My students need to have literacy materials that let them creatively relive the stories that have been introduced to them during large group gatherings.
Do you remember hearing a story that you loved when you were a child and wishing someone would read it to you again and again. My students are not old enough yet to pick up a book on their own and make it come to life. With the aid of read along books and puppets they can make their wish come true.
My students are very active preschoolers that attend an all day program in California.
We start our day at 7 am and end it at 5 pm. Throughout the day I need to provide many different activities to keep my students engaged in discovery and exploration. They love to hear the stories and pretend to be the characters in the books. My class jumps at the chance to read where ever they find a spot. Whether it be inside the classroom or outside in the grass under their favorite tree. They are always ready for another adventure. As they play, they reenact the stories that have been read to them. As they interact socially they are also building literacy skills that will promote reading in the future.
My Project
Books open up a child's imagination and allow children to venture into a world that may be just out of their reach. Pretend play allows children to become someone or something that is magical. When children have access to book sets that have puppets and a CD children can read along and follow the story on their own. They can also pretend to be a character in the book. This gives them the ability to understand different perspectives as they change their voice into the troll in the Billy Goats Gruff story or pretend to be a gingerbread man running from the old woman and man. Finding a venue that will allow children to use their imaginations as they enter magical scenarios from storybooks will help ensure an interest in reading for a lifetime. Students learn how to follow the text, read the words, become the characters, retell the story, and socially engage with one another as they participate with one another.
This project is important to me because as a preschool teacher I know that when you introduce your students to books and story time you have the ability to spark an interest and love for literacy that will help prepare students for a successful future.
I believe that everyone of us has a special childhood memory that involves a story that was dear to our heart and that memory includes the person that introduced them to their love of reading.
Nearly all 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. Julie Bradford and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
