Past projects 50
Let's Find Out en Español
Funded Oct 11, 2022Thank you so much for your donation to this project. Thanks to you, my students have had so many interesting magazines to read. They have helped us learn about so many topics, from bears and penguins to learning about special celebrations, such as groundhog day or presidents day. This magazine also helped expand my dual language students vocabulary in Spanish.
Most of the time we read the Let's Find Out magazines in Spanish, we read as a whole group. I love how they always WOW and OOO at the pictures. After reading whole group, we always discuss the topic at hand. And finally, I love that these magazines had an interactive page for the kids to practice a skill or activity. Sometimes it would be math problems and sometimes it would be reading comprehension practice. And the best part, was letting them take their magazine home that same day to share with family members.
All in all, these magazines have been a great addition to our curriculum. They have helped my students grow and learn.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
Targeted Resources for the Classroom
Funded Jan 18, 2022The Teachers Pay Teachers gift card for $100 has been so helpful. I love that I could find so many resources in both Spanish and English for my Dual Language classroom. I have been able to purchase new activities for my students to work on in reading, writing, math, and science.
Although my kindergarten students may not understand that the gift card helped to purchase these activities, I can certainly tell that they enjoy the activities when we work on them in class. It's nice to give them a variety of things to work on. They have worked on sentence scrambles, labeling words, long vowel words, and much more.
I also love that the money for purchases goes directly back to the teachers that created these activities. Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Puzzle Me!
Funded Jan 18, 2022I can't thank you enough for these great resources. My students were so excited to see the puzzle boxes and they have thoroughly enjoyed assembling all the pieces together.
The puzzles have been so helpful to keep students busy while I work in small groups with other students. During our independent work time, they get a reading or writing activity, and once they are done, they can go to a center. The puzzles were a big hit and a favorite center. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they worked together and how fast they were at making each puzzle. I also liked that they didn't tire of using them. They still play with them every day.
The puzzles have helped students develop their motor skills and visual spacing reasoning. And it has helped me have some uninterrupted time with him reading groups. Thanks so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Kinder Guided Reading
Funded Jan 17, 2022Thank you so much for your donations to this project. I am a dual language teacher and have been team teaching for 6 years in only Spanish, and this year I am teaching both English and Spanish. As a result, I had very little English books prepared and ready for guided reading instruction at my students reading levels. These books have really helped out to build my small group reading library.
In kindergarten, students are just starting their life in literacy. They are learning letter sounds and sight words, and then using their knowledge to read simple sentence. As with anything, there are students at various reading levels. Some students (level A/B) are still using picture and pattern sentences. Some students are starting to read more unpredictable text with many sight words (level C). And some students are fully reading and working on fluency and deeper comprehension questions (Level D/E). So as a teacher working with a big array of levels, it's important to also have many books in many levels to help students progress in the reading. These books have really been helpful.
Alvina, one of my avid readers, especially goes through so many books a week. She really in enjoying the new books.
Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Kinder Classroom Basics
Funded Nov 10, 2021My students love when we receive packages. They are always so interested in new things that will help them learn. The materials ordered in this project may be small, but they have been so useful.
The glue sticks are by far the most useful item. They are used daily and the kids go through them so quickly. We use them for daily for cut and paste language arts and math work and, of course for art work. Most of these activities are given to the kids, so that they can practice what they've learned and I can call students to work/read with me in small groups. As a teacher working with small groups, I look for as little interruptions as posible...so it's so awesome that I have a big stock of glue sticks that I can just leave out and kids know where to grab from when needed without having to ask me.
Of course, the paper has been very handy as well. We go through so much paper for writing stories/books and solving math word problems. The card stock paper has been handy for me to make some small group sound and word resources too! It's so handy when students have a reference guide when they need it.
Thank you so much for these wonderful donations to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.Stools for Sitting
Funded Nov 10, 2021Thanks you so much for the donations for these stools. The students were so excited to see them and even more excited to use them. The stools are used during small group instruction at a kidney table. Whenever I called a student over to work with me for the first, they were so happy to sit and try the wobbly stool out.
I love the stools because students can move around while still focusing on their work. I do notice that students are more attentive when they're able to get their wiggles out. I also love that the stools can be tucked under the table when not in use.
Also, because we had extra money from the stool donation, we got to purchase a bean bag. Kids love sitting on that bean bag. It stays in the library area and makes our room a lot more cozier.
Thanks so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.Shelf Our Books!
Funded Nov 10, 2021Thank you so much for the donations for a new 3 tiered shelf. It is such good, well made shelf. I know that it will last me for years in my classroom. My students were so excited to see a huge delivery arrive in our classroom.
Currently the shelf is being used to house guided reading books for students. I am able to organize books that I pull out for practice during small group instruction. In general it is a great furniture piece that will help me organize school materials more. Since the shelf came to our classroom during the school year, it has been a little hard to move furniture around right now, but in future years, I would like this shelf to house our classroom library. This will help me reduce the furniture in the classroom, thus giving me more space. It's always nice to have more space!
Can't thank you enough for this great shelf!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and one other donor.Time to Read With Time for Kids Magazine
Funded Aug 20, 2021These Time for Kids magazines have been a great resource for my students. Just like Time magazine for adults, these magazines explore different topics in our world. My students are able to learn so much about their world, different people around the world, and issues relating to their own lives.
Although my students are not yet able to read the magazine on their own, they love looking at the photos and listening as I read the captions. I also love that we have great discussion during the reading. My kids love to relate to the magazine and share their stories. Class discussions are a great tool for expanding student vocabulary and comprehension. In addition, my students also use the magazines to start to develop their concepts of print- reading from left to write, finding sight words, and begin reading short words. It really has been a great tool for learning.
Finally, it's great that my students can take home these magazines to share with their families. They in turn become the teachers as they explain what they have learned to their family members. Again, thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 2 other donors.Let's Learn with Let's Find Out Magazine
Funded Aug 19, 2021I am so thankful for having these Let's Find Out magazines in Spanish for my students. These magazines always have fun and rich topic for my students. They enjoy seeing the pictures and learning about various topics, including learning about animals, important figures in our world, and about themselves. I like how many kids can relate to the topics in these magazines. We usually read it whole group.
In addition, these magazines help students expand their Spanish vocabulary and reading skills. Since my kids are just learning to read, I read to them as they view their magazine. Some parts students are able to read on their own. I love hearing a student say, "I found a sight word in the magazine". The back page of the Let's Find Out magazine always has a skill that students can practice individually-sometimes math or sometimes just a fun picture find.
Best of all, I love that students can take the magazine home and share with their families. My students and I truly appreciate this resource! Thanks so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 2 other donors.Art is FUN!
Funded Jun 17, 2020Thank you so much for your donations to this project. I was very happy to see this project funded because we do so many art and hands on projects. Unfortunately, distance learning happened and many of our projects had to be placed on hold.
But once students came back into the classroom, we used lot of construction paper and the dot painters to get some hands on art projects done. They were so happy to use their hands again to create in school. The loved the using the dot painters and it made me so happy to see them so engaged again.
Th extra materials that were not used this school year will definitely be put to good use in the next school year. Art is always such a great way to express oneself and work on motor skills. I'm grateful my kids will have these materials for next school year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Esparza
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.