Classroom Champions: Teacher wants learning games for her first-graders

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Beech Hill Elementary first grade teacher Dianne Lewis says her young learners get excited about all the subjects she teaches.

She says to keep her students’ attention, she likes to give them plenty of playtime while learning by providing games in class to motivate and push them.

Lewis says for most of her students this school year has been their first taste of being in a classroom setting during the pandemic.

She says what better way to engage her kids than to give them games to play with small groups that they can lead on their own.

The games help her students practice reading skills and help them focus on reading strategies, she says.

“It gives some children an opportunity to be a leader and some the opportunity to explain their thinking to another child and sometimes they learn more from each other than from me,” Lewis says.

For her Donors Choose project, Lewis is asking for games from an educational company that focus on vocabulary, phonics skills and reading comprehension.

She says several of the games are self-correcting, allowing students to develop ownership and allow for collaboration and cooperation.

“We have a lot of school ahead and time to grow so I have a lot I want to do with them, and these resources will help with that,” Lewis says.

Lewis says over her years of being a teacher she realized that just as much learning happens with play as it does with work.

Her Donors Choose project entitled “Get Your Play On” still has $501 dollars left to be fully funded.

You can help this Beech Hill teacher get these educational games for her budding learners by becoming a classroom champion right now. If you want to help you can click on this link to donate.

All donations are tax-deductible.

Donors Choose collects your money, then buys the items and sends them to the teacher. This ensures that your donation is used for Lowcountry-area teachers.

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