Walton Education Foundation

The goal of this grant is to enhance the learning environment of a first-grade classroom by implementing flexible seating options, sensory tools and manipulatives that promote focus, engagement, and self-regulation. By creating a dynamic, student-centered space, this initiative aims to support diverse learning styles, improve attention and behavior, and foster a positive, inclusive atmosphere where all students can thrive academically and socially. Through these adjustments, the classroom will encourage movement, sensory input, and comfort, leading to improved learning outcomes and overall student well-being.

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Engaged Minds, Calm Bodies

School:
Dune Lakes Elementary School 
Subject:
Teaching Quality 
Teacher:
Niki Page 
Students Impacted:
18 
Grade:
Date:
September 24, 2024

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

 

The St. Joe Community Foundation - $983.00

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Goal

The goal of this grant is to enhance the learning environment of a first-grade classroom by implementing flexible seating options, sensory tools and manipulatives that promote focus, engagement, and self-regulation. By creating a dynamic, student-centered space, this initiative aims to support diverse learning styles, improve attention and behavior, and foster a positive, inclusive atmosphere where all students can thrive academically and socially. Through these adjustments, the classroom will encourage movement, sensory input, and comfort, leading to improved learning outcomes and overall student well-being. 

 

Category

Class Furniture - Carpets, choral risers, transitional seating/desks, etc. 

 

What will be done with my students

By using flexible seating, sensory tools, and manipulatives in a first-grade classroom, the following actions will be taken to enhance student learning:
1. Foster Active Engagement and Focus
• Action: Flexible seating will be used to promote physical movement and comfort during learning activities.
2. Support Sensory Needs for Improved Self-Regulation
• Action: Sensory tools will be available to help students manage sensory overload, regulate emotions, and maintain focus.
3. Enhance Learning Through Hands-On Manipulatives
• Action: Manipulatives will be used to help students grasp abstract concepts through concrete experiences and multisensory tools.
4. Improve Classroom Behavior and Social Interaction
• Action: The flexible, sensory-friendly environment will encourage collaboration, reduce behavior issues, and create a positive classroom atmosphere where students can interact more effectively with their peers.
5. Advance Academic and Emotional Growth
• Action: Flexible seating, sensory tools, and manipulatives will be used to create an environment that supports the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally.
 

 

Benefits to my students

A total of 18 first grade students will participate and benefit from this project. It should be noted that however, that only the lowest quartile will be specifically monitored for the purposes of the project. This is in line with my school’s improvement plan, which focuses on subgroup populations. While I hope that all 18 students will benefit from the materials purchased from the grant, I will focus my attention on my low achieving (Tier 2) students.
To measure the effectiveness of actions proposed in this project, I will gauge success of engagement, focus, and behavior by observing and recording behaviors using a behavior tracking form and monitor progress. I will use a similar chart to track frequencies of disruptions due to sensory overload or anxiety indicating reductions in sensory-related behavior challenges and students’ abilities to self-regulate. Progress monitoring assessment data from tier 2 groups will be collected to track literacy growth using manipulatives during small group interventions. Student academic growth will be measured through progress reports and standardized assessments.  

 

Budget Narrative

Flexible Seating, sensory tools, and manipulatives will be purchased from Amazon and Hand 2 Mind and will be implemented in a first grade classroom to create an environment that supports the whole child-academically, socially and emotionally.

 

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 ECR4Kids Black Perch Stool for Reading | Wave Seat | 14in - 15.1in | 2-Pack $100.00
2 ECR4Kids Black Perch Stool for Reading | Wave Seat | 14in - 15.1in | 2-Pack $100.00
3 ECR4Kids Black Perch Stool for Reading | Wave Seat | 14in - 15.1in | 2-Pack $100.00
4 TURSTIN 6 Pack Plastic Stools 16.9 Inch Black Nesting Stools Portable Backless Bar Stool Flexible Seating Chairs for Classroom Office Home $106.00
5 hand2mind Advancing Phonics Word Work Small Group Set, Magnetic Letter Tiles, Magnetic Letter Trays, Kindergarten Phonics Manipulatives, Phonemic Awareness, Science of Reading Classroom Materials $90.00
6 hand2mind Express Your Feelings Sensory Bottles- Secondary Emotions, Toddler Sensory Toys, Quiet Fidget Toys, Play Therapy Toys, Calm Down Corner Supplies, Calming Corner, Social Emotional Learning $22.00
7 5 Pcs Marble Maze Mat Sensory Fidget Stress Relief Toys,Sensory Mat Anxiety Calming Toys,Tactile Sensory Toys for Kids Adults Teens Autism with Special Needs School Classroom Home Supplies,2 Sizes $20.00
8 Fidget Toys Sensory Stone for Kids: 12 Pack Texture Worry Stone - Soothing Sensory Tools for Autism Children Calming - Quiet Fidgets for Student Classroom Anxiety Relief $15.00
9 Big Joe Milano Kid's Smartmax Black Beanbag Chair $55.00
10 Big Joe Milano Kid's Smartmax Black Beanbag Chair $55.00
11 Calm Down Corner | Classroom and Special Education Must Haves | Boho Calming Corner Items for Kids | Calming Corner Kit with Sensory Mats, Posters, Solutions Wall, Sensory Toys $89.00
12 Lowercase Alphabet Chips, 156 Chips $25.00
13 Visual Timer for Kids - 99 Minute Digital Rechargeable Kids Timer Visual Countdown - Adjustable Visual Timer for Classroom, Homework, Screen Time - Autism, ADHD Timer Effective Time Management Tool $20.00
14 Visual Timer for Kids - 99 Minute Digital Rechargeable Kids Timer Visual Countdown - Adjustable Visual Timer for Classroom, Homework, Screen Time - Autism, ADHD Timer Effective Time Management Tool $20.00
15 Visual Timer for Kids - 99 Minute Digital Rechargeable Kids Timer Visual Countdown - Adjustable Visual Timer for Classroom, Homework, Screen Time - Autism, ADHD Timer Effective Time Management Tool $20.00
16 Visual Timer for Kids - 99 Minute Digital Rechargeable Kids Timer Visual Countdown - Adjustable Visual Timer for Classroom, Homework, Screen Time - Autism, ADHD Timer Effective Time Management Tool $20.00
17 Visual Timer for Kids - 99 Minute Digital Rechargeable Kids Timer Visual Countdown - Adjustable Visual Timer for Classroom, Homework, Screen Time - Autism, ADHD Timer Effective Time Management Tool $20.00
18 Junior Learning Sentence Flips Double-Sided Flip Stand, Ages 4-6, Vocabulary & Grammar, K-1 $11.00
19 64 Pieces Guided Reading Strips with 2 Styles Highlighter Bookmarks Reading Strips Colored Overlay Reading Tracking Rulers Dyslexia Tools for Kids Students Teacher Supply, 2 Sizes (Simple Style) $10.00
20 Torlam CVCC & CCVC Word Games, Sight Words Flash Cards Spelling Reading Learning Phonics Games for Kids, Speech Therapy Toy, Kindergarten Classroom Must Have Learning Activities Homeschool Supplies $20.00
21 Torlam CVCC & CCVC Word Games, Sight Words Flash Cards Spelling Reading Learning Phonics Games for Kids, Speech Therapy Toy, Kindergarten Classroom Must Have Learning Activities Homeschool Supplies $20.00
22 Torlam CVCC & CCVC Word Games, Sight Words Flash Cards Spelling Reading Learning Phonics Games for Kids, Speech Therapy Toy, Kindergarten Classroom Must Have Learning Activities Homeschool Supplies $20.00
23 Junior Learning: Rainbow Phonics - Heart Words - 93 Word Cards, Flash Cards Use Visual Clues to Learn Core Words, Level Based Cards, Kids Ages 4+ $25.00
  Total: $983.00

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Special Thanks to Our Presenting Partners

CHELCO

The Alys Foundation

St. Joe Community Foundation

Florida Power & Light