Cultivating Creative Kindergartners
Donation protected
My name is Mrs. Grace Battista, and I am proud to say that I have been a kindergarten teacher for over 10 years in the Chicago Public School system. I always knew I wanted to work with younger students, but I had no idea how rewarding it would actually be. A lot has changed since my first year in the classroom. When I began teaching, our four hour program consisted of about 20 students and two teachers; now the kindergartners go to school for a seven hour day. My 28 students do go to special classes throughout the day, but I am responsible for teaching them the core foundations of reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Teaching them the basics of phonemic awareness and basic mathematical concepts, as well as introducing them to writing can often times be challenging, especially when my students are all at different reading, writing, and math levels. In order to best serve my students, they work in small group settings intended to target their specific academic needs. This takes a lot of planning and materials that are current and engaging. In order to run an effective kindergarten class, I need a variety of tools that will accommodate the needs of my diverse students.
My students come from a variety of backgrounds. For some, this is their first year in a formal school setting. Some speak limited English, or no English at all. As a kindergarten teacher, I must be creative and flexible. I know that simply following the curriculum will not be sufficient to teach my students what they need to learn. I know that I cannot follow a script all day. My little learners must be exposed to a variety of texts, use materials that are level-appropriate, and utilize technology that has meaningful educational purposes. By funding my project, I will be able to purchase a variety of materials that my students will use for years to come. I am seeking funds for the items below:
2 iPads- educational apps like Teach Your Monster to Read, ABCya, Starfall, Animal Math and ABCmouse are just a few of the apps that are fun, engaging and will reinforce skills in literacy and math.
iPad mini
Lakeshore Learning materials- a variety of materials for math, science and language arts will be purchased. Follow the link for a description of some of the materials.
Early Comprehension Story Wheel
Building Bricks , Float & Find ,Sensory Dough , Calming Seats , Dot & Learn ,Write & Wipe Blueprint Mats , What's the Sound? , Sequencing Rods
Dough Stampers , Sequencing Puzzles Sequencing Train
Making Ten . Count & Compare , Counting Center
Alpha-Bots, Learning Center , How Tall am I? ,
Zingo! , Playstix , Geostix , Following Directions Building Set , Lincoln Logs
My wonderful husband and I just welcomed our first child into this world, and I've been fortunate enough to spend several months at home with her. Being a mom has made me even more committed to teaching. I have so many hopes and dreams for our daughter and I can now truly relate to the wonderful parents that I've worked with all these years. I am eager to return to my classroom and make this year a memorable one.
As a show of appreciation, you will receive a personalized thank you note from one of the kindergartners. Any donation is truly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Battista
Help spread the word!
My students come from a variety of backgrounds. For some, this is their first year in a formal school setting. Some speak limited English, or no English at all. As a kindergarten teacher, I must be creative and flexible. I know that simply following the curriculum will not be sufficient to teach my students what they need to learn. I know that I cannot follow a script all day. My little learners must be exposed to a variety of texts, use materials that are level-appropriate, and utilize technology that has meaningful educational purposes. By funding my project, I will be able to purchase a variety of materials that my students will use for years to come. I am seeking funds for the items below:
2 iPads- educational apps like Teach Your Monster to Read, ABCya, Starfall, Animal Math and ABCmouse are just a few of the apps that are fun, engaging and will reinforce skills in literacy and math.
iPad mini
Lakeshore Learning materials- a variety of materials for math, science and language arts will be purchased. Follow the link for a description of some of the materials.
Early Comprehension Story Wheel
Building Bricks , Float & Find ,Sensory Dough , Calming Seats , Dot & Learn ,Write & Wipe Blueprint Mats , What's the Sound? , Sequencing Rods
Dough Stampers , Sequencing Puzzles Sequencing Train
Making Ten . Count & Compare , Counting Center
Alpha-Bots, Learning Center , How Tall am I? ,
Zingo! , Playstix , Geostix , Following Directions Building Set , Lincoln Logs
My wonderful husband and I just welcomed our first child into this world, and I've been fortunate enough to spend several months at home with her. Being a mom has made me even more committed to teaching. I have so many hopes and dreams for our daughter and I can now truly relate to the wonderful parents that I've worked with all these years. I am eager to return to my classroom and make this year a memorable one.
As a show of appreciation, you will receive a personalized thank you note from one of the kindergartners. Any donation is truly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Battista
Help spread the word!
Organizer
Grace Battista
Organizer
Chicago, IL
