Past projects 5
Bring News and Science to 2nd Graders!
Funded Oct 25, 2021Thank you for your generosity! My students love Scholastic News and Science Spin. Reading articles about interesting topics in color makes such a difference in developing nonfiction reading skills.
These relevant and engaging articles have supported my students in learning how to identify and explain the main idea of a nonfiction text. The digital version of the magazine provides differentiated versions of the text, which supports all readers in my class. The videos and read aloud feature also allow all students a point of access to each article. My students especially love the games because they are quite competitive! I love the games because they encourage my students to develop their comprehension skills.
These magazines are also helpful in building students' reading fluency. They can practice reading on their own, listen to the read aloud version, and then reread the text. Additionally, my students have used these magazines in small group and independent work. They complete reading activities while I conference with individual students or work with a small group on a specific reading skill.
I have also used the Scholastic News and Science Spin magazines to supplement my school's curriculum. For example, when we were learning about the different types of communities in social studies, we read an article about a kid who lives in an urban community (New York City). My students were able to make connections. One student especially loved seeing the subway. Of course, we had to spend some time figuring out which subway line it was!
Thank you so much for your continued support in helping children love reading!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Chen
Headphones for Independent Work Success!
Funded May 5, 2021Thank you for your continued support of my classroom! Because of your generosity, I was able to better differentiate my students' learning. While some students engaged in independent work to build on skills they have learned, other students were able to spend additional time practicing skills with me.
The headphones helped the independent students stay focused on their own work and minimized distractions for all students. The mice helped students on computers complete virtual learning activities more easily. Touchpads can be tricky for 2nd graders, especially when it comes to drag and drop activities.
They were particularly excited to have their own pair of headphones and mouse in the classroom. Having ownership over these items helped them continue to develop a sense of responsibility.
Once again, thank you for your generous support. My students and I greatly appreciate it!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Chen
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.Distance Learning: More Engaging, More Interactive
Funded Oct 19, 2020These Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards have been incredibly useful for both in-person and remote learning. I have found and used many teacher-created activities aligned to the standards I am teaching. Students have used the digital materials during live and asynchonous lessons on our remote days. When we learn in-person, students are able to use both the digital and printable materials. The digital materials are particularly engaging as students are able to interact directly with the assignment. They can even work with other students while socially distancing.
My students especially enjoyed using a Google Slides activity to practice creating arrays and writing repeated addition number sentences. They loved being able to manipulate and move the images of various treats to create these arrays. This was helpful for students who did not have manipulatives at home. At the same time, I was able to check each student's progress and provide feedback in real time.
In addition to math, I have also used TPT materials for reading, specifically teaching various phonemes. The activities and worksheets I have purchased through TPT help my students stay engaged and actively participate during lessons. They are excited to practice reading and share what they have learned.
I will continue to use these gift cards to support my teaching and my students' learning. Thank you so much for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Chen
Books and Magazines and Reading, Oh My!
Funded Nov 17, 2019Thank you for your generosity! I am so appreciative of the positive impact you have made in my classroom. My students love the new additions to our classroom library and reading "newspapers." It makes them feel very grown-up! This year, our school has been focusing on real-life heroes, and reading about people like Jane Goodall and Martin Luther King, Jr. has helped them think about ways they can make a difference in their own communities. They feel inspired by the heroes' passion and commitment to changing the world.
My students read throughout the day and in all subjects - from math to social studies to health. The books and Scholastic News cover a variety of topics and span genres, which is important for 2nd graders. We have been reading historical fiction, biographies, realistic fiction, fables, folktales, and informational texts. When we read, we consider different approaches for reading and comprehending each genre. During read aloud, I incorporate these comprehension skills with social-emotional learning skills. During guided reading, I focus on specific reading skills, such as decoding and fluency. These texts have helped me enrich my teaching and our class discussions.
For example, my students read an article about the Lunar New Year, and I shared with them that I also celebrate this holiday. They were quite surprised and even remembered to wish me a Happy Lunar New Year. We then proceeded to discuss the different ways and times people celebrate the new year. Not only did they learn about a new holiday celebrated around the world, but they also can make future connections with other people. These books and articles have helped me teach lessons on accepting differences and taking time to learn about other people's culture and traditions.
Again, thank you so much for your kindness. My 2nd graders are becoming stronger and more inquisitive readers each and every day!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Chen
Phonics Games to Learn to Read!
Funded Dec 27, 2014When I first introduced these phonics games to my students, they began waving their hands in the air to show silent excitement. For some students, showing silent excitement was not enough—there were gasps of joy. I described how we were able to acquire these games, and they were a bit confused (as most five-year-olds would be in regards to how donation and the internet works) but mostly pleasantly surprised as if these games came to us magically. In a way, they were magical (more on this later).
On that first day, I strategically chose a few students to work on each game, thinking specifically about their current reading levels. After explaining the directions, the students wanted to and were able to lead the games themselves. I monitored them to make sure they were sounding out each word and filling in the correct letters. Now, many of my students will choose phonics games over blocks, dress-up, and play-kitchen during their playtime. These phonics games have become so popular that I have to choose which students play to prevent injuries from everyone racing toward them.
The most important and drastic difference I have noticed after getting these games is that my students want to learn to read even more. These games have significantly increased my students' interest in becoming better readers. They love reading so much that if they are not chosen to play phonics games that day, they will often choose to read instead. They are invested in moving up reading levels, and this is particularly thrilling to see in my lower-level readers. They want to read, be read to, and/or practice the skills necessary for reading, which is magical to me.
I cannot thank you enough for helping me bring these magical phonics games into my classroom. For kindergarteners to choose reading instead of playing with blocks or dressing up means that they truly enjoy reading. It is not a chore. It is something they do for fun. Five- and six-year-old children who understand the entertainment value of reading will grow to become lifelong readers. This is the true magic. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Chen
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 3 other donors.