My students need theme-based costumes and related materials to help emerge them into the pretend world they are creating based on our current learning theme. The costumes and dress-up materials that I am requesting will give them the springboard that they need to launch themselves into a world other than this one.
Do you remember being 4 or 5 years old and playing pretend in your mother's, father's, or even grandparent's clothing? Can you remember the heights to which your imagination soared with the addition of a simple towel draped over your shoulders as a cape?
My class is very diverse and majority of my students are English Language Learners with very few groups speaking the same language.
I have been blessed with an extremely enthusiastic group of learners; however, some of them are still very reluctant to speak. As I do appreciate a nice calm and quiet class environment, I welcome the sound of little conversations and opportunities for them to use and incorporate the vocabulary that they are learning thematically. They are awesome children and deserve everything that I can give them to help them master the English language. We are a Title I school, which means majority of our student population receives free or reduced lunch. This being said, many of them do not get the opportunity to pretend play at home because parents are busy working and trying to make ends meet. On the off chance that they are able to play, they are not afforded the luxury of a variety of play things to help spur their imaginations or language.
My Project
The costumes and dress-up materials that I am requesting will give them the springboard that they need to launch themselves into a world other than this one. When a child is given the opportunity to put new vocabulary into actual use and develop meaning for themselves, they (the newly acquired vocabulary term) now have value for the student. Once a term has value, the child will recall and implement it more readily. Putting on that mail carrier costume will help them become the mail carrier that we have been reading, studying, and talking about in whole group. What better way to truly understand what a dentist does than to transform our living center into a dental office and allow the children to be the dentist and use dentist's language with one another?
Pre-Kindergarten is the grade where their sense of wonder should be nurtured and developed.
They have the rest of the academic careers to be doubtful, insecure, and jaded. Right now, they should be able to play without judgment, laugh until they snort, and be anyone they want to be! That is what these costumes will do for them!
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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