{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Charles W Bush Early Learning Center & Ecap","outOfStateSupporters":30.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6830703,"projectId":9826144,"letterContent":"For our three-year-old students, many of whom face significant sensory and communication challenges, new materials can sometimes be overwhelming. However, the LOVEVERY Play Kits and Melissa & Doug puppets were met with pure wonder. One of my students, who typically prefers solitary play, immediately reached for the safari puppets. Watching his eyes light up as he \"met\" the zebra was a powerful reminder of why these high-interest, tactile tools are so vital for our learners.\r\n\r\nWe are currently using the \"Feed the Animals!\" and \"Hats Off!\" activities to turn foundational language into a game. During our morning circle, we practiced \"put in\" and \"put on\" directions. A specific breakthrough occurred yesterday with a student who has a goal for joint attention; he sat with a peer for nearly five minutes, taking turns \"feeding\" the toy animals. While it looked like simple play, he was actually mastering the social reciprocity and receptive language that will eventually allow him to participate in group reading and phonics lessons.\r\n\r\nThe Alphabet Puzzles have also become a classroom favorite. Students aren't just looking at letters; they are feeling the wooden shapes and matching them, which is a key multi-sensory component of the Science of Reading. This tactile \"mapping\" of letters is helping them build the alphabetic principle in a way that is developmentally appropriate for their age and needs.\r\n\r\nNow that we have secured these foundational communication tools, our next step is to move from single-word labeling to early narrative skills. We are starting a \"Storytelling with Puppets\" project where students will use the safari animals to act out simple sequences, like the lion being hungry or the giraffe going to sleep. These activities will help them understand the structure of a story—beginning, middle, and end—which is a crucial step toward reading comprehension.\r\n\r\nYour support hasn't just provided \"toys\"; it has provided the literacy bridge my students need to find their voices and start their journey as readers. Thank you for making this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1760652148718,"projectUrl":"project/building-the-literacy-bridge-interactiv/9826144/","projectTitle":"Building the Literacy Bridge: Interactive Tools for Early Communication Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6830703_orig.jpg?crop=824,824,x1020,y505&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1642361003295","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6830703"},{"teacherId":840319,"projectId":9826037,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for contributing to the project for my class this year! These resources are giving my PreK students materials they need to support literacy and giving them seating options to help keep them engaged and support their different learning needs. Every student has had an opportunity to use the different seating options. We are so grateful to have cushions, a bean bag chair, and comfy floor seats for flexible seating options! These are helping my students be able to focus and participate during our small group times and in our classroom library! Using the bean bag chair in our library \r\n\r\nMy students love using the write and wipe pockets to practice writing our letters and could not wait to be able to use them! They also love using the magnetic alphabet letters and the ABC fishing puzzle! We are beginning to learn to rhyme, and the rhyming game will be introduced this week!\r\n\r\nOur school year is only halfway through, and we can't wait to get to use all our materials throughout the rest of the year!","fullyFundedDate":1760547534065,"projectUrl":"project/wiggly-seats-and-alphabet-play-helping/9826037/","projectTitle":"Wiggly Seats and Alphabet Play: Helping Every Pre-K Learner Shine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Von Stetten","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/840319"},{"teacherId":10311496,"projectId":9827221,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our inclusive pre-K classroom is using these new resources every single day in meaningful ways. The flexible seating options have helped students choose comfortable spaces where they can focus during read-alouds, small-group literacy instruction, and independent work. The magnetic whiteboards have become a favorite tool during math and literacy activities—students use them to build letters and words, practice counting and number formation, and collaborate with peers. One especially memorable moment was during a retelling of The Mitten, when students used the boards to sequence characters and draw details from the story while seated in flexible spots that supported their individual sensory and learning needs.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the children were SO excited! They were excited to see new manipulatives and to start exploring. Many students couldn't wait to try the new seating or open the art and puzzle materials, and several who typically struggle with attention stayed engaged for longer periods of time. These resources have helped create an environment where all learners feel included and successful. As we move forward, students will continue using these materials to deepen early literacy skills such as letter recognition, storytelling, and problem-solving through hands-on, play-based learning. Your support has truly given our donors a peek into a classroom where curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning are growing every day. Thank you for making such a lasting impact on our students and our classroom community.","fullyFundedDate":1760550772849,"projectUrl":"project/engaged-explorers/9827221/","projectTitle":"Engaged Explorers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Emily","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/emily-szaroleta"},{"teacherId":7653581,"projectId":9830595,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my students and our communication journey. Because of your generosity, my preschoolers now have engaging books, sensory toys, and therapy tools that make learning language fun, meaningful, and accessible. These materials help children build vocabulary, engage with stories, and practice communication through play—whether they are using spoken words or AAC. Our new cart not only stores and transports materials, but also serves as a \"surprise box\" that sparks excitement and as a seat for me to provide on-the-go therapy throughout the school day. Your support is helping my students find their voices and experience joyful, inclusive learning every day.","fullyFundedDate":1760683253095,"projectUrl":"project/learn-to-talk-with-ms-melissa-a-speech/9830595/","projectTitle":"Learn to Talk With Ms. Melissa: a Speech Therapy Toolkit","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Melissa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7653581"},{"teacherId":7661678,"projectId":9833188,"letterContent":"The new materials immediately sparked excitement and curiosity among my nonverbal autistic students. As soon as they were introduced, students were more attentive and eager to participate in the lesson. The hand puppet with removable nursery rhyme pieces captured their interest and provided a meaningful, interactive way to engage with familiar songs and routines, increasing overall student engagement and motivation.\r\n\r\nThe beanbag chair had a particularly positive impact on students who experience sensory overstimulation. Having access to a comfortable, calming seating option allowed students to self-regulate more effectively during instruction. When students were able to sit in the beanbag chair, they demonstrated improved focus, reduced sensory-seeking behaviors, and greater readiness to participate in learning activities.\r\n\r\nThe puzzles and puppet pieces supported both cognitive development and functional communication skills. Students successfully completed the puzzles and, importantly, used functional communication methods—such as gestures, picture symbols, or communication devices—to request specific pieces they needed. These moments of purposeful communication were meaningful and empowering, reinforcing that their attempts to communicate are valued and effective. Overall, these materials helped create a more inclusive, supportive learning environment that meets the sensory, communication, and engagement needs of my students.","fullyFundedDate":1760883378821,"projectUrl":"project/help-me-engage-materials-for-joint-atte/9833188/","projectTitle":"Help Me Engage: Materials for Joint Attention","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Paige","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7661678"},{"teacherId":7655259,"projectId":9823382,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! My students LOVE the light table. We are able to incorporate learning from nearly every domain into our light table! My students enjoying exploring a variety of materials on the light table, including translucent Lego Duplo blocks, magna tiles, and other manipulatives. They are working on problem solving, sharing, pre-literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and other foundational skills when they explore the light table. \r\n\r\nWe have been using the Alphabet Learning Tubs every week, alongside our literacy program. We focus on a different letter each week, and take turns \"feeding\" a monster (made out of a dollar store trash can) objects that begin with each letter. My students always enjoy this activity! Additionally, they like to play with the objects in each tub.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your donations that made all of this learning possible!","fullyFundedDate":1760461605513,"projectUrl":"project/help-my-students-engage-in-multimodal-le/9823382/","projectTitle":"Help My Students Engage in Multimodal Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Margaret","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7655259"},{"teacherId":9656208,"projectId":8650557,"letterContent":"I appreciate your support in helping me create a cozy corner in my classroom. The materials that I was able to add helped me make a space for students to go when they are feeling like they want to chill, decompress, or have a few minutes alone. We are still working on introducing the use of materials, and have been including breathing strategies as they manipulate things such as wikki sticks, or the sensory mat. The weighted lap dog has been a hit as children will read a story while holding him on their lap.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the cozy corner they were thrilled, and shared, \"You got this... for us????\" My heart was full, and the joy and appreciation from my students was immediate.\r\n\r\nI was able to rearrange my classroom to put the cozy corner near our pet turtle, which feels like a perfect fit. Students have just gone to the area, and relaxed while watching him swim or bask on his platform.","fullyFundedDate":1733331706079,"projectUrl":"project/big-feelings-no-problem-settle-into-a/8650557/","projectTitle":"Big Feelings? No Problem! Settle into a Cozy Corner.","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Christine","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9656208_orig.jpg?crop=1891,1891,x0,y138&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1736824399891","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9656208"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_44505","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":300,"numTeachers":14,"percentFrplEligible":25,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":34,"percentWhite":55,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":1,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - Pre-K","studentTeacherRatio":"21.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":70.0,"schoolId":44505,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Charles W Bush Early Learning Center & Ecap on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Charles W Bush Early Learning Center & Ecap","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/delaware/brandywine-school-district/bush-early-education-ctr/44505"}