5 Fun Daily 5 Activities That You’re Students Won’t Hate
5 Fun Daily 5 Activities That You’re Students Won’t Hate
Students hate not to have choices in their Daily 5 activities. Having a handful of fun activities for students to choose from helps them feel independent and engaged. Let's talk about 5 activities you can use that your students won't hate and will ask for over and over again!
Some of these Daily 5 activities are geared more for kindergarten through two second grade. As you know, I’m switching to fifth grade, so don’t despair, I’ve got a few ideas for upper elementary teachers as well. If you missed the blog post about how I’m switching grade levels and schools, check it out here!
If you read my last few blog posts, you know that I'm a big fan of the Daily 5 and I've adapted it so that it works really well for the kind of teacher that I want to be; which is one that can get to all of my reading groups as much as possible and create independent learners. My goal is always for my students to be autonomous and work on their own while building their reading confidence.
Work work activities that tie into what students are doing in reading group will increase engagement
Work work activities that tie into what students are doing in reading group will increase engagement
My first activity that your kids won't hate during Daily 5 is a word work activity that ties into what they're actually doing in their reading group. I know word work can seem not fun sometimes, but if you can find a way to make it fun with different words sorts, picture sorts, or whatever is going along with what you're teaching in reading group. My first graders loved this word and picture sorts. The word work activity should be applicable to what they're learning. If taught properly, they should be able to tell you why they're working on it. This is key for if someone were to come into your room and do an observation. We would want our students to be able to tell that person why they're working on something. It's not just an activity; the point is for them to actually grasp the concepts that they're working on in their reading group, not to impress your administrators. That's just a benefit that will happen if you're doing it correctly.
Memory matching games work well for K-2 students
Memory matching games work well for K-2 students
My next Daily 5 activity is more for kindergarten and first graders - maybe second grade: memory matching games. Those work really well as a way to challenge students and keep them engaged during word work, especially kindergarten and first graders. You can create your own or buy them from the store, but I’ve found they’re rather pricey at Target or Wal-Mart. I sell quite a few in my TPT store so check those out. You know I’m all about that Teachers Pay Teacher’s life! If you want to learn 3 simple steps to go from zero to cha-ching, get on the waitlist to join my FREE 4 day challenge.
Allowing students to choose books based on interest will keep them engaged during Read to Self
Allowing students to choose books based on interest will keep them engaged during Read to Self
Allow your students to choose books that are interest based for read to self. This is one of my biggest things I stand by as an elementary school teacher: interest trumps ability. Let's say you have a second grader that's not quite reading on level, but they have a book like Dog Man or something that is more like a graphic novel. If they're engaged with it, then let them choose it. Some teachers don't let their kids pick books unless they are able to read them. I firmly stand against that because it makes our kids not love reading. Let them choose books based on interest. I think they should also have books in their book tub that they're able to read as well. That's where your job comes in to help them navigate choosing just right books.
Make Listen to Reading fun with apps like Epic and Teacher Monster
Make Listen to Reading fun with apps like Epic and Teacher Monster
Listen to reading needs to be fun and engaging and not just looking up YouTube videos. There are a couple apps that I really like, like Epic and Teacher Monster for our younger learners. A little tip for the Epic app-, you can turn a switch off so that they can't look at YouTube videos (unless you want them to). I personally want my students listening to reading so they hear the cadence of the reader and get exposed to different vocabulary words. It's a way to incorporate iPads that doesn't feel like they're doing something they shouldn't be doing. I'm not a huge fan of iPads, just because I think our kids have so much access to them anymore. They definitely serve a purpose and can be a great learning tool when used appropriately.
Handwriting practice that’s fun and silly will make your students excited to write
Handwriting practice that’s fun and silly will make your students excited to write
My last daily five activity that your kids won't hate is handwriting practice that is silly and fun. Again, that is maybe geared more towards kindergarten, first and second grade students. We've gotten away from proper handwriting and we need to come back to it. I have a few blog posts on that if you want to read more about incorporating handwriting into Daily 5 activities.
I would love to know if you have any other ideas on ways to make Daily 5 more fun so please comment below!
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