Help me give my students watercolor paints to create their art work, neon index cards and binder rings to create tiny art books and tape and rubber bands to hang/organize their creations.
Our school district has made national news due to its financial budget crisis. I currently have thirty students in my class. Our school is a Title I school, and all of the students receive free lunch.
My students are from a diverse, urban area.
There are forty languages being spoken in the homes of our students. Most of my students speak another language at home. A number of those families have difficulty assisting their child with homework because they do not understand English. We are not receiving money for supplies from the school district, which makes teaching difficult. Students see school as a safe place where they can rely on predictable routines and are excited about learning. Their hard work motivates me to seek out the very best opportunities for them.
My Project
Sometimes things are more fun when they are shrunk down to a smaller size. That's when I thought of making tiny artist books. My students love painting! They also love books. Every time we make a guided painting project, my students can make a small index card size painting version to keep. They can add one to a binder ring each time to make a book of paintings. Students then can write on the back of each card a favorite memory or thought.
Art encourages children to think, develop skills and confidence as they go.
A fun way to incorporate painting into my small guided reading groups would be to make sight word booklets for each student. As a student learns a new tricky sight word, instead of having them write the word on an index card with a pencil, they can paint the word! This would make a boring activity fun and memorable! Taking the time to study the word and create each letter would help students remember how to read and write that sight word.
By placing art supplies in my students' hands, you're giving them a chance to make more memories. Every child is an artist ready to express themselves creatively.
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