What do you remember about preschool? THE ART! Painting, stamping, running home to show mom what you made! In our class, we embed our academic, behavioral and language instruction into our projects. Without the proper art supplies, our students will not engage in the instruction.
My students are 3 and 4 year old children with disabilities.
Their disabilities range from Autism to Developmental Delays. They attend a classroom that specializes in behavioral and social skills instruction to help them be able to function well in a regular classroom with regular peers. Due to their needs, instruction has to be given in an explicit way that is also engaging and reinforcing.
My Project
Imagine being 3 or 4 years old and having a painting activity to do. You are so excited to paint your butterfly red, your mom's favorite color, but you have to wait for a paint brush because they are not enough to go around. You wait, and wait, and wait until you get so mad you start to scream.
The materials I have asked for will help all of our students have access to all the materials at the same time. They will enhance the way we teach because students will have to identify colors when asking for them (i.e. Can I have the red paint brush please?)
One activity we do with large craft sticks and googly eyes is making monkeys and then we sing the 5 Little Monkeys song. The craft stick and googly eyes make this activity so much fun! They also take them home and sing the song with their parents. Later in the year, we incorporate it with basic addition and subtraction. Activities such as these teach language, being part of a group, taking turns and academics.
I know craft sticks, paint cups and googly eyes sound like a funny thing to ask for.
You are probably thinking, doesn't the school supply these things? The answer is NO. These materials are not even available in our district warehouse. To buy them, I have to use my own money or classroom money given monthly intended for snacks. We get $50 in snack money per month. When you have 12 kids a day, that does not leave any room for supplies. Please donate to my project and make the kids activities fun!
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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 Mrs. Baird's Preschool Classroom and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.