Past projects 4
Preschoolers and STEAM-Creatively Learning a New Curriculum!
Funded Aug 2, 2021I am thrilled to see that this project has funded. It's exciting to think about starting the school year with new and motivating materials. The support of the DonorsChoose community is overwhelming and I am blessed to know so many people that value public education as much as you do. Thank you again for allowing me to provide these materials for my children. The need of language and social skill development is so great and this project will certainly help with that need.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trainor
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 12 other donors.Communication at Home!
Funded Aug 11, 2020Thank you so much for your generosity! Thanks to your efforts, I was able to provide 30+ families with materials at home during the continued school closure this past fall. All of the students I work with have needs related to Autism Spectrum Disorder, and working remotely via google meet was very difficult for many of them. The materials I received gave me another way to connect with them by coaching their caregivers.
Fidget pop tubes, spinning toys and bubbles are typically pretty reinforcing for my students. Having those dedicated supplies in their homes allowed me to help their caregivers set up communication opportunities-like requesting the items or giving them some aided language input using communication boards. The technology I received helped me when working remotely as well. My new external camera and tripod were essential parts of my everyday work!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trainor
This classroom project was brought to life by A Generous Donor and 3 other donors.Books for AAC!
Funded Oct 22, 2020It has been such a gift to have all of these new books! I work primarily in preschool rooms serving kids with needs related to autism spectrum disorder. In these classrooms I teach a 'core word of the week' group, and I selected these books to match the targeted vocabulary. For instance, we used the book "Good News, Bad News" when targeting the core words 'good' and 'bad'. Having multiple copies allows each classroom to do repeated read alouds without having to share.
As you can see in a couple of the pictures, I create communication boards with vocabulary related to the story. We use these klnds of visuals a couple of different ways: to give kids information about the book by pointing to the related vocabulary as we talk about the book, and to help kids (especially kids who are mostly non verbal) answer questions and comment about the book. It really enhances the literacy experience for all my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trainor
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 2 other donors.Books and More Books!
Funded Oct 16, 2019I am thrilled with the materials and books I received from my project. The books have been so exciting to dive into and I have used five so far within the preschool and fourth grade literacy curriculum. I tried to choose books for my project that would be interesting, have characters with different ethnicities and skin color, and provide opportunities for teaching communication skills. I make communication boards for each of the books that have common words used in everyday life, and then add vocabulary that is specific to the book. Having a laminator always available certainly eases my work load.
I have a fourth-grade student who often comments on the difference in our skin color, and when we were reading one of the books together ("Those shoes") one of the first comments he made was that the characters had the same skin as he did. It was empowering for both us for him to see that!
Other books I chose with my early childhood special education students in mind were "Go Go Go Stop!" and "Signs Around the City". My smaller students are always working on basic concepts like 'stop' and 'go', and this book has been a great addition to my collection of tools. The signs that are included in "Signs Around the City" are common ones my students would see, as most of them live in the city proper.
I feel it's important for books to reflect what's known to kids and also provide opportunities to expand their knowledge, either through the text itself or in literacy- based interventions. I am excited to continue using these books in this manner for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trainor
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 3 other donors.