Past projects 4
Learn Through Play
Funded Jan 23, 2023My students have been engaging with these materials on Friday afternoons. The games are allowing them to play with their friends in ways they wouldn't otherwise get a chance to. We are encouraging sharing language, turn taking, inclusivity, strategies, and much more. It has been exciting for our students to try new games or to play the same game but with different people. We see they are picking up new ways to play and their skills are building. When we first received the materials our class needed a lot of assistance in playing but now they are almost independent. We are so grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Matulich
Teaching Emotions Through Books
Funded Mar 9, 2020The books you have provided for my students are very powerful. I am very eager to read them with my students so they can see mirrors of themselves. I know these books will support my students in talking about their emotions, especially in how their lives are effected. For example if they have no heat in their home, are sharing a bed with a few siblings, or don't have food in their refrigerator.
Thank you very much for assisting my students in their learning and understanding their emotions. I expect my students to have an easier time accessing their academic learning once they can understand what is going on inside of their hearts.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Matulich
School Away From Home
Funded Jul 16, 2020My students have been learning remotely since the spring. The materials you have provided them to learn with have made a huge impact in their engagement and ability to make progress. We use some of the materials daily such as the white boards, white board markers, notebooks, pencils, crayons, and books. I am learning more ways to integrate the materials into our lessons so they can see more of the materials (such as the balance beam) before the curriculum calls for it. My students feel very special to have the materials you have provided for them. Their families are also very thankful as many of them cannot afford them on their own.
Thank you,
Emily Matulich”
With gratitude,
Ms. Matulich
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 3 other donors.Exploring and Learning Through Center Play
Funded Nov 1, 2019From the moment my students first saw the learning games they would get to use, they were excited. I use the games at different times of day to assist my students in meeting their learning goals and the grade level standards. I love how easy they are to use because they are kid friendly. Even my lowest students can access the materials and learn with them independently. For example, one of my students loves the counting cows. He started using them to help himself calm down when upset. I don't know why, but they soothed him. Once calm, the boy began pulling the cows apart and putting them back together. He quickly noticed that you had to math the cows based on their color. He gained language skills by learning how to tell his classmates the colors, working on sharing, and by counting. Now that he has been using the cows for a few weeks, he has been counting their spots and making sure the number of spots match with the number. We are so proud of his progress and the amount of learning this one game has provided him.
As the school year continues, I want to find new ways for my students to play the games. For some, it will be to make words and then put the words into sentences. For others, it may be to help them build language. An example of this is when my students play the vowel sorting game. They can use phonics language by asking "What sound do you hear?" or "I hear /u/, do you hear /u/?" Students can also practice eye contact when they say "It's your turn" or "I disagree, I think the vowel is /i/."
These games have provided wonderful learning opportunities for my students. I am so thankful to your donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Matulich