Our school encourages student voice, so in November, the pre-K students participate in their very own Election Day by voting on the classroom snack. We discuss what it means to vote — how voting is your way of saying what you would like to see happen. We talk about how elections mean they have a say in the decisions of their community, the same way that grown-ups do when they vote. This activity introduces new vocabulary and lets us practice math skills by counting the ballots. Students also begin to understand that we don’t always get the outcome we hope for — and that learning to respect the results and the choices of others is an important part of being a member of a community.
—Johanna McNeal, former pre-K, now kindergarten teacher, PS 398 in Jackson Heights, Queens
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