. “By interacting with others in play settings, children learn social rules such as, give and take, reciprocity, cooperation, and sharing. Through a range of interactions with children at different social stages, children also learn to use moral reasoning to develop a mature sense of values…Children learn to abstract, to try out new roles and possible situations, and to experiment with language and emotions with fantasy play. In addition, children develop flexible thinking; learn to create beyond the here and now; stretch their imaginations, use new words and word combinations in a risk-free environment, and use numbers and words to express ideas, concepts, dreams, and histories.” (Child Development Information).
By having access to manipulatives, such as small figurines and blocks, my students will be able to let their imaginations flourish and create worlds for these characters to explore. We love to read in kindergarten, often re-reading the same story again and again to the point that the kids can recite their most beloved tales. I want to create small story sacks to leave at one of our literacy centers so the students can act out the story with the small figurines.
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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. Stewart and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.