Kid-Sized Materials
We collaborate with kindergarten and first-grade teachers to create kid-sized materials that align directly with their classroom curriculums. The teachers use these materials in the classroom and allow the children to take them home. Kids love owning their own learning materials.
We thank our paper sponsor, Walmart River City Marketplace, and our cadre of volunteers who cut and assemble the materials. They make this all possible!
Dot-to-Dot Pads
To date, 13 dot-to-dot pads are in production. In the past, kindergarten and first-grade teachers have been purchasing dot-to-dots with their own money and said they never had enough. We created our own quality (even if we do say so ourselves) dot-to-dots and bind them according to the level of difficulty. That way, teachers can select just the right skill level for each child. While the kids think the puzzles are only for fun, they are improving fine motor skills needed for writing and learning number order (or mastering the alphabet).
In total, 2,130 pads are assembled each school year using 11,715 sheets of paper.
Spelling Pads
New for the 2022-23 school year! Every first-grader receives 30 spelling pads during the school year. Each pad features the ten words the children are learning that week. Simple sentences show how the words are used. The pads also include manuscript lines and fill in the blanks to help students spell and write.
In total, 3,300 pads are assembled each school year using 27,335 sheets of paper.
Kindergarten Wordbooks
Know & Grow Wordbooks measure 5½” x 4¼” – just the right size for small hands. Each book contains the newest sight words the children are introduced to that week. Children enjoy writing their names on their books, copying each of the sight words, coloring the sight words, and seeing each of the 174 words in the context of a sentence. The kindergarteners can practice reading the books over and over again. Teachers report sight word retention has improved with these little books!
In total, 2,100 colorful booklets are assembled each school year using 8,850 sheets of paper.
Word Searches
Each quarter-of-a-page word search features the ten weekly words first-graders are learning to spell. Children enjoy word searches and solving the puzzles makes them better spellers. These are ideal for small moments of time as they can easily be stopped and started.
In total, 3,300 puzzles are cut each school year using 825 sheets of paper.
Count to 100
We want kids to love math!
Many kindergarteners intuitively see the number structure behind counting to 100. Others need help seeing the logic.
This colorful math and handwriting activity supports the classroom curriculum and is designed to be memorable.
