Tap your toes and follow me! Did you ever have the opportunity to take tap dance lessons when you were a child? Did you ever have your own children in tap class? Remember listening to their little feet across the dance floor? Help give that opportunity to 40 little preschoolers this year!
My forty precious preschoolers range between the ages of 3 to 5.
60% of my students are Hispanic, and over 70% of my students speak English as their second language. About 55% of my preschoolers are on a free or reduced lunch program at our school.
Preschool is such a magical time in a child's life. A person's overall fine motor, gross motor, and brain development occurs within the first five years of life. Development of these life long skills through play everyday allows my students to leave preschool well prepared for the rest of their educational journey.
My students love to perform, sing, dance, and move their feet! Last year one student brought in their tap shoes for show and tell, and since then that is all my students are talking about. "I want those shoes!" or "I want to tap just like her!" Even my boys took a liking to the sound of "tapping feet." Their excitement to learn and try new things motivated me to write this grant just for them!
My Project
Over the past six months I have been working diligently to find donations for 40 pairs of tap shoes. I have to report that I found them! Thanks to my former dance teacher, and community members I was able to obtain gently used and brand new tap shoes. Along with those donations, parents have purchased storage racks for the tap shoes. Now all I need are the following items listed in this grant: mirrors and a board divider. Using the two large mirrors that I am requesting, students will have the experience of watching their feet and bodies move to various beats and rhythms. The mirrors also help students to become more self aware of their bodies and spatial awareness. These are important skills for young children to learn in their development. The board divider will also be great to have for closing off the tap dance area from the rest of the classroom, as well as offering a space to post pictures of them tap dancing and displaying tap dance steps! This also will help my multiple-sensory learners.
This grant is SUPER important to my students and me.
I have been working so hard on being able to get the necessary items for this learning center to come to life this next school year! With your donation today, you can make my hope and dreams become a reality for my 40 preschoolers! Thank you so much for believing in my vision and helping to shape my students foundation for learning through play!
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Katie Gabelman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
