Classroom Champions: Elementary teacher wants manipulatives for her students

WHITESVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - The first few years of school can be some of the most critical years of a child’s education.

Whitesville elementary teacher Suzanne Johnson says life is sweet in kindergarten.

She says she loves her young student’s curiosity and eagerness to learn.

Johnson says the teaching profession has changed in the 23 years she has been teaching but one important component of learning remains the same. Letting her students learn through play.

“It just seems like play for young learners has gone by the wayside and it’s so important, but we have so many standards to meet,” Johnson said.

Johnson says she’s always looking for ways to help her students meet those standards but also add some fun to her lessons to help make her students want to learn.

For her Donor’s Choose project Johnson is looking to add learning center games like Magnetic Shapes,  Rhyming Sounds Magnetic Sorting Board, Magnetic Counting Maze and other games to her classroom.

She says these games will be played while she takes time out to give extra help to her other students to meet the standards.

“There’s tons of research about how important learning from play is and not just recess play but having manipulatives and games that reinforce the concepts you’re learning in math, science, and reading. It gives them social skills and fine motor skills and moving the pieces around they have to know and use higher level thinking skills,” Johnson said.

Johnson says these learning center games will give her students the ability to learn while playing and reinforce important skills needed in kindergarten and beyond.

You can help get this Donor’s Choose project entitled Hard at Play fulfilled by donating and becoming a classroom champion and clicking right here 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 our area teachers.

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