My students need books of songs we sing and play, and paper and markers to create musical symbols and illustrations for these songs and others.
$621 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
If you were in Kindergarten, at a school without recess, wouldn't you rather become a better reader by singing and playing "Shake My Sillies Out" than by reciting letter sounds? My students would! And they can because many of our songs and games have corresponding books and allow for made-up verses.
Over 90% of my students are from low-income families who care deeply about their children's education.
Many students travel by public transportation past several schools to attend ours because of the strong sense of community, safe environment, and small class sizes. Our school's test scores have put pressure on teachers and students to spend less time with valuable hands-on learning experiences and more time with text books.
For 45 minutes each week students come to general music class where I work to increase their literacy in all areas through playful, kinesthetic experiences. Adding books to this experience will help all students, especially my many students with autism, add meaning to the songs we sing and play. The 450 preschool through 8th grade students in this urban neighborhood school are eager to learn and play and they never turn down a well-told story or song!
My Project
These books are songs that tell stories. The look on my students' faces when they see a book for a song we've played many times is simultaneously joyful and curious. This collection will broaden our repertoire of songs students can read and give younger students enjoyable first experiences with reading.
For my 30 students with autism, several of whom are nonverbal and have a hard time creating meaning, these books will give the visual cues needed to help them develop their language and communication skills. The paper and markers are for "mapping" activities that increase students' music literacy.
After students sing and play a song many times they begin creating a "map" or developmentally appropriate musical score of the song. Eventually students use these maps to make up new verses, label notes, and read music. The WikkiStix will allow my students with visual impairments to follow their classmates' maps and give all students additional sensory input for matching the music with a map.
Research shows that children learn through play and my students deserve an education that values their energy and curiosity.
Your contribution to this project will continue making school a place children want to be and allow their formative experiences with reading to be joyful so that they become lifelong learners. The resources you fund will provide these students with songs to play in a way that encourages them to move beyond problem-solvers to become creative problem-finders.
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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. Romano and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
