My students need 21 journals, 5 books, a 16-tray mobile organizer, a Learn-to-Write-With-Mentor-Texts station, Writing Activity Stations, a Writing Super Sentences station, and 4 Build-a-Story Flip Books.
My students are full of energy, eager to explore, and love to ask questions. We have a diverse group of students from many cultures and backgrounds. Many live in poverty, with their families working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Each year some experience homelessness and trauma.
As first graders, there's so much for them to learn in a school year.
Learning isn't only about reading, math, and other academics though! We also need to learn how to express ourselves, cooperate, focus, listen to others, & problem solve. While having great science skills, reading, math, & technology skills are important, even tech companies like Google are learning that they're not THE most important. Recently, Google learned STEM skills were the lowest predictor of success for their employees, while soft skills, such as understanding others' perspectives, encouraging each other, being flexible, communicating in a positive manner with others, & problem-solving were THE most important predictors for success. We need to cultivate these skills in our children. Building a vibrant writing station in our classroom is a great way to help students learn to express themselves and learn others' perspectives.
My Project
More of our students are experiencing homelessness, and often times, are dealing with experiences that are hard to process. Some students experiencing homelessness can withdraw from the world or have a hard time with the strong feelings they experience.
These materials will help my students learn to recognize their feelings, express themselves, and communicate better.
The books in this project feature stories about experiencing homelessness, finding one's voice, and how friendships can grow when we communicate with others. They will be used to help students who are experiencing homelessness understand that they are not alone and how powerful writing can be. Writing allows for more reflection, and can be a canvas for students to splatter their thoughts onto. It can provide insight and understanding, especially during those times when someone might have a tendency to shut out the world or act out. That's where the journals I'm requesting come in. Each student will receive his/her own journal to write in. In those journals, they can grapple with and explore their feelings, goals, and relationships. They can also use them to write imaginative stories and just put their troubles aside for a while.
This project also has materials to get children excited about writing & develop important skills. The mentor texts allow students to learn strategies to convey their feelings and ideas effectively to others. With the Writing Activity Stations kit, students can jump into creating poetry, descriptive writing, imaginative writing, & more. The Flip books will be a popular choice, as students get to choose how story elements go together. The Sequencing kit will help children learn how the order in which we tell our stories is important. With your support, our students will have many resources available to help them find their voice as a writer.
Flexible Magnet Dots with Adhesive by House Again – Perfect for Crafts & DIY Projects, Hanging & Organizing Light Objects at Home Office or Warehouse, 70Pcs
• Amazon Business
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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. Verish and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
