Simple and Successful Early Finisher Vocabulary Strategy | Science in the City

Jul 18, 2013

Simple and Successful Early Finisher Vocabulary Strategy

As I have gotten more involved with more elementary teachers, both through forums and blogs and through being in a K-8 building, instead of a high school, I have come across the idea of "early finisher" activities.  This is not a common phenomenon in high school classroom.  However, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that might be helpful to keep in mind as you are thinking about setting up a classroom for fall.  Here is what I do for early finishers:
  1. Start homework
  2. Make up work
  3. Vocabulary Review - They can work on words from the current unit, or past units.  They can work with a partner and quiz each other, or they can work on the vocabulary cards by themselves.  

I am trying to a new system to organize them this year.  I am using on of the hanging shoe organizers (at Aldi for $2.99 last week).  In each pocket of the shoe organizer is a set of vocabulary words for that unit, definitions, and an answer key (words and definitions correctly matched up).  Students can spread out the words and definitions, and try to match them up.  They can then use the key to check their answers.  As things picks up during the year, they can time themselves and I have a record board.  For additional extra credit, they can write them out, draw pictures, etc. 

If you teach in a secondary setting, what is your best use of time for early finishers?  

No comments :

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...