Past projects 7
Reading Good Fit Books!
Funded Nov 17, 2016Our new books happily arrived in our classroom last week. The students' excitement at seeing the books was contagious. When I introduced the books to the students, I began by placing a tub at each of my classroom tables. Students were allowed to select books to read, based on their interests. Because I was able to order so many different levels of books, each child had many options for picking books.
Finding easy to read books can sometimes be hard to do. I chose very early literacy books with easy text and lots of detailed pictures. From there, I selected books that went up in reading level. This allowed all of my students to find books that they could learn from.
Some of my most struggling readers have been the most excited because they now have books they can read. I've overheard them sharing facts that they read about in the new books. The love of reading has been contagious and the new books you helped provide have energized my beginning readers. Thank you so much for supporting my students and ensuring they have something interesting to read every day!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
Let Children Play! It's Good for Them!
Funded Nov 14, 2016Our play materials arrived from Lakeshore last week. The level of excitement in my classroom was unreal when the two large boxes arrived. Already we've been digging in and exploring what we can do with our new tools and toys.
Students immediately began a game of Candy Land, where they had to decide which piece they wanted to use and who would be going first . The conversations they had to solve these small problems were exactly what I was hoping for! Other children immediately began to use imaginative play with the Wooden Cars and Brick People. I was thrilled to see their creativity shine through.
Thank you so much for supporting my classroom project. The skills and lessons the children learn through free play cannot be duplicated in classroom curriculum. Your generous donation is about so much more than playthings.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
Growing Strong Brains
Funded Apr 17, 2016Our new read alouds and plush neurons arrived in our classroom a couple of weeks ago. Already I see the difference in the way my students are willing to try new things. I have overheard them telling each other to keep trying, to build a strong brain, to grow their neurons and make a strong brain muscle.
With the read alouds, students have been given concrete examples of other children pushing through a mistake or continuing to try when things are tough. They have formed a bond with the characters in the stories and reference them in their own work.
It's easy for young children to give up at the first sign of a struggle. Through these read alouds and neurons, the children are learning that making mistakes and struggling are signs of learning and growing. They are learning that it feels good to fail because it means they have a chance to try it again. It is becoming the language of our classroom community and hearing them celebrate their mistakes as pathways to learning is very exciting! Thank you again for your generous donation for my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
Building Readers Every Day!
Funded Feb 9, 2016Our new books happily arrived in our classroom last week. The students' excitement at seeing the books was contagious. The books I selected were a mix of fiction and non-fiction. When I introduced the books to the students, I began by placing a tub at each of my classroom tables. Students were allowed to select books to read, based on their interests. Because I was able to order so many different levels of books, each child had many options for picking books.
Finding easy to read non-fiction books can sometimes be hard to do. I chose very early literacy books with easy text and lots of detailed pictures. From there, I selected books that went up in reading level. This allowed all of my students to find books that they could learn from.
Some of my most struggling readers have been the most excited because they now have books they can read on real world subjects. I've overheard them sharing facts that they read about in the new books. The love of reading has been contagious and the new books you helped provide have energized my beginning readers. Thank you so much for supporting my students and ensuring they have something interesting to read every day!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
Developing Social Skills Through Play
Funded Sep 6, 2014Our new games, puzzles, and fine motor activities arrived in an enormous box. It felt a little like Christmas in my classroom. As we unpacked the box together, the children's excitement grew. I wasn't the only one feeling like Christmas; one of my students remarked that Santa had come to our room. Once the big box was empty, we sorted the smaller boxes inside into how we would use them in our classroom.
Before jumping into the new activities, we brainstormed some ideas on how we could share and take turns. We wrote sentence starters that would help us with what to say to a partner or team. We made decisions and agreements about how we would choose a game piece or who would go first. Then, in small groups, we practiced. Before these activities arrived, I'd heard arguments and anger over game rules, who would go first and even how to get materials set up! Since we've started practicing, I'm hearing kind words, sharing, and children learning to solve their own conflicts. I might have even heard laughter a time or two, instead of tears!
While we will use these activities throughout the year, I also have to tell you about the overall impact I've seen in my classroom. During reading, no one fights over books. During math, no one fights over manipulatives. I've heard our sentence starters and decision making rules translated into all areas of the classroom and on the playground. Of course we will continue to use our community time to talk about social skills and getting along with others, but with the activities you provided, my students now have the resources to do more than talk about it...they can practice!
These materials will provide many opportunities for us to work with others in a kind, productive way. My second graders will leave my classroom having learned and practiced valuable life skills. The learning won't end with this group of children. These materials will be used in my classroom for many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
This classroom project was brought to life by NEA Foundation and 6 other donors.Creating Big Numbers
Funded Aug 23, 2014Our place value math pieces arrived in two big boxes, causing much excitement in my classroom. I continued the mystery and excitement by telling the children we had new math tools that they would each get to use the following day. The kids were beside themselves waiting for the math lesson. When we opened the boxes and they discovered they EACH had their own bag of tools, they could hardly wait to use them!
The new Common Core math standards have a heavy emphasis on place value. These tools allow each child to build models that represent different numbers. In second grade, we work with numbers within 1,000. These individual kits contain enough pieces for children to build a model up to 999. As a teacher, I've never had access to those larger numbers for each child.
As our school year progresses, we will use the tools to build those big numbers and to compare numbers using greater than/less than strategies. Most of our use will be around addition and subtraction of three digit numbers. Having a set for each child (rather than working in teams or partners) will increase their understanding and provide more opportunities for each child to be successful. Best of all, the children feel a sense of pride at having "their own" set of tools to use while they are in second grade. Your donation won't only help this year's second graders, but many years of second graders to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 5 other donors.Desperately Seeking Fluent Readers: An Exercise in Listening
Funded Jan 10, 2014I wish I could offer you each a peek into our classroom. If I were able to do so, you'd understand the huge impact your iPod donation has made. Instead, I'll do my best to create a picture of how the iPods have changed our reading time and increased my students' reading fluency.
In the past, my students used individual CD players for Listen to Read. While it worked, it wasn't nearly as effective as the iPods. The batteries needed to be re-charged frequently, the students had to know how to use the buttons to find the right story, and a CD could only hold ten stories.
The day after the iPods arrived, my students couldn't wait to get to reading centers, particularly Listen to Read. It created quite a buzz as I overheard comments about how excited they were to use them. I heard them discussing how much easier the iPods were to use. And, one little girl exclaimed out loud, "I've been dying to listen to this story again!" Over time, we've also learned that the iPods don't need to be charged nearly as often as the old CD batteries. This has increased the amount of time my students can spend actively engaged in a learning task, versus getting set up to do the task.
The benefit to the iPods is that all of my students, including my non-readers and English Language Learners, can access any story they want, any time they want. I took photos of all of my books, so all they have to do is match the photo on the iPod to the cover of the book they are using and they can immediately get started. All of my students are developing language fluency and individual support as they choose increasingly difficult text.
With 32 students, I often worry about providing stories that meet each child's individual reading needs. And, even though I read with each one every day, I want to give them more. Through your generous donations, you have done exactly that. You've given them more, more stories, more time with books, more time being read to. It is a gift that they will carry throughout their lives and it doesn't just affect this class, but all of my future classes as well.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hutteball