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10 Ways to Keep Students Engaged at the End of the School Year

May 13, 2021 by Jodi Leave a Comment

Keeping students engaged at the end of the school year can definitely be challenging. The weather is getting warmer. The days are getting longer, so they may be staying up later. Overall, the students, as well as the teachers, are ready for summer break! With the chaos of the end of the school year, it is important to keep your students excited, but still focused, as much as possible. Here are some easy ideas to keep your students engaged.

1. Change up the classroom layout.

There is no easier way to do a refresh than to change up your classroom layout. This could be as simple as moving the students desks to moving some or all of your furniture. I love a new seating arrangement every now and then.

2. Keep a routine as much as possible.

As crazy as the last few weeks of school can be, try to keep a routine as much as possible. I am a huge supporter of changing things up and throwing in fun activities, but I have certain things that I will do every single day as well. This helps to keep somewhat of a routine, which always helps to keep students feeling calmer.

3. Get your students moving…a lot.

This time of year, we are all getting antsy. I always feel like the students need a lot more movement than normal. We get outside as much as possible. We find new places to work in the classroom. I also love using GoNoodle and Cosmic Kids Yoga for much needed brain breaks.

4. Have some special “themed days” or do an ABC Countdown to the end of the school year.

Every year, our ABC Countdown ends up being one of my students favorite things about the school year. We countdown the last 26 days of school with a different theme for each day. We make these very simple A-Bring a Stuffed Animal Day, B–Bubblegum Day, C-Sidewalk Chalk Day, etc.

This is also a great time to do a classroom transformation day like Superhero Day, Camping Day, Book Tasting, Construction Day, etc. Anything to get your students excited to come to school every day will help with student engagement throughout the year.

5. Do some STEM/STEAM projects.

Allow your students creativity to shine through with some STEM/STEAM projects.

6. Let your students teach.

Give your students the opportunity to teach the class something. You could give them a particular topic, or let them decide on their own. My 5th grade daughter has a monthly “passion project.” They choose a topic and create a Powerpoint, poster, song, game, or whatever they come up with, to teach about a topic of their choice. Let me tell you, the topics that she chooses have been a little odd at times (onions, the game of Monopoly, history of dumpsters, …) but I love that she is working on researching and presenting, all while learning random facts. This idea could definitely be used at any grade level with a little adjustment.

7. Let your students work in groups.

At this point of the year, it becomes harder and harder to cut down on talking. So instead of constantly trying to battle it, take advantage of the fact that your students know each other very well by now. Let them work together in groups to play games, solve problems, read and discuss books, etc. I love to do our Summer Challenge during the last week of school, which lets my students use their cooperative learning skills.

8. Find ways to celebrate their school year.

This could include creating Memory Books, having an end of the year class party, or making an end of the year video. We will definitely be doing this Virtual End of the Year Celebration.

9. Let them help you clean.

Your students LOVE to help you! Take advantage of this and let them help you clean and organize at the end of the school year. I always sort through my books and give away some well-loved (AKA – worn out) books to my students at the end of the year. They are also great helpers when it comes to sorting supplies. You will save so much time by having them help you with these types of tasks.

10. Reminisce and prepare for next year

Take the time to allow your students to reminisce about their school year. Give them a chance to talk about their favorite moments from the year. This is also a great time to get them prepared for next year. Have students from the next grade level tell them all about what to expect next year. I like to have my students write a letter to my class for next year.

Most importantly, remember to stay positive and have fun with your students!!

5 Books to Read Aloud During the Last Week of School

May 8, 2021 by Jodi 1 Comment

The end of the school year is exciting, exhausting, and emotional. As much as I am always ready for Summer Break, I am never ready to say “goodbye” to my class. I started pulling out my books for the end of the year last week and it made me happy and sad all at the same time.

These 5 books are some of my favorite books to read aloud during the last week of school. They are perfect for wrapping up the school year and bringing closure for you and your students.

You can click on any of the books below for an Amazon affiliate link. Should you make a purchase using any of the links, I do earn a small commission, which helps to support Fun in First.

1. Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg

If you read, First Day Jitters, at the beginning of the school year, this is a must-read. Mrs. Hartwell’s students worry that their teacher will miss them over summer break, so the class comes up with some ideas so she won’t be sad. After reading this book, I love to have my students make cards or write letters to staff that they will miss over the summer.

2. Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Last Day of School by Julie Gassman

All of the “Do Not Bring Your Dragon” books are fun read alouds, and this one is no different. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching, and the students LOVE to help you read it aloud with the rhyming text and repeated phrases.

3. I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman

This one has a great end of the school year message as you send your students off to their future. This would also make a great graduation gift or a book that is passed along from teacher to teacher for your own child. For young kids, it may need a little bit of explaining to get the “big picture,” but this always leads to wonderful discussions.

4. No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher’s Dirty Looks by Diane deGroat

If you enjoy the “Gilbert” books throughout the school year, your students will love this one. Gilbert and his classmates are ready for summer break. They will be getting awards on the last day of school and Gilbert is worried that he won’t get one.

5. I Wish You More by Amy Rosenthal

This is a great last day of school book. The pictures are beautiful and the messages are sweet and simple. Each page leads to a great discussion where you can have your students explain why that would be a wish that you have for them.

I hope you enjoy these end of the school year books. Which ones would you add to the list?

5 Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension

May 1, 2021 by Jodi Leave a Comment

The ultimate goal of learning to read is to be able to comprehend what you are reading, however many students struggle with reading comprehension. Traditional comprehension instruction of reading stories or passages, and then answering question after question about what they read can be boring. So let’s talk about some fun ways to work on reading comprehension.

1. Have students act out the parts of the book.

This can be done in a number of ways. After reading a book as a class, you could assign each character to a student. Then, the students can retell the book by pretending to be the characters. You could also assign a character to a student and the class gets to “interview” the character.

2. Partner up the students to discuss the book.

Put students into partnerships or in very small groups. Then, you can present a question to the class. The students will discuss the answers with their partners. After they have had plenty of talk time, call on some of the partnerships to share their answers. I also enjoy doing this as a “Snack & Share.” They can eat a snack as they are doing this activity. For example, after we read Tacky the Penguin, I put my students with partners and they snack on Goldfish crackers while they discuss the book.

3. Get the students up and moving.

The more my students can move during an activity, the more engaged they will be. One of my favorite ways to retell a book, is to have my students do a “Walk and Retell.” I hang signs up in the front of my classroom labeled Characters, Setting, Beginning, Middle, End. (This can be adjusted to whatever you want to include – problem, solution, etc.)

Then, I call on students to come up to the front of the room and stand in front of the first sign labeled characters. They say who the characters were in the story. Then, they move to the setting and tell where the story took place. They continue walking their way through the book as they retell the story.

4. Draw the story.

This is another great activity to have your students do in small groups. After reading a story, put your students into 3-4 small groups. Give them a large piece of paper. I use plain white anchor chart paper.

Assign each small group a part of the story. You can be very general and assign Beginning, Middle, and End or you can be more specific. The groups will work together to illustrate that part of the story. When the groups are finished, they will work together as a class to retell the entire story.

5. Provide short daily comprehension practice.

The more exposure students have with a variety of texts, the better their comprehension will become. So many of our students need to build their vocabulary and background knowledge in order to become better readers. I want to make sure that my students are getting numerous opportunities every day to work on reading comprehension. I love using my Comprehension Notebooks in my classroom.

These are great to use in a whole group or in a small group. I personally love to use these in small groups so I can differentiate the levels. I use the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade levels all in my 1st grade classroom. Check out the bundle by clicking on the picture below.

What is your favorite fun way to work on reading comprehension in your classroom?

Construction Day Classroom Transformation

April 25, 2021 by Jodi 1 Comment

I love doing classroom transformations! They are a great way to keep interest levels up. The students are engaged throughout the day, and they are making memories that last a lifetime. These are the types of things that my students remember from 1st grade. I am WAY TOO BUSY to spend a lot of time on these classroom transformations, and I’m sure that you are as well. That’s why I keep them very simple. I promise you that you can transform your classroom in no time at all.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.

How to set up your classroom.

It really does not take too many supplies to transform your classroom. I had already purchased some of these items for one of my son’s birthday parties a couple years ago.

The only thing that I purchase each year are the tablecloths and the construction hats. Everything else, I keep and reuse year and year.

When my students come in, I play this YouTube video of construction sounds to add to the effect. I place a Construction Day coloring page on their desk along with a construction hat.

What do we do on Construction Day

We rotate through Construction themed stations for most of the day. I use the items in my Construction Day Classroom Transformation packet.

We rotate through these academic stations:

Sentence Builder – Students pull out a noun, verb, and adjective, and a sentence using all three words.
Project Poetry – Students cut out the sentence strips to create a poem.
Constructing Numbers – Students make creations with Base-10 blocks.
Awesome Architect – Students build 3-dimensional shapes using toothpicks and marshmallows.
Detailed Designer – Students design their dream bedroom.
Sentence Renovation – Students unscramble words to make sentences.

We also discuss some construction vocabulary and complete other tasks throughout the day.

With a little prep and planning, these days are easy to pull off and SO WORTH IT! So many people shy away from classroom transformations because they get overwhelmed. It is amazing what some Dollar Tree tablecloths can do to add to the excitement and engagement for the day.

If you want to try a Construction Day Classroom Transformation in your classroom, check out my packet in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. The packet includes ideas for transforming your classroom for a Construction Day, station labels, stations, ABC Order, word search, vocabulary, and more. It truly is a fun-filled day of learning. Click on the picture below to head over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

A Lesson for the ou/ow Sound

April 8, 2021 by Jodi Leave a Comment

Teaching phonics can be boring, but it is actually one of my favorite things to teach. I enjoy helping my students “break the code” of reading. But, if you do not find ways to make learning phonics fun, your students will be BORED OUT OF THEIR MINDS!

This lesson is one of my absolute favorite ways to review the ou/ow sound and make it FUN for your students!

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION by wrapping your head in a bandage. I have even had teachers reach out to me after doing this lesson that told me they brought in crutches or a neck brace that they had at home. You can go completely over the top, or very simple. Trust me, all I do is wrap this gauze wrap around my head, and they are hooked!

BE VERY DRAMATIC as you explain to your students that they will have to read through the clues to figure out what happened to you. You can hide the clues around your classroom or just open each one to read to the class.

AFTER YOU READ EACH CLUE and look for the ou/ow words in the clue, the students will write or draw their predictions on the included paper. I always call on the students to share their predictions after each clue with the class. They are so creative, and often times, absolutely hilarious. In the past, they have predicted that I was hit by a pizza delivery man, a rock fell off a cliff and landed on my head, a dog attacked me and knocked me over, and even scratched by a rabid squirrel. I have them share their new or adjusted predictions after each clue.

AFTER THEY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, they can use the sequencing organizer to write about it. This lesson is perfect for working on making predictions, organizing a story, and retelling a story in the correct sequence.

IT REALLY IS SUCH A FUN LESSON AND ONE THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO DO YEAR AFTER YEAR!

You can check out this whole lesson by clicking on the picture below.

If you need more ou/ow diphthong activities, click HERE.

Pin this image for later.

Virtual Saint Patrick’s Day

February 28, 2021 by Jodi Leave a Comment

A year ago, who would have thought that Virtual Holiday celebrations would even be a thing? However, I sure wish that I would have had this Virtual Saint Patrick’s Day last school year after we went to remote learning in March.

When I used my Virtual Christmas party, we were doing virtual learning, and it was PERFECT. When I used my Virtual Valentine’s Day, we were in-person, and it was still PERFECT to use in the classroom. These are definitely something that I will keep using in my classroom every year.

This Virtual Saint Patrick’s Day includes a PowerPoint version as well as a link to use in Google Slides and includes the following activities:

Jokes
Mystery Picture
This or That
Unscramble the Word
Find It – Scavenger Hunt
Brain Break Dance
What’s Your Leprechaun Name?
Lucky Says

We will be doing this as a whole group while in the classroom. I will use my projector to display it to the class. Then, we will go through each activity together. If you are using this for virtual learning, you can share your screen during a Google Meet or Zoom. The students will love it!

Click on the link below to check out this Virtual Party and watch the video preview.

Virtual Saint Patrick’s Day Party