You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Dorneman from Philadelphia, PA is requesting other through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Dorneman is requesting

Why Can't Learning Be Fun?

My students need reading comprehension board games and classroom library books.

  • $1,003 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Ms. Dorneman has another project! Donate to Full STEAM Ahead to help her classroom.

All donations currently matched!
You can complete this project for $338.
1.5X
Help Ms. Dorneman

Ms. Dorneman has another project! Donate to Full STEAM Ahead to help her classroom.

All donations currently matched!
You can complete this project for $338.
1.5X

Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way. ~George Evans I teach 6th grade in an extremely high-need community in Philadelphia. Although the buildings that surround our school are falling down, the children that attend our school are bright and full of life. They deserve every opportunity and experience that I can provide for them.

Our school just adopted a full inclusion policy and all of the learning support children have been mainstreamed into regular education classrooms. In an effort to improve our students' reading levels, I need a fun way to get the kids interested in reading and to help sharpen their fluency and comprehension skills.

Board Games! Can you believe they actually make board games that help children become better readers? While researching educational games, I came across the materials that I know will work. The board games listed in the materials sections help students with skills ranging from finding the main idea, sequencing events, recalling facts, general comprehension and a variety of other critical reading comprehension skills. I am also asking for books to be used in the classroom library. Once our skilled have been sharpened using our new games, the students will need a variety of high interest books to practice their new skills.

The children that I teach have overcome more obstacles in their 11 years than most of us will in our lifetime. There is no greater gift that we can give children than hope. My classroom is centered around the idea that learning to read well can open endless doors to opportunity. I teach my students that no matter what, if you have an education, you can improve your life, your community and in time, the world. I believe this project is the beginning of something great. The students are excited to learn and have so much potential. Your help in supporting our project could help to inspire one of our next great leaders. Thank you so much for taking the time out to read this essay. Your support for this project means more than you could possibly imagine.

Ms. Dorneman Richard R Wright Elementary School Grades 6-8

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Dorneman

Philadelphia, PA View local requests

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

28 students impacted 1donor

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Dorneman is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Coretta Scott King Author Award: Book Bundle for Grades 4-6 (6 Books) • AKJ Books $28.74 1 $28.74
Guided Reading Book Bundle Level V (42 book set) • AKJ Books $232.02 1 $232.02
PLACE VALUE QUIZMO • Teacher's School Supply $16.24 1 $16.24
GAME OF KNOWLEDGE • Teacher's School Supply $34.64 1 $34.64
VOCABULARY QUIZMO • Teacher's School Supply $16.24 1 $16.24
Reading Comprehension Games #2 - Blue Level • Nasco $85.95 1 $85.95
Reading Comprehension Games #2 - Red Level • Nasco $85.95 1 $85.95
Reading for Detail - Race Track Blue Level (3.5-5.9) • Nasco $16.50 1 $16.50
Reading for Comprehension - Finding Cause and Effect • Nasco $7.74 1 $7.74
Reading for Comprehension - Getting the Main Idea • Nasco $7.74 1 $7.74
Reading for Comprehension - Noting and Recalling Details • Nasco $7.74 1 $7.74
Reading for Comprehension - Finding the Sequence • Nasco $7.74 1 $7.74
Reading for Comprehension - Using Context Clues • Nasco $7.74 1 $7.74
Reading for Comprehension Set of 9 • Nasco $66.55 1 $66.55
Reluctant Reader Grade 5 Bundle (10 book set) • AKJ Books $40.91 1 $40.91
Reading Between the Lines - Fantasyland Blue Level (3.5-5.9) • Nasco $16.50 1 $16.50

Materials cost

$678.94

Vendor shipping charges

 $67.89

Sales tax

 $40.74

3rd party payment processing fee

$16.97

Fulfillment labor & materials

$17.00

Total project cost

$822.00

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$180.44

Total project goal

$1,002.44

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $1,002.44

1 Donor

-$967.06

Donations toward project cost

-$822.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$145.06

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$35.38

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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. Dorneman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"PA","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/why-cant-learning-be-fun/144800/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":28,"isEquityFocusV1":true,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Dorneman","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"126812622","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Philadelphia","teachersOnPage":[159676],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":144800,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":1,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"159676":{"owner":"Ms. Dorneman","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[144800],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp159676_272x272.jpg?width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1512582123513","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":93780,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":{"completingDonationAmount":338,"proposalURL":"project/full-steam-ahead/9493306/","matchingFund":{"name":"The DonorsChoose Community","type":"AUTO_DONATION_MATCH","matchingKey":"26BTSBoo","matchImpactMultiple":1.5,"multipleForDisplay":"1.5X","donorSalutation":"The DonorsChoose Community","ownerRegion":null,"amount":0.00},"proposalTitle":"Full STEAM Ahead","proposalId":9493306},"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":159676,"schoolCounty":"Philadelphia","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"PA","name":"Pennsylvania"}}