{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Tongue River Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":40.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3305985,"projectId":9581616,"letterContent":"In a kindergarten classroom, where young learners aged 5-6 have short attention spans, high energy, and developing language skills, slideshows tailored to social studies (e.g., Native Americans, Presidents, Monarchs) and science curricula (e.g., animals, plants, farms, weather, five senses) serve as powerful visual tools. These digital presentations, often created with tools like Google Slides, incorporate colorful images, simple animations, short videos, and interactive elements. When aligned precisely with curriculum standards, they transform abstract concepts into concrete, relatable experiences. Below, I outline their impacts on engagement and knowledge retention, drawing from educational research and classroom practices.\r\n\r\n1. Boosting Student Engagement Kindergarteners thrive on multisensory input, and slideshows capitalize on this by blending visuals, sound, and interactivity—far surpassing traditional lectures or worksheets. Visual and Interactive Appeal: Bright, high-quality images (e.g., a slideshow on \"Life Cycles\" showing a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly with click-to-reveal animations) capture attention immediately. Studies from the Journal of Educational Psychology show that visual aids increase engagement by 40-60% in early childhood settings compared to text-only methods, as they stimulate curiosity and reduce fidgeting.\r\n\r\nMovement and Participation: Slides can include polls, \"turn-and-talk\" prompts, or simple games (e.g., \"What sound does this animal make?\" with audio clips in a science unit on farm animals). This kinesthetic element encourages whole-class chanting, hand-raising, or group pointing, making passive listening an active experience. In social studies slideshows on \"Community Helpers,\" embedding short role-play videos (e.g., a firefighter demonstration) prompts children to mimic actions, sustaining focus for 15-20 minutes—double the typical kindergarten attention span\r\n\r\n Overall Impact: Engagement rises as slideshows turn lessons into \"mini-adventures,\" reducing behavioral issues and increasing eagerness for repeat viewings.\r\n\r\n2. Improving Knowledge Retention and Understanding Slideshows break down complex curricula into digestible chunks, leveraging dual-coding theory (words + images) to strengthen memory pathways in young brains. Concrete to Abstract Progression: For science topics like \"Weather,\" slides start with real photos (sunny day vs. rainy), progress to simple diagrams (water cycle with arrows), and end with predictions (e.g., \"What clothes for snow?\"). This scaffolding aligns with Piaget's preoperational stage, where children learn best through symbols and examples. \r\n\r\nRepetition and Reinforcement: Built-in reviews (e.g., recap slides with \"What did we learn?\" questions in a social studies unit on \"Columbus\") reinforce key facts. Animations reveal information sequentially, preventing overload—ideal for kindergarteners processing 3-5 new ideas per lesson.\r\n\r\nReal-World Connections: Embedding videos or photos from everyday life (e.g., plant growth time-lapse in a \"Plants Need\" unit) helps children connect curriculum to their world, enhancing long-term retention. A meta-analysis in Review of Educational Research found multimedia tools like slideshows boost knowledge recall by 20-30% over verbal instruction alone in early grades.\r\n\r\n Overall Impact: Students grasp and retain core concepts (e.g., \"producer/consumer\" in social studies or \"solid/liquid\" in science) more deeply, as visuals create memorable mental anchors.\r\n\r\nThank you for supporting the entire Kindergarten teaching team, district-wide, in improving their lesson delivery and engagement with their students.","fullyFundedDate":1756235742576,"projectUrl":"project/student-engagement-through-slide-present/9581616/","projectTitle":"Student Engagement Through Slide Presentations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woodward","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3305985"},{"teacherId":8433142,"projectId":9178157,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support! The resources provided through this project—visual timers, student incentives, and tools that offer alternative response options—have made a noticeable difference in our classroom. The visual timers have been especially helpful for students who benefit from clear, structured transitions and time management support. They've made classroom routines smoother and helped students stay on task with less anxiety. The student incentives have been a powerful motivator, encouraging positive behavior and academic effort in a fun, meaningful way. Perhaps most exciting for the students are the new ways they can respond during lessons and to provide for themselves what they need to complete their work—such as writing on the table dots or using comfortable noise cancelling headphones. \r\n\r\nThese resources have truly helped create a more inclusive, responsive, and engaging learning environment. We're so grateful for the impact you've made!","fullyFundedDate":1742945699294,"projectUrl":"project/addressing-the-whole-child-sel-adhd-a/9178157/","projectTitle":"Addressing the Whole Child: Sel, Adhd, and Sensory Needs Met","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Yalowizer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8433142"},{"teacherId":3305985,"projectId":9220811,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donation of school supplies and games for our kindergarten students. Your kindness has a profound impact, sparking joy and fostering growth in our young learners.\r\n\r\nThe dry erase markers, 3-ring binders, math journals, highlighters, and Post-its ignite and provide us with many opportunities to read and practice math. Using these supplies turns every lesson into an exciting adventure, and the supplies are just fun to use by all! These tools empower students to express their ideas, build confidence, and develop essential skills like writing and problem-solving. The games you provided bring laughter and collaboration to the classroom, teaching teamwork, patience, and critical thinking while making learning feel like play.\r\n\r\nYour gift not only equips our students with the resources they need but also shows them that their community believes in them. This support lays the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and opens doors to a brighter future. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in their lives.\r\nWith heartfelt gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1744156189490,"projectUrl":"project/kindergarten-kickoff-stocking-little-h/9220811/","projectTitle":"\"Kindergarten Kickoff: Stocking Little Hands for Big Beginnings\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woodward","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3305985"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_39524","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":255,"numTeachers":20,"percentFrplEligible":45,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":83,"percentIndigenous":5,"percentLatinx":2,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":59.4,"schoolId":39524,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Tongue River Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Tongue River Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/wyoming/sheridan-county-school-district-1/tongue-river-elementary-school/39524"}
Join the 32 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Tongue River Elementary School is
a rural public school
in Ranchester, Wyoming that is part of Sheridan County School District 1.
It serves 255 students
in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 12.8:1.
Its teachers have had 33 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Share and help support Tongue River Elementary School
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of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
7%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Tongue River Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Dec 16, 2025
DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students
in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Tongue River Elementary School
$15,801
raised using DonorsChoose
33
projects
funded
8
teachers
funded
32
donors
8
projects
for
basic supplies
9
projects for
technology
1
project for
books
1
project
for
art supplies
Tongue River Elementary School has received support from
19 individuals from Wyoming and
13 individuals out-of-state.
