Classroom Management: Fast Finishers

We've all been there.  Despite our best efforts at differentiation, some of our students complete their work very quickly!  Now they are standing by our side and asking "What can I do next?"

As you begin thinking about back to school, establishing a classroom management solution for your early finishers is one of the most important classroom routines you can plan for!

A reference display on a bulletin board or wall space makes an easy to manage system for our early finishers.  

I have used a couple different designs over the years, but the goal is the same: 

Create student independence through choice and a visual reference.

        

A few possible choices!

How it works: 

1.  Choose a variety of activities that students may complete when they are finished with their work.  Having about 6-8 student choices works really well.

2.  Create some sort of display for students to see a visual for the activities.  You could use a bulletin board, wall or door space, a pocket chart- the possibilities are endless.  If you don't want to create your own images, I have two versions available in my TPT shop.  Both sets have more than 35 options of activities!  They are quick and easy to print and hang.

          

3. Rotate activities throughout the year so students have new choices to keep it fresh and fun!  One idea is to use clips or clothespins so you can quickly update the display.

Hear what others have said about my fast finishers bulletin board sets:

"This product has made my year in Kindergarten run very smoothly. The kids know exactly what to do when they finish and I have noticed a great change in behaviors!" - Amanda H.

"I always had kids come up to me and say, "I'm done, now what can I do?" Now with these fast finisher posters, I haven't had anyone ask me! The pictures are a great visual for students and now they always have something to do when they finish!" - Julia K.

What are some of your favorite activities for your fast finishers?  Leave me a comment with some of the choices your students have.

Want to coordinate with your classroom rules posters?  Check out this rules set!

4 Ideas for Using the Microphone Tool in Seesaw

Are you looking for some quick and easy ideas you can use right away in Seesaw?

I LOVE the versatility that the teaching platform Seesaw offers for our youngest learners! There are great learning opportunities with the platform for both in-person and remote learning.

Today, I wanted to share a few quick and easy ideas to use the microphone tool in Seesaw.

Idea #1: Phonemic Awareness

Utilize the microphone tool to teach and assess students' phonemic awareness skills.  This is a great way to continue phonemic awareness instruction during remote learning!

• Insert 6 pictures on to a Seesaw page and ask kids to record themselves telling 3 words that rhyme with each picture.
• Practice segmenting skills. Add 6-10 pictures on a Seesaw page and ask kids to segment each word.  You could even create sound boxes and movable circles with the shape tools.
• This same type of activity could be created for any phonemic awareness skill; substitution, deletion, etc.

Idea #2: Repeated Readings

The microphone tool is a genius way to work on fluency skills with repeated readings!!!

There are SO many possibilities for repeated readings:

• Letter Names and Sounds
• Sight Word Lists
• Phonics Word Lists
• Nonsense Words
• Sight Word Phrases
• Poems
• Passages from your curriculum
• Guided Reading books

Simply upload (or take a photo or screenshot) of the material for the repeated reading.  I recommend having them practice at least 3 times before they record!  Using the shape tools you can add 3 small boxes for students to check off each time they practice.  Need data to support fluency skills and progress- now you have some at your fingertips!

Idea #3: Reading aloud their Work

We all know it can be challenging to read the writing of primary kiddos!  Seesaw can make it even more challenging because of the size of assignments...hello...grading on your phone!?!  One simple solution is to have your students use the microphone tool to record themselves reading their work before they turn it in.  This way we know EXACTLY what they wrote, no guess work.  Not only that, but it allows students to practice their speaking skills.

Idea #4: Elaborating on Ideas and Deeper Thinking

Primary learners can be incredibly deep thinkers!  Sometimes it is hard to show that level of understanding in their writing.  So the microphone tool is the perfect opportunity for students to elaborate on their thinking, and really show what they have learned.  This strategy lends itself especially well to cross-curricular opportunities.  Some simple ideas:

• Science or Social Studies: Post a video link to a topic you are studying.  After watching the video have students use the microphone tool to tell 3 new things they learned.  You could also have them create a picture of their learning with the drawing tools.
• Math: Use the microphone tool for students to explain how they solved a word problem, or other math skill.

How do you use the microphone in Seesaw?  I'd love to hear even more ideas in the comments!

Looking for more Seesaw ideas and resources?  Need activities that are ready to use? I have lots of preloaded and ready to use activities in my TPT store.  

   

Commutative Property of Addition in First Grade

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Commutative-Property-of-Addition-Hands-on-Activities-CCSS-1OAB3-4942042

You can help your first graders begin to develop the algebraic skill of the Commutative Property of Addition.  This understanding is an important building block and will serve them well as they continue to grow as mathematicians.  The Commutative Property of Addition states that no matter what order we add numbers, their sum will remain the same.  This concept is often referred to as "flip-flop" or "turn-around" facts for first graders and is the first step in understanding fact families.  I do think it is important that we begin introducing the proper math terminology to our first graders, but it is fun to use these terms as well, and they make sense to the kids.

Links are a fun way to begin teaching this concept!  Students can build a problem with two colors of links.  Then, they can "hook" the matching addition problem to the link.  Now, they flip the link over and can see the related "commutative" problem and add the matching card.  You could even have kids write and hole punch index cards for this activity.

Dice are always a hit with kids!  They especially love these dice within a dice.  Students can roll and record the two commutative facts for the dice.  Don't have these dice- no problem...regular dice work great as well, just use two.

Cubes are always great for hands-on math activities.  Students can build, color, and write the commutative facts.  They can really see how the problems are "turned-around", but not changed in any other way.

Ten frames work great for a variety of manipulatives; cubes, counters, erasers, just about anything you can think of.  Dot markers and colored stickers also work great on ten-frames!  Students can "spin" the ten-frame and see the commutative fact.

Similar to the dice activity, dominoes also work great!  They are easy to flip-around to see the new fact.  You can also have the kids draw the dominoes they used.  

Don't forget about center time!  All of the above activities can be placed in centers for continued practice. Clip-cards, puzzles, and memory also make great centers!

  

You can find these activities (and more!) in my Commutative Property of Addition: Hands on Activities on TPT.

Guided Math Mats for Kindergarten

I love math mats!  They are quick and easy to prepare (most are print and go!), easy to differentiate, and can be used again and again!  Quickly change out the manipulative you are using and the activities feel new and fresh again!  

I recommend using reusable write and wipe pockets.  They are sturdy, easy to clean, and FUN for kids!  If you don't have access to the pockets then you could use page protectors or laminate the mats. 


Here are a few of the mats:

One of the additions I tried to make to the Kindergarten mats is to have a fine motor component.  Here students can use tongs to put the poof balls and bears onto the mats.  

Once students have practiced with the mats during Guided Math groups, many of them can easily be moved to an independent center for additional practice.

Each mat comes with a teacher sheet that lists math standards, materials, directions, and options for changing it up!

Make it fun by changing out to a different manipulative!  I love all of the seasonal erasers!

Many of the mats come in multiple levels, so it is easy to differentiate!

Dice, magnetic numbers, and playing cards are an easy way to mix it up!

Subtraction smash is always fun!  Build the first number with playdough balls, then smash the number being taken away!

Don't have geoboards?  Kids can draw the pictures!  Great for visual perception and geometry vocabulary!

Want to learn more about the mats?  Click here.

Earth Day Reuse It Craft

Are you looking for a fun and easy Earth Day craft?  Your students will love this project!  

To complete the project you will need the following:

• 1 can per student (standard sized)
• crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.
• plain construction paper or copies of the wraps
• tape

You will need to do a little prep work for this project.  Send a note home to parents asking them to bring in a clean can, or collect them yourself ahead of time.

Begin by teaching a lesson to your class on the importance of reusing.  Some items your students might be familiar with reusing are: reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags, reusing a box or container in a new way, etc.

Next, have students color their chosen wrap. I recommend using cardstock for durability.

Now you are ready to tape the wrap to the can, scotch tape works great!

Now students have a reusable pencil container!  They will love to keep it on their desk to hold their supplies!

You can download all the supplies you need for this project, including a note to send home, here!