Learning is Fun
Tuesday | July 6, 2021

The Operation Round Up Board of Directors created a mini-grant program to help teachers with classroom projects or educational field trips. Operation Round Up approved another three-year cycle of teacher mini-grants.

Nineteen teachers received grants for their reading or social studies classroom projects for the 2020-2021 school year.

Lisa Sanders is a kindergarten teacher at Cotton Center Elementary and is a 2020-2021 Operation Round Up Mini-Grant recipient.

Sanders purchased learning games, letter tiles, puzzles and white boards with the mini-grant.

“With the use of the letter tiles and magnet boards, we are able to quickly and effectively manipulate letter sounds to create all types of words,” Sanders said.  “During these types of hands-on activities, teachers do not direct every step the students take. This allows them to take more ownership of their learning.  It’s such a great tactile activity, and the kids are able to feel successful by practicing skills they’ve already learned as well as applying new skills. Word families play such a huge role in phonics instruction and is a huge component to beginning reading. With the different puzzle-type games, the kids are engaged and excited.”

“It’s great to have a fun, new assortment of activities for the kids to do,” Sanders said. “Many thanks to SPEC and its members for the opportunity to make learning not only fun, but meaningful.”