Ms. Lara's Classroom Edit display name

Current requests

Past projects 17

• Building Language and Literacy through Humor and Picture Books

  Funded Dec 24, 2024

  This project has brought the joy of reading into our speech therapy room, creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for my students. Thanks to your generous donations, my special education students have had the opportunity to explore beautifully illustrated books and captivating stories that support their language and reading development. Each student has unique communication needs, and these books have provided a wonderful way to build their vocabulary, comprehension, and storytelling skills. Together, we read, discuss, ask questions, and share laughter, making reading an interactive and enriching experience for everyone.

  Through these stories, my students have been introduced to talented authors like Jon Klassen, whose books spark their curiosity and imagination. An easy favorite is "I Want My Hat Back." To make the stories even more engaging, we incorporate role-playing, expressive voices, and character dialogues, helping students grasp different perspectives and emotions. These strategies are particularly helpful for students with autism and ADHD, as they make it easier to follow the plot, understand character motivations, and participate in retelling the story. By bringing books to life in this way, students not only improve their language skills but also develop a deeper appreciation for storytelling.

  Your support has truly made a difference in our classroom. These books have become a source of joy, creativity, and learning, helping my students grow in ways that extend beyond reading. Seeing their excitement when they recognize a favorite character (Circle, Square, or Triangle!) or confidently share their thoughts about a story is incredibly rewarding. Thank you for your generosity—it has enriched our speech therapy sessions and brought countless moments of joy and discovery to my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Mo & Cher Willems Foundation and 5 other donors.

• Engaging Money Skills & Turn-Taking Games for Young Learners

  Funded Nov 9, 2024

  On behalf of my students at Erwin Elementary School, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous support of our DonorsChoose project focused on financial literacy for our special needs students. Your contribution has truly made a difference in our speech therapy room, and I am excited to share the positive impact your gift has already made.

  The turn-taking games, such as Allowance and Pizza! Pizza!, have become invaluable tools for teaching our students essential life skills while also fostering social interactions. Through these games, our students are learning the importance of taking turns, making choices, and understanding basic financial concepts like budgeting and saving—all in a fun, engaging way. It's amazing to see the pride on their faces as they strategize, count their play money, and collaborate with their peers. For many of our students, these moments of success are building blocks for independence and confidence.

  The books, like What Is Money?, are also sparking meaningful conversations about the role of money in our daily lives. These stories make abstract concepts tangible, helping students better understand their world. By pairing literacy with financial education, we are not only helping our students develop academic skills but also equipping them with knowledge they can carry into their future.

  Your generosity is empowering our students to dream big and achieve even more. Thank you for believing in them and investing in their growth.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

• Classroom Basics for the Speech Room

  Funded May 8, 2024

  Thank you for your support in providing classroom basics to my students! We are so grateful to have received such awesome new resources, including white boards, tissue boxes, and a laminator. The students were so excited to have brand new white boards to write on, and their jaws literally dropped when they watched their work being laminated in front of their eyes!

  It is such a blessing to have brand new materials to work with. The students and I love using these new materials on a daily basis. We couldn't have done it without you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by Valhalla Foundation and 2 other donors.

• Social Skills Fun!

  Funded Dec 26, 2021

  We are loving our new speech materials! My students were so excited to see all the new hands-on activities they have to choose from, especially after the previous school year of virtual learning. The social emotional match up activities have been a great way for my students to engage in perspective-taking in relatable scenarios. The "Let's Talk" conversation starters are now a regular part of our weekly sessions. Thank you for donating to this project and making it come to life. I am so grateful to have your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

• Interactive iPad to Support Distance Learning for Special Ed

  Funded May 6, 2020

  Thank you for bringing this project to life! Having an iPad to use for speech therapy during distance learning has been such a necessity as well as a positive learning experience. I have been able to mirror my iPad screen during virtual Zoom sessions to share interactive educational apps, websites, and activities. The students I work with are so excited to have a different style of learning presented to them. The iPad allows me to keep my students interested in speech therapy while also working towards their individual speech goals. Thank you again for supporting this project!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.

• Communicating With Pictures

  Funded Dec 5, 2019

  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to complete this training program. I am now certified in PECS Level 1 and will be able to implement a functional picture exchange communication system when working with students with severe communication impairments. I feel lucky to have been able to complete the training virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The information I received will forever change my approach to students who are learning to communicate using alternative communication methods. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to learn and grow by funding this training program.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 5 other donors.

• Arts & Crafts for Speech & Language

  Funded May 21, 2020

  Thank you for bringing my Arts & Crafts project to life. This year has come with many changes and challenges. Schools in Los Angeles have been closed since March, and the nature of my interactions with students has changed completely to virtual. Even so, thanks to your donations, this project has helped bring back the idea of "hands on" arts and crafts which are more important now then ever. My students' faces lit up when they saw all of the fun craft supplies during our sessions! Thank you for your generosity and kindness in making this project a reality!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 2 other donors.

• Social Skills, Fun, and Games for Autism Awareness

  Funded May 24, 2019

  I am so grateful for your donations and support in getting this project funded. I have since used the materials over the course of numerous speech sessions at my elementary school. The students love playing fun, new boardgames and learning the concept of turn-taking. They benefit from using these hands-on materials which keep them motivated to communicate with one another.

  These materials keep my students interested in speech therapy and get them motivated to learn and play. These types of activities are critical in supporting speech and language skills in the school setting. Thank you so much!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 6 other donors.

• Learning Diversity through Legos

  Funded Jun 25, 2019

  The materials my classroom received thanks to your donations have been so beneficial! My students loved using Legos to learn about diversity. They saw themselves in the Legos which represent people from all different cultural backgrounds. Even my young preschoolers enjoyed learning about these concepts in a fun and interactive way.

  Donations like yours transform the way I am able to reach my students and conduct speech therapy in the school setting. I am so grateful to present my students with fun and educationally-relevant materials to support their learning and communication skills!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Lara

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 3 other donors.