Help me give my students a carpet and furniture for their first literacy area so they can have a special space to get together, read author books, and learn to write away!
I teach at a public preschool on the south side of Chicago. From a play-based approach, to project-based learning - we focus on the idea of "nothing without joy." My preschoolers truly embody this vision as they learn and grow. They walk into the classroom bright-eyed and excited to play and learn. They are 3-5 year olds from varying social and economic backgrounds, who experience my classroom as their first school - often also understanding it as the only definition of school.
To maximize children’s learning potential, we follow an emergent curriculum that is based out of the interests and leads of children.
Teachers take inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to education, and set up the classroom environment to allow children to create, build, and learn in their own unique ways. The children come together in the "blended classroom" model, where some of them have developmental delays and some of them are typically developing. They help each other every day, teaching me and everyone around them the biggest lesson in respect, love, and empathy.
My Project
At our school, we encourage children to write purposefully in a variety of ways, and with many personal connections. They focus on learning to write the letters in the own name, making lists for their pretend parties, making signs to convey messages, taking order when playing restaurant, and much more. While they do all of this, we also lay stress on what influences children's writing - what they read the most. And what children read is picture books. Learning from author books not only brings out their creativity, but also helps them learn at their level, and with personal connections.
Our young authors and writers need a studio space to feel inspired and collected, in order to write more and write better.
A long table would help them come together for conversations and work, so they could inspire each others' books as well as share their stories. A carpet would add comfort and softness to the area, so the children could sit on the covered floor and also read inspiring books. We hope to add an existing shelf to organize writing supplies as well as displaying books that inspire them and provide them with ideas.
Half of 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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