Literacy Bags

Over the summer I created a proposal through DonorsChoose.org to request some materials in order to put together literacy bags for this year. I was really happy to get half of my project funded through Nickelodeon and their Dora's Beyond The Backpack initiative. Because Nickelodeon funded half of my project from the outset, the amount I needed in order to be fully funded was greatly reduced and I found out on the first day of school that I had complete funding to get the materials I requested. I was thrilled to get an email from our secretary Lindsey Dickinson this afternoon letting me know that my box of items had arrived!

Check out all the goodies!

games!

themed book libraries

each library contains 5 books on a particular theme

 My goal is to create literacy bags that the children will be able to bring home over the weekend to share with family members. I received 10 themed libraries and I have 1 or 2 additional themes in mind that I will add. I would like to get 1 more book related to each theme so that I can create two literacy bags per theme (one per class containing 3 books each). That way, each child should be able to bring home a different literacy bag approximately every other weekend!

I think it will take me some time to get these bags organized, but I am really excited to get working on some additional games/activities to include in them as well. I am also planning to invite parents/students to join me at school either before or after my PM session to decorate the bags. I would love to include families in the creation of these bags since the idea is to promote family involvement in reading and literacy at home and I think that will really get the kiddos excited to take the bags home and take good care of the materials. If you are interested in helping with this project, please let me know! You don't have to be particularly artistic, but if you are that is wonderful!

I have had a lot of parents sign up to volunteer this year and I think this is a special project for which I will greatly appreciate a lot of help. I will figure out a checkout system and it would be great to have a parent helper on Fridays to organize which bag goes home with which child.

In addition to these literacy bags, I will also be sending home a Birthday Bag on each child's birthday and an I Lost a Tooth Bag when a child loses a tooth. These bags will both contain a journal where children can write about how their birthdays are celebrated and how their teeth came out.

Getting a box full of new books for my students to enjoy was like opening presents on Christmas morning. I am really excited for this project and I hope you are too!