Math centers don’t have to be intimidating, chaotic or a bunch of extra work!

With these tried-and-true tips and ideas, you’ll be able to run successful math centers in your classroom!

This is the ultimate guide to all things math centers!

Why Do I Prefer Math Centers Over Whole-Group Math Instruction?

Let me paint you a picture of what my math instruction looked like before I started doing math centers…

Picture me standing at the front of the classroom. I used the document camera (or SmartBoard) to demonstrate that day’s math concept or procedure.

I used various engagement strategies such as turn-and-talk, but no matter what, this is what I noticed…

• My struggling students continued to struggle. They waited for their faster, more confident peers to do the answering and the thinking for them.
• My high achievers got bored after a few minutes because they already understood the concept.
• My on-level students stayed just that… on level.

I wanted to find a way to support my struggling learners, challenge my high achievers, and help my on-level kiddos grow to their potential. In fact, I wanted EVERYONE to meet their highest potential.

And whole-group math instruction just wasn’t helping me do that.

Hence, math centers!!

This doesn’t mean that I never use whole-group instruction… In fact, I still use it pretty much everyday to introduce the concept. But the BULK of my math instruction and the students’ math time is in centers.

So let’s break it down so you can see how I managed to make math centers work in my classroom!

Math Centers Schedule

Disclaimer: Each teacher’s schedule is different, so I can only speak to my own experiences with how I set up my schedule. You may need to do some tweaking to make this work for you.

Time of Day

I prefer to teach math in the morning before the kids go out to recess (except for when I taught kindergarten– then I taught math in the afternoons). I know that this may be an unconventional decision for some of you. But I feel like math takes a LOT of mental effort, so I like to teach it when the kids are feeling fresh and awake.

I typically have an hour to teach math, which is not a lot of time to do math centers.

So instead of having four centers (which I would prefer), I only have three centers.

How long is each center?

I usually start with a short whole-group introduction (about 5-10 minutes) and then we break into centers. So that means that each center is about 16 minutes long.

Honestly, 16 minutes isn’t really that much time. But I don’t have room in my schedule to take more time from something else, so I work with what I have. If you’re able to spend more like 20-25 minutes in each center, that would be ideal.

Even though each center is only 16 minutes long, that’s still 16 minutes of students actively learning and working (x3 centers so 48 total minutes), so I feel like that’s still a better deal than traditional whole-group math where students are spending a lot of time listening and watching.

Math Centers Activities

Like I said above, I only have time for 3 math centers, so I only have 3 activities. My 3 activities are meeting with the teacher, technology, and independent work.

If you are able to do 4 centers, your activities could be meet with teacher, technology, and two independent centers. Just choose two of the activities from the independent centers below.

Meet With Teacher

The most obvious of the math centers is meeting with me, the teacher.

This is when I’m most able to meet my students’ needs, so I try to differentiate this center as much as possible. I can’t differentiate every day, but when I can, I do.

Because this is the only center where I’m available to help the students, this is the only center where I introduce new concepts. Every other center activity is a review of concepts already learned.

I start off my small group time with a brief lesson (remember, I only have about 16 minutes with each group) about that day’s math concept. That’s why introducing it whole-group first usually helps. The kids already have an idea of what’s coming, and I can get some of the basics out of the way before the kids come to me for small group time.

After the introduction/mini-lesson, it’s time for the kids to practice the concept. I love to have mini white boards at my table so I can have the kids practice it all together or with partners before they dive into completing their work independently. (Hint: keep reading for more info on the mini white boards and other materials I keep on hand for math centers!)

How the “Meet with Teacher” lesson goes usually depends on the group I’m meeting with…

• Below-Grade-Level Group: We do quite a few practice problems together on the kids’ white boards to give them more guided practice. I also keep manipulatives handy (counters, base-ten blocks, etc.) so they can physically manipulate objects to help them understand the concept. Once I feel like they’re ready for independent work, they do their workbook pages from our Everyday Math curriculum.
• On-Target Group: We do a few practice problems together on their white boards. Then they do they Everyday Math workbook pages independently. If they finish early, I give them enrichment activities (more on this below!)
• Above-Grade-Level Group: Because this group tends to already understand the concepts being taught (or at least is able to catch on pretty quickly), I typically move straight into the Everyday Math workbook pages and support them as needed. When they’re done, I have enrichment activities ready for them.

How I Differentiate In This Center:

After a student completes their Everyday Math workbook pages, I provide them with some sort of enrichment activity. Here are the activities I most commonly use:

• Singapore Math Challenge Word Problems: My school doesn’t officially use Singapore Math, but I like to use the challenge word problems as enrichment because they really push the students’ understanding of a concept. Plus, any extra practice with word problems is a plus! Click HERE to see one of the Challenge Word Problems books on Amazon. I just copy the pages for each concept and staple into packets. The students just work on them at their own pace.
• Create (or find) my own enrichment activities: This one does take some time and forethought. If we are working on, say, telling time to the 5-minute, I would create (or find online) an activity that focuses on elapsed time. If my students have mastered 3-digit addition and subtraction, I would find or create an activity for addition and subtraction with higher numbers.

Technology

At my school, the grade-level shares a set of iPads. So when we divvy them up, I basically have enough iPads for one small group to use them at a time.

Before we had iPads, we had desktop computers or laptops and my kids would use those.

Like I said above, there’s no teacher at this center to help the kids with the concepts, so I always have the kids review previously taught concepts when they’re using technology.

Here are some apps/websites that I have used:

• Math Bingo (FREE): This one is great for having your students practice their math fact fluency! And it’s a game, so that’s always fun!!
• IXL (PAID): My school has a subscription to IXL. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a program where each math standard has practice problems that help to reinforce that concept. What’s great about it is that it’s adaptive, meaning if a student keeps getting a certain kind of problem wrong, it’ll continue to give them practice with that type of problem until they show adequate progress. iReady is a similar paid program as well.
• Starfall (FREE & PAID): With a free account, you can access certain activities, but not all. The paid account will let you access all of the activities and songs.
• Educreations: FREE & PAID: Educreations is a digital whiteboard app and website where you can record the screen and your voice at the same time. To turn this program into a math center, you could have students create “lessons” where they teach others about a certain math concept or skill. Obviously, you could only do this with concepts and skills that they already know, but it would be great reinforcement!! Plus, I’m sure you’ve seen the statistic that we remember 95% of what we learn when we teach others!

This is by no means a comprehensive list of digital resources. There are a TON of wonderful math apps and websites out there!! These are just the ones that I have personally used!

How I Differentiate In This Center:

Luckily, technology tends to be a pretty easy one to differentiate depending on the apps and websites you’re using.

For example, with the app, “Math Bingo,” my high-flyers could work on their multiplication and division facts while my other students are still working on addition and subtraction.

Similarly, with IXL, I have different groups work on different levels of skills. I might tell one group to work on time to the hour, another group to work on time to the half-hour and a third group to work on elapsed time.

Independent Math Center

Depending on the day, the activities in this math center will vary.

Task Cards

Task cards are a fun and engaging way for your students to review and practice various math skills!

I LOVE task cards because they get the kids up and moving, which instantly makes the activity more fun! Plus, it allows them to get their blood moving and get their wiggles out!

I have all sorts of different sets of task cards in my TeachersPayTeachers store… It all depends on what you want your students to work on.

Read more about how I use task cards to differentiate my instruction in THIS BLOG POST all about differentiated instruction strategies!

Math Fact Fluency and Strategies

Once I’ve assessed the kids on their math facts, I then create a packet of math fact strategy pages for each student to work on. These are the books I use for the practice pages:

What I like about these books is that it’s not just rote memorization… They encourage the kids to use various strategies to become more fluent with their math facts.

These packets work best when you’ve already introduced the math fact strategies. That way they’re getting reinforcement and review as they’re working on the packets independently.

I also like to color-code the packets to make differentiation easier. For example, once a student finishes the pink packet (let’s say that’s combinations of 10), they’ll move on to the orange packet, which might be doubles and doubles plus one.

This makes it easier for me to grab the next packet for each student as they finish since it’s basically a self-paced center.

But if you don’t have access to colored paper, you could always find another way to code your packets. For example, draw different shapes in the corner (circle for packet 1, triangle for packet 2, square for packet 3, etc.). Or draw dots for each level of packet (1 dot, 2 dots, and so on…).

Math Games

Games are a great way for kids to practice their math skills because they’re having fun and don’t realize they’re learning!

I’m a pretty no-frills teacher, so I don’t like math games that require me to prep a lot of materials. I like math games that are simple, fun, and can be played multiple times!

Many different math curriculums include games already, so those are usually the easiest to start with! There are also a ton of great math games on TeachersPayTeachers that are awesome to use!

Skills Review

Another option for the independent math center is a skills review packet. I know packets aren’t the best teaching tool, but when used sparingly, I think they can be a great way for the kids to review concepts and skills.

I find a lot of my activities for skills review from the books, Basic Math Skills. They have one for each grade level. Click the image below to check them out on Amazon, but you can also find them at Lakeshore Learning (that’s where I first found mine)!

What I love about these books for skills review is that they’re activities are usually fun and engaging, and there’s built-in differentiation! Some pages cover easier levels of skills while others are more difficult.

How I Differentiate In This Center:

Like I mention above, most of the activities and resources I use for the independent math center lend themselves really easily to differentiation.

The Fact Fluency books allow me to make different packets for different levels of math fact mastery.

Skills review packets also allow for differentiation because you can pick and choose which pages go in your packets for each group. Some groups might have packets with skills from the grade below that they still need to master while other groups might be working on skills from the grade above.

How to Manage Math Centers Rotations

I keep things pretty simple when it comes to managing the rotations. I make a PowerPoint or Google Slides template that has my three groups and my three centers. Then, all I have to do is project it from my computer the entire time we’re in math centers so that the kids always know which center is coming next.

There are some amazing slides available on TpT that have timers built into them, but I’ve never used a timer. I feel like it locks me in too much. Sometimes, one group needs just a couple more minutes to work on something. I like having the flexibility of telling the kids when to rotate when I want. I just have to keep my eye on the clock so the time doesn’t get away from me.

How to Save Time on Planning and Prep

There are a couple of things I do that are KEY in helping me save time when planning and prepping for math centers!

1. Prep and copy as much as you can ahead of time– I make a BUNCH of the math fact fluency packets, Singapore Math packets, and skills review packets at the beginning of the school year. I just store them in file cabinets. That way I can just grab and go as opposed to having to constantly copy new ones for the kids.
2. Laminate and save your task cards for future use– Yes, it takes more time in the beginning to laminate your task cards, but then you’ll be able to reuse them year after year! That’ll save you so. much. time in the long run! (Just as a reminder, you can check out my task cards in my TpT Store by clicking HERE!)
3. Create a consistent routine– I can’t emphasize this enough. Don’t reinvent the wheel every day or even every week! You could have your students work on their math fact fluency packets as their independent center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and math games every Tuesday and Thursday. Up to you! But the more you stick to a routine, the more time you’ll save with planning.
4. Have a system for how the kids will store and access their work– I use THESE DRAWERS from Michael’s and use them as “unfinished work” drawers. Any independent packets that the kids are working on (math fact fluency, skills review, etc.) live there. That way, the kids know exactly where to go to grab their work. When they finish a packet, they turn it in to the “Finished Work” basket.
5. If you can, keep games somewhere where the kids can access them anytime– Sometimes, it’s good to give the kids a choice and let them choose the math game they’d like to play. So anytime I introduce a new math game, I keep the laminated game boards in a plastic drawer like THIS ONE and label it. Any counters or other game pieces they may need are kept on top of the plastic drawers. That way, the kids can just grab the game and get to playing! Easy peasy!

FAQ About Making Math Centers Successful

You could do all the planning in the world, but if you don’t focus on routines and procedures, your math centers will NOT run smoothly.

Here are some things you need to think about ahead of time so you can teach these routines to your students:

• What materials and supplies should I have at my teacher table to use during small groups?
• Where will my students get the supplies and materials they need for their math centers?
• If one of my centers is a math game, how will my students find a partner?
• What will I do if a student has trouble with their technology during a math center?
• What will the protocol be for students who are not behaving or completing their work during math centers?

The more you can think through the above questions, the better off you’ll be when you introduce math centers to your students. Having a plan is key!

Obviously, your expectations and routines might be different than mine. But I wanted to provide you with some of my routines in case they’re helpful for you!

What materials and supplies should I have at my teacher table to use during small groups?

In order to help maximize your limited time with each of your small groups, you definitely want to be prepared at your teacher table! When you have everything you need within reach, your small groups will run so much more smoothly.

Teacher Cart

The first thing I purchased for my small groups was THIS TEACHER CART from Michael’s. You can find similar carts elsewhere, so definitely shop around for the best deal.

Want to learn more about my teacher cart and how it helps keep me organized? I have a whole blog post with teacher organization tips! Click HERE to read it!

Pencils, Crayons, Markers, Etc.

Basically, you want to have anything the kids would need in order to complete their work with you. That way, you don’t have to waste precious time waiting for kids to grab things from their desks.

Miniature White Boards, Markers, Erasers

I bought THESE MINIATURE WHITE BOARDS from Really Good Stuff and they have been amazing!! I love using white boards for instant engagement and practice. And these are just the right size for easy storage!

Math Books, Practice Pages, Etc.

This is obvious, but just for the sake of being thorough, you’ll want to have a set of your math book, math workbooks, practice pages and anything else you’ll need to help the kids with the math concepts.

Manipulatives

Base-ten blocks, counters, dice, tens frames, plastic coins, etc. I don’t necessarily have all of these out at the same time, but I store them somewhere convenient so I can grab whatever I need based on that day’s lesson.

Where will my students get the supplies and materials they need for their math centers?

I’m a big believer that my students should be as independent as possible. The more they can do things for themselves, the more I can focus on teaching.

So I keep most of the supplies the kids would need in a place where they can help themselves to them… Dice, game pieces, spinners, etc.

I usually just keep them in pencil boxes or other small containers on a shelf or in a drawer. That way the kids can get the supplies they need (and clean them up) all on their own.

Same with pencils… There are always extra sharpened pencils out so the kids can switch a broken pencil with a sharpened one. Or you could have a pencil sharpener available for the students so they don’t have to rely on you.

Having supplies and materials in places where students can access them will also help the kids put their things away after each center! If they know where everything goes, cleaning up between centers should be a breeze!

If one of my centers is a math game, how will my students find a partner?

There are a few options here… But what I’ve always done is just let the kids find their own partners within their groups.

Are there issues sometimes? Of course. But I like giving the kids a little bit of choice and freedom. Plus, if there are repeated issues, the easy natural consequence is they lose the privilege to choose. Simple as that.

But, if you want to make sure your students are partnered up with someone in particular, you could always assign partners within the groups. Then, Johnny knows that every time he plays a math game, his partner is Monica.

What will I do if a student has trouble with their technology during a math center?

There are many issues that can arise with technology, but here are my solutions to some of the biggies:

In order to prevent the problem of kids forgetting their log-in information, I print all of the kids’ usernames and passwords onto mailing labels and stick them onto a large index card. Each student gets their own index card with their usernames and passwords. I laminate them and the kids keep them in a safe place. That way, they always have access to their log-in information!

If a student is just having difficulty remembering how to use an app or website, I direct them to ask a couple group-mates to help them. Chances are the other kids will know how to help!

If they are still having difficulty, they can come to me. But they have to wait patiently until I am ready to help them (which is usually when the students at my center are ready to work independently). I don’t interrupt my teaching to help the kids with technology.

What will the protocol be for students who are not behaving or completing their work during math centers?

This one is tricky, because different teachers have different classroom management strategies.

But I can share with you what I do…

1. Students who aren’t on task or who are misbehaving get a reminder (this should be done privately… Either go to the student or call them over to you to speak with them).
2. If they continue to misbehave, a logical consequence follows. Depending on what the behavior is, the consequence could be a few different options…
   1. The student loses the privilege of working with a partner of their choice (if the misbehavior occurs during partner work).
   2. They lose the privilege of choosing where they work during centers (if they’re choosing a place where they are easily distracted or are near a friend).
   3. The student has to make up the work they aren’t doing during centers at another time of the day that is *usually* more fun so they don’t like missing out (i.e. Friday Free Time, recess, etc.).
3. I TRY to give lots of positive reinforcement to students who ARE on task, but as we know, that’s not always easy… Especially when you’re in the middle of working with a group. But it’s still important to try to find a time afterward to go up to a few students and tell them how much you appreciated their focused, hard work.

But like I said, different teachers have different classroom management strategies, so what works for me might not work for you. You need to do what works for you!

Don’t forget to pin this post so you can look back on it later!

I hope this blog post helps you successfully implement math centers in your own classroom… Or at least gives you some ideas and tips!!

Make sure you save this blog post on Pinterest so that you can refer back to it any time you need to! Just click the “Pin It” button on the image below!

The post How to Run Successful Math Centers in the K-2 Classroom! appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

Are you looking for easy, cute, inexpensive end of year student gifts??

Then you have come to the right place!

I like to give my students a little gift at the end of the school year to celebrate our time together and to let them know I care about them and will miss them!

However, I don’t like breaking the bank on end of year student gifts!

These are all easy and cheap gifts that you can give your students to say goodbye to your year together!

Bubbles

I actually gave this one to my students just last year!!

Who doesn’t love bubbles? They’re fun and perfect for summer!

The bubbles are from Michaels. They come in a 6-pack and are only about $2.99 for that 6-pack. Click HERE to see the ones I used!

Sunglasses

Just like bubbles, sunglasses are perfect for end of year student gifts because they go perfectly with the summer theme!!

Plus, there are so many options for little phrases you can use on the gift tags!

One option is, “You made this year so BRIGHT!”

Another option is, “Keep shining BRIGHT this summer!”

You can buy these sunglasses in bulk on Amazon, which makes them perfect for the whole class!

These particular ones come in a 24-pack for about $17. Click HERE to see them on Amazon!

Glow Sticks or Glow Bracelets

Anything that glows is so much fun!! You could use these during an end of year glow-in-the-dark party!!

Or, give them to the kids to have their own glow-in-the-dark fun during the summer!

I got these glow bracelets from Michaels, but I’ve seen them at Party City and even in the discount section at Target!!

This tube of 12 bracelets cost about $1.49, so each student could have their own tube. Or you could give each student a couple individual bracelets. Up to you! Click HERE to see the ones I bought!

A Fun Book

I appreciate an end of year student gift that encourages the kids to read!

That’s why I did fun summer-themed books one year as a gift!

What’s also great about giving your students a book at the end of the school year is you can personalize it with a special note inside the front cover. Or differentiate for your students’ interests by giving them a book you know they’ll love!

I bought this book on Scholastic and used some of my book club points, so it was especially inexpensive!

Notebook/Journal and Pencil

Along the same lines as giving the kids a good book to read, giving them a notebook or journal encourages them to keep writing over the summer!

The last time I gave this gift to my students, Target had cute little spiral notebooks in the discount section. I had to go to two different Targets to buy enough for all my students, but it was worth it!!

The notebook pictured above came from the Dollar Tree because Target didn’t have the cute notebooks when I was looking for notebooks the following year.

However, I did get the pencil from the Target discount section! I usually find a 10-pack for one or two dollars!

Play-Doh

This end of year student gift is obviously a little better suited to younger grades, but it’s still worth a mention!!

You can buy single little tubs of Play-Doh at Michaels for 99 cents each. Or you can buy a kit of them (price varies depending on which kit you choose).

Click HERE to see the individual tubs at Michaels!

Chalk

Encourage the kids to get outside and express their creativity with sidewalk chalk!

I found this little tub of chalk in the discount section at Target, but I can’t say that it’s available every year.

You can find other varieties of sidewalk chalk at Michaels or Party City, though!

Legos or Building Blocks

This is a great end of year student gift for a class who likes to build and construct!

I found this set in the discount section at Target. I have seen little building block sets a few different years, so keep your eyes out!!

Summer Bucket

Honestly, this one can be a bit more expensive of a gift… Depending on what you choose to put inside the summer bucket.

The pale and shovel came together as a set, and I found it in the discount section at Target. They actually had a few different options to choose from.

Inside the bucket, I put a summer book, a tub of Play-Doh and a container of bubbles. However, you could put anything you want inside (or nothing at all)! That’s where the amount you spend for this gift could really vary depending on what you want to do!

End of Year Student Gifts– Gift Tags!

Whatever gift you choose, it wouldn’t be complete with a cute gift tag to go with it!!

All of the gift tags in the pictures above are in my TeachersPayTeachers store! And they are editable– you can type your name into them and they will auto-populate into the rest of the tags!! That way you don’t have to type your name into each individual tag!

Just click the picture above to check them out in my store!!

Be sure to save this blog post to Pinterest so you can come back to these ideas year after year!!

The post 9 Easy (and Cheap) End of Year Student Gifts appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

Do you struggle with keeping all of your teacher stuff organized? I don’t blame you. You have a million things on your mind, so the last thing you want to do is think about organization.

That’s why I did the thinking for you!

I’m sharing with you my tried-and-true teacher organization tips that have helped me streamline my classroom and de-clutter the mess!

Teacher Organization Tip #1

Get a teacher cart.

No joke… This teacher cart CHANGED MY LIFE.

First of all, it’s cute. It rolls everywhere. And it’s the perfect size to tuck into small spaces!

I got both the cart and the white bins inside the cart from Michael’s. Click here to see the teacher cart. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the white bins on their website, so I don’t know if they carry these exact ones anymore. I did see these ones that looked similar, though.

Different teachers use their teacher carts for various purposes. I use my teacher cart to hold my small group supplies. Here’s what I keep on it:

• Extra pencils
• Miniature white boards (from Really Good Stuff)
• Face pads to use as white board erasers (from Dollar Tree)
• Dry erase markers
• Markers
• Crayons
• Glue sticks
• The other bins are holding my guided reading books for each group

When I need it, all I have to do is roll it on over to my small group table!

In fact, my teacher cart was even featured in the blog post “41 Instagram-Worthy Teaching Hacks” on the We Are Teachers website!! That’s how useful it is! Want to see their other 40 teaching hacks? Click here!

Teacher Organization Tip #2

Get a durable teacher paper organizer.

I don’t really know what it’s officially called, but you know what I’m talking about! The things with all the shelves where you can stack your papers!

This will help keep your teacher desk organized and *hopefully* clear of clutter!

Here’s what I use…

I got it from IKEA and I love it!! You can click the picture above to check it out (no affiliate link… just sharing what I love!).

It’s made of metal, so it’s super durable!! And the shelves slide out so you can easily grab whatever papers are in there. As you can see in the picture, I actually have two of them… Side by side.

I’m in a new role now, so this picture shows how I’m using it to organize the various papers and activities for each grade.

In my own classroom, I used it very differently. Here’s how I labeled my shelves:

1. Work too be graded
2. Papers to be copied
3. Papers to be filed
4. Extra copies
5. Important papers

But play around with it and see what works for you!

Teacher Organization Tip #3

Decide how you want to store your activities and lessons for the week.

This one took me some time to figure out! I played around with all kinds of different set-ups for how to organize my activities for the week!

Ultimately, I decided on the ever-so-popular method of storing my activities for the week in book bins. (I got these book bins from Amazon… Click the picture below to see the ones I bought!)

However, what I did differently is that I didn’t organize the activities by the day of the week (i.e. Monday, Tuesday, etc.). That was too limiting for me. If I don’t get to an activity on Monday, should I move it to the Tuesday bin? What if I don’t get to it until Friday? Will I remember which bin it’s in?

Nope.

So, here’s what works for me… I organize my weekly activities by SUBJECT AREA. That way I always know where to look!

I label my bins with these categories…

• Reading
• Math
• Writing (and word study)
• Social studies/science
• Miscellaneous (for the random activities that didn’t really fit with any particular subject)

Organizing my lessons and activities this way made my life so much easier!

Teacher Organization Tip #4

Have a place for “extra” supplies.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to go out and buy a bunch of extra crayons, scissors, etc.

It just means that when a student ends up with an extra pair of scissors, for example, because they grabbed someone else’s by mistake, they have a place to put them.

Or, if you find a few crayons on the ground after cleaning up from an activity, you have a place to put them.

Then, when a student realizes they’re missing their scissors or their red crayon, they know where to look! The “extras” drawer or bin!

This is sooo helpful for a number of reasons!

1. You don’t have to be the “keeper” of all the misfit supplies.
2. The kids don’t have to come to you every time they can’t find something… They look in the “extras” bin first.
3. It helps build responsibility… If a student finds a crayon, they can put it in the extras bin instead of ignoring it because it’s not theirs. (At least that’s the idea… Does that always happen? Of course not. But we can dream.)

Teacher Organization Tip #5

Have a place for your students to turn in their classwork and their homework.

Because if you don’t, the piles of papers will consume you!

Some teachers use hanging files. I use plastic bins.

Why do I use plastic bins, you ask? A few reasons…

1. Plastic bins are simple. One place for classwork, one place for homework. I don’t need to go digging through individual files to get to all of the kids’ work.
2. They’re portable. For example, I can take the bin with me to the assembly and start looking at their work.
3. They’re cheap. I got these bins in the discount section at Target several years back. I think they were like $3 each.

Whichever you choose, be consistent with it! If the kids always know where to turn in their work, there’ll be fewer questions and more organization!

Teacher Organization Tip #6

Have a way to organize games and other activities.

I LOVE using games for a variety of activities… Centers, whole-group practice with a skill, and for fast-finishers. (I mean, what’s easier than saying, “Go grab a math or spelling game!” when a student finishes their work early??)

Because I use games so often, I need a way to organize them so that they’re easy for both me and the students to access!

For *most* of my games, I use the same plastic drawers that I use for the extras supplies. I just label each drawer with the name of the game.

These games are from my CVC Games resource! I have a blog post all about what’s included with these games, so click here if you’d like to read it!

The other way I organize games is with zipper pouches. These are great for card games and anything that involves small pieces!

Teacher Organization Tip #7

Have a place to store student files.

Believe me… You’re going to want all of your students’ work in one place when it comes time to do parent-teacher conferences and report cards!

I used to use a binder system where I put each student’s work into big binders with one for each subject area. The problem with this was that big binders are not easily portable. So if I wanted to work on report cards at home, I had to bring home 3-4 huge binders full of stuff! The other problem is that I had to flip through 3-4 binders in order to complete each student’s report cards. Not fun.

So instead, I started using this portable hanging file bin. I don’t remember where I bought this one, but I’m sure all the usual places carry them.

Why the hanging files work better…

Is this still a big, bulky to have to take home with me if I want to work from home? Sure. But at least it’s only ONE big, bulky thing instead of many!

Plus, this way I can easily pull their work out to have in front of me for parent-teacher conferences. With the binder system, I’d have to flip through a bunch of different binders to collect all of their work.

To make it even MORE organized, I kept 3 folders inside each hanging file– one for each trimester. So when it was time for trimester two conferences, I only had to pull out the trimester two folder.

And in case you didn’t already notice, I labeled all of the hanging files with student numbers!! That way, I don’t have to change out the labels every year. I can just re-use them.

*By the way, using student numbers is one of the time-saving tips I talk about in my blog post, “Time-Saving Tips for Teachers.” If you want to read the other tips, click here!!

I hope these teacher organization tips have helped you de-clutter and reduce the mess!

Comment below and tell me which tip (or tips) you have implemented in your classroom!!

And don’t forget to save this post on Pinterest for future reference!!

The post Teacher Organization Tips Every Teacher Needs appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

So many teachers have been thrown into the world of distance learning with very little preparation. Many of you might even have your own kids at home that you’re trying to care for.

This is why I’ve pulled together some distance learning resources and tips for you to *hopefully* make things a little easier!! And best of all… They’re free!

Distance Learning Choice Boards

Choice boards work wonders for student engagement because the kids get to pick which activities they work on each day! Distance learning makes this no different.

These choice boards will keep your students engaged! And students can work on them throughout the day to fit their schedule!

And here’s what I especially love… Just about all of the activities are screen-free! That’s right… Almost every activity on these choice boards will give your students a break from being on a device.

I’ve created 4 different versions of choice boards:

• Kindergarten
• 1st grade
• 2nd grade
• Editable

Each choice board has activities that are specific to that grade level’s common core standards in math and ELA. Plus, there’s an editable version with a blank template so that you can create your own choice board!

Click the image below to download them from my freebie library!

*If you don’t already have access to my freebie library, you can sign up to receive access! This will allow you to download free resources straight to your computer!

Educreations is Perfect for Virtual Lessons

Educreations is a digital whiteboard where you can write, draw, type and import images. There is a free version and a premium version. I’ve always used the free version, but you do have access to more features and more storage with the premium version.

I’ve always used the app on my iPad, but there’s also a web version to use on a computer.

The best part of Educreations (at least for distance learning) is that you can record both your voice and screen while you annotate! So you can show students how to use a particular math strategy, for example, at the same time that you’re explaining it.

The second best part of Educreations is that your students don’t need their own accounts. Once you’ve sent the link to a video you’ve created, your students can view it without signing into anything.

And the third best part of Educreations is how easy it is to share the video with your students!!

Click the video below to see some of the features of Educreations and how to share the video with your students once you record it!

Epic! Books

Many of you might already know about Epic! Books! If not, it’s basically a collection of digital books for elementary-aged kids. So awesome!

When you search for books, you can click the “Read to Me” option and it will only show you the books where it will read the book to the child. This is perfect for young students who are not independently reading yet.

And what’s even better is that parents can sign up for a free trial for 30 days! This means that you don’t have to send them any log-in information because they’ll create their own accounts!

Or, as a teacher, you can create an account for your class where you can assign books to your kids to read. You’ll just need to notify the parents/kids of their usernames and passwords.

Either way, it’s free and there are a ton of amazing books to choose from!

Scholastic Learn at Home

Scholastic has developed resources and activities for parents to use at home with their kids! And they’re categorized by grade level!

The activities include books that the kids can read digitally, videos and activity suggestions. This resource is meant for parents, so these are by no means in-depth lesson plans. But it’s a super helpful website for busy teachers who want to give parents an easy resource to go to that doesn’t require a log-in!

RAZ Kids/Kids A-Z

Similar to Epic! Books, RAZ Kids is an online library of digital books (the free app is called Kids A-Z). However, there are a few differences between Epic! and RAZ Kids:

• Almost all of the books on RAZ Kids have a listening option where the book will be read to the student.
• RAZ Kids has comprehension quizzes for each book that are standards-based.
• Kids/parents can choose books that are on their level.
• RAZ Kids is not normally free, but as of March 2020, they are offering a 90-day free trial for parents (14-day free trial for teachers)

If you direct the parents in your class to sign up for a free trial, they can have their child read or listen to books and take the comprehension quizzes.

Distance Learning Resources: Parent Sheet

I have compiled the above resources into a Parent Sheet that you can email out to your parents! That way, they can access all of these free resources and all you have to do is send them the PDF!

The beauty of this list is that none of these online websites require you (the teacher) to set anything up. The parents can create their own accounts with their own passwords and you won’t have to manage any of it.

Ergo… Absolutely no extra work for you!

Click the image below to download the free PDF from my freebie library!

All you would do is send the parents in your class the PDF via email (or upload the PDF to your Google Drive and send the link via ClassDojo or Seesaw).

You could also include a blurb in your email about how these activities can be “sprinkled” throughout the day, any day.

I hope these free distance learning resources are helpful for you!! Leave a comment below to share how you’re tackling distance learning and making it happen!!

The post Free Distance Learning Resources to Ease Your Stress! appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

I love it when a resource has everything I need in order to meet the needs of all of my students!

When that happens, it just makes my life so. much. easier. I don’t have to go digging around a gazillion different places trying to piece together activities to meet everyone’s learning needs.

That’s exactly why I created these 104 phonics word lists… All in one resource!

Here’s why I love these phonics word lists:

You can easily differentiate your centers!

Because there are 104 different word lists, you have plenty of phonics patterns available that will meet the needs of all of your students.

For example, one group of kiddos can work on a phonics list with CVC words while another group can work on long vowels with “magic e.”

All you need to do is print, cut in half and assign the lists to your groups.

An easy way to assign the different lists to the right groups is to put them in colored pouches/bins that match the colors of your groups (i.e. the red group gets the lists out of the red bin). Or you could print them on colored paper if you have it.

Want more ideas for how to differentiate your teaching? Check out this blog post where I share 4 easy differentiated instruction strategies!

Use them with any spelling activity!

These phonics word lists are PERFECT to use with any word work or spelling activity!

Some of my favorite word work centers activities are:

• Rainbow Words: Students write each word on a piece of paper in 3 (or however many) different colors.
• Magnetic Letters: I bought cheap cookie sheets at the Dollar Tree for the students to use with their magnetic letters.
• Stamps: I bought alphabet stamps and ink pads at Lakeshore, but you can find them on Amazon or Walmart also!
• Magnadoodle (or similar magnetic writing boards)
• Scrabble Letters: Added math bonus… Have your students add up the values of their words after they build them.

And the best part? Students can complete all of these activities independently and without much hassle!

They’re easy to prep!

Just print and cut in half. That’s it!

Grab these 104 phonics word lists!

Click the image below to check out my phonics word lists resource!

Or, if you’d like to try a FREE sample version of my phonics word lists with all short “a” words, click the image below!

I hope these phonics word lists help you differentiate your spelling instruction!! Don’t forget to download the free short a word lists above!!

The post 104 Must-Have Phonics Word Lists appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

I L-O-V-E reading lots of picture books during the first few days of school!! They ease everyone’s fears and worries about the new school year, teach valuable lessons and are just plain FUN! Plus, they’re super easy to grab when you have an extra 10 minutes to fill!

Here are my tried and true, go-to first day of school books!!

Build Classroom Community

Building a positive, accepting and welcoming classroom community begins on day one!

The Sandwich Swap

This is a great first-day-of-school book to read before your students go to lunch.

I’ve found that this book is a great way to begin a discussion about celebrating our differences as well as what to do when someone likes/does/eats something that you’re not familiar with!

Leo the Late Bloomer

Another important lesson in my classroom that I always try to emphasize is that not everyone learns things at the same speed or in the same way. I might not read this next book on the first day of school, but I for sure read it within the first few days!! It’s especially important as my students start to take those beginning-of-the-year assessments!

I want my students to know that it’s okay to not be good at something right away and that it’s okay for others to not be good at something right away… We all bloom in our own time!! #growthmindset

Introduce Class Rules

As boring as they are to talk about sometimes, we all know that classroom rules are a NECESSITY!

I believe that the kids should participate in the rule-making process. This helps them take ownership of the class rules and helps them understand why we have them in the first place.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

I use the following book to begin my discussion about why we need rules. It’s a fun first-day-of-school book because it’s silly and always makes the kids smile. But it’s also a great segue into brainstorming rules we should have in our classroom!

Library Lion

This next book is another great one for discussing classroom rules!! Although the ultimate lesson of the book is that sometimes rules need to be broken (like in an emergency), it’s still a great way to begin talking about the importance of having rules!

Ease Your Students’ Nerves

First Day Jitters

This first book is PERFECT to read at the very beginning of the day on the first day of school! The surprise ending is always fun too!! (Spoiler alert… The teacher is the one with the jitters!)

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School

I love reading this next book before taking the class on a tour of the school… Just like the gingerbread man! It’s important for the kiddos to know right from the start where the closest bathrooms are, the nurse’s office, etc. Sure, many of your students will probably already know where those are. But you may have some new kids who don’t.

Making sure everyone knows where the important locations are can really ease some nerves and help everyone feel welcome!

FREEBIE ALERT! Want an editable template that you can use to create a fun scavenger hunt around your school that’s inspired by the Gingerbread Man?? Click the picture below to sign up for my FREEBIE Library where you can download the scavenger hunt activity for free!!

Already have the password to the FREEBIE Library?? Click the button below to go straight to it!

What are some of your favorite books for the first day of school?? Let me know in the comments below!!

Don’t forget to save this post on Pinterest so you can reference each school year!!

The post My Go-To First Day of School Books! appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

Need a fun and engaging way to teach your students short vowel sounds in CVC words?? What could be more fun and engaging than games?!? These 3 CVC games will help your students master their short vowel sounds AND they’ll have no idea they’re learning!

Hint: Make sure you read to the end of this post for an exclusive CVC Games FREEBIE!!

First things first… When teaching phonics, it is important that the students first learn how to both blend and segment sounds. Here’s a reminder of what the difference is between the two.

Blending Sounds

Blending sounds is when you take separate sounds in a word and blend them together to read a word. For instance, a student would take each sound–c-a-t–and blend them together to read it as “cat.” This skill is very important when learning how to read.

Segmenting Sounds

Segmenting sounds is basically the opposite of blending. It is when you take a word and separate it into its individual sounds. For example, “hat” would be separated into h-a-t. This is important when learning how to spell words.

Both skills are important for students to learn because you obviously want your students to be able to read and spell CVC words!

Luckily, these games help your students practice both skills!

And these games are incredibly easy to prep! All you have to do is print, laminate (if you wish) and play! Plus, the only supplies you need are materials that you probably already have on hand!

Match a Picture! CVC Game

The “Match a Picture!” game focuses on helping students blend sounds together to read CVC words. There are 5 different game boards for the 5 different short vowel sounds, so the students get plenty of practice with reading words with each sound!

The students read the words on the game board and then color the corresponding picture on their recording sheet that matches the word. Any game that also involves coloring is sure to be a hit in the classroom!!

Spin and Bump! CVC Game

Like “Match a Picture!”, “Spin and Bump!” also helps the students practice blending sounds in CVC words. This time, the students spin words, and then look for the matching picture. Again, there are 5 versions for each of the short vowel sounds!

The students will LOVE being able to “bump” their opponent’s counter off of the board when they spin the same word!

Roll and Write! CVC Game

This one helps the students segment sounds in order to spell CVC words correctly. When the students land on a picture, they need to write the word on their recording sheet.

Using the CVC Games in Your Classroom

These 3 CVC games can be used so many ways!

Literacy Centers

One of my favorite ways to use games is as an independent literacy center! Once the students know how to play the games, they can play them on their own while I meet with small reading groups! Plus, with 15 different game boards, there are plenty of options and they won’t get bored!

Fast Finisher Activity

Another way I love to use games is as a fast-finisher activity. I like to keep the games somewhere that is accessible to the students so that any time they finish an activity early, I can say, “Go grab a game to play with a partner!”

Reading Groups

Use these with your small reading groups to help them practice important short vowel sounds!

Organizing the CVC Games

Because these CVC games don’t require a bunch of tiny pieces or cards, keeping them organized is super easy!

I laminate my game boards to help keep them durable and then store them in plastic drawers for my students to access easily.

Another way to keep the games organized is to glue them into file folders and use them as file folder games! You can write the name of the game and the vowel sound it features on the tab so that you can quickly tell which game you are grabbing!

CVC Games: Short Vowels

These games are perfect for your students and super easy for you!!

• They help your students practice both blending and segmenting sounds!
• These games are so easy to prep… Just print, laminate and use!!
• They don’t require a bunch of materials or supplies– everything you need you probably already have on hand!
• Easily keep them organized with file folders or plastic drawers!

Ready to grab all 15 game boards and their recording sheets? Click the image below!

CVC Games: Short “a” FREEBIE!

Want to give these games a try for yourself? Click the image below, sign up with your personal email address and you’ll get the password to my FREEBIE Library where you can download lots of FREEBIES including all of my short “a” games!

After you download the games, I would LOVE to hear how you use them in your classroom!! Leave a comment below and let me know!

If you’re looking for more resources to help your students master their phonics skills, check out this post all about my 104 Must-Have Phonics Word Lists!

The post 3 CVC Games for Teaching Short Vowels appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

Imagine this… You need to teach your students how to tell time. But where do you start?? Some of your students are barely able to tell the difference between the hour hand and the minute hand while others are telling you that it’s 11:30 and time for lunch.

I was in that same boat, my friend… I needed telling time activities that were differentiated for each student’s level of understanding. But I didn’t want to make a bunch of extra work for myself, so I wanted to be able to use the SAME activities for each level!

Therefore, I created my differentiated Telling Time Activities resource! This has been a LIFE SAVER in my classroom!! Now I can have all of my students practicing the same skill of reading and writing time but at their different levels!

Pre-Assessments

Knowing where to begin with your students is half the work! That’s why I’ve included pre-assessments in this resource!

There are two versions of the pre-assessment… A half-sheet version and a full-sheet version! This way you can choose the pre-assessment format that works best for your needs and your time.

The half-sheet version is a super quick pre-assessment that only requires your students to read the clocks and write the time. This is perfect if you are short on time!

The full-sheet version is also quick! In addition to requiring your students to read the clocks and write the time, it also has your students draw the hands on the clocks to show the time.

And each pre-assessment comes with an answer key for quick and easy grading!!

Telling Time Activity #1: Clock Match Game

The Clock Match Game is basically a time version of Memory or Concentration.

Your students will take turns flipping over cards to match an analog clock with the digital time. When they get a match, they keep the two cards and go again. If they don’t get a match, they turn them back over and it’s the next person’s turn.

Remember how I said these activities are differentiated?? Well, there’s also a version of the game for time to the half-hour and another version for time to the 5 minutes!

Telling Time Activity #2: Pocket Chart Sort

This is a great activity for teaching your students to read the digital time, analog time AND how to read time words (i.e. o’clock and half past).

It’s called a Pocket Chart Time Sort because I think it’s easiest to have your students sort the cards in a pocket chart to keep them organized. But you could definitely just have your students sort these on a table or on the floor if you don’t have a pocket chart!

Your students’ job is to match the digital time, analog time and time words together.

And for differentiation, there are two levels included: time to the hour and half-hour!

Telling Time Activity #3: Match the Time! Worksheet

I LOVE cut and paste activities because they’re so tactile! The kids get to move the pieces around to match the analog clocks with the digital times!

And guess what?? There are 3 versions included for 3 levels of differentiation… Hour, half-hour and five minutes!

Telling Time Activity #4: Write the Time! Worksheet

It’s not only important for students to be able to read the time, they need to be able to write the digital time as well! That’s exactly what this activity will have them doing!

All you need to do is print the 3 levels, make copies and you’re good to go!!

Telling Time Activity #5: Draw the Hands! Worksheet

Why is it important for students to be able to draw the hands on a clock to show a time? Because if a student can draw the hands in the correct position, they are more likely to be able to read them correctly on the clock!

Plus, it’s a great way to see if they really understand the difference between the hour hand and the minute hand… And if they understand that the hour hand should move closer to the next hour as the minute hand moves around the clock!

You guessed it… There are 3 levels of this also!! So. Much. Differentiation!!

Get the FREEBIE!

Want to try one of my telling time activities for FREE?? Click the picture below to go straight to my FREEBIE Library! That’s where you’ll find a boat-load of free resources to download and use right away (including this telling time activity)!

Get All of the Activities!

Want to use these 5 differentiated telling time activities and pre-assessments in your classroom? Just click the picture below to find them in my store!!

Have you used my telling time activities with your students?? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Telling Time Activities to Differentiate Your Teaching appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

I have a confession to make… I’m a procrastinator. I’ve been a procrastinator for as long as I can remember. But in teaching, procrastination doesn’t really pay off.

I would always end up more stressed and with less time on my hands than if I had just buckled down and done the work when I should have. So over time, I learned these 5 time-saving tips for teachers… And now I want to share them with you!

I really hope that these tips can help you manage your time more effectively! They’re all things you can quickly and easily do at the beginning of the year (or any time of the year, really) that will make your life easier and save you time later on!

Time-Saving Tip #1: Make “New Student” Bags

Out of all of my time-saving tips for teachers, this one is my FAVORITE!

If you’ve ever had a new student start in the middle of the school year, you know how stressful it can be! It’s no fun staying at school for hours trying to get everything ready for your new kiddo.

That’s why this time-saving tip will come in SO HANDY! Ready for it?

Put together some “new student” bags at the beginning of the school year!!

Take a few gallon-size plastic bags and put some extra supplies inside each. Include supplies that a new student coming into your classroom would need. Here are some ideas:

• pencils
• erasers
• glue
• notebooks
• folders
• extra workbooks you use with your students
• scissors
• crayons or other coloring supplies

Then, when you find out a new student will be arriving to your classroom, all you need to do is grab one of your “new student” bags, label the supplies with their name or student number and VOILA! No more staying late trying to get everything ready!

Time-Saving Tip #2: Make a Template for Sub Plans

Similar to when you have a new student arriving, having to miss a day of school can be so much work!! To me, writing sub plans is like washing the dishes with a toothbrush… So tedious and annoying. I know sub plans are necessary, but trying to make sure your sub has all the information he/she needs for the day (or days) is a huge task!

Therefore, I bring you my next time-saving tip… Make a template for your sub plans ahead of time!

Here’s how…

Create a basic outline of your schedule.

The key to this is to do it at the beginning of the year… NOT the night before you need the sub! That doesn’t save anyone any time!

Start by typing a basic outline of your schedule. Then, when the time comes that you need to miss a day (or days) of school, all you have to do is fill in the outline with the specific activities you want the sub to do. I really recommend making this on Google Drive because then you can access it anywhere, any time!

Believe me, when you have a fever, this will be so amazing!! The last thing you want to do when you’re shivering with a thermometer in your mouth is have to start fresh with sub plans! This way, you’ll at least have the basic outline for the day and will just have to fill in the activities for each chunk of time.

Include important information for your sub!

Another thing you can include in your sub plans template is any student information that’s important for your sub to know. Here are some ideas:

• Allergy information
• Names of helpful students
• Names students with any special needs
• Dismissal notes (i.e. who takes the bus, who walks home, etc.)
• Classroom management strategies they can use with your class

Having all of that already typed and ready to go will save you so much time because you won’t have to keep re-typing it every time you have a sub!

Some people include that information in a sub binder or sub tub. I have a sub folder where I keep some of that information. However, if I’m out sick, it’s sometimes easier to just email everything to a colleague who can print it for your sub. That way you don’t have to explain where to find the sub tub/binder/folder. Again, that’s why having everything typed on Google Drive is great because you can access it wherever!

Time-Saving Tip #3: Create a Consistent Morning Work Routine

The morning times can be chaos… The kids are coming in and getting settled, there’s homework being turned in, Ashley is handing you a note from a parent, Susie is late, Johnny has a question…

So much to juggle! That’s why I needed to come up with a morning work routine that was easy for me to implement and predictable for the kids so they wouldn’t have to ask me questions about what to do.

This is what I have displayed on my projector each morning:

• Turn in your homework.
• Complete your DLR and math morning work (more details on that below…)
• Read books quietly when you’re finished

Daily Language Review

We use Daily Language Review for part of our morning work routine, so all I have to do on the slide for that day is tell them which page to complete. Luckily, the workbooks are provided to me by my school. If you’re not familiar with Daily Language Review, it’s basically a workbook where the students correct sentences each day and practice grammar skills.

Math Morning Work

But I felt like my students needed more than just language skills. They needed to practice math skills also! But I didn’t want to make something that would require me to make copies every day. Thus, I created my math morning work!

My math morning work uses a number of the day, so students can practice the same skills multiple times– just with different numbers! At the beginning of the year, I photocopy each sheet onto a different color of cardstock (that way it’s durable enough to last the year).

I put the sheets in sheet protectors so that the kids can write on them with dry erase markers and use them over and over again. I introduce each sheet one at a time, and the students keep them in a morning work folder. Eventually, they store all 8 sheets in their folder and they complete different sheets on different days.

So once the students know how to complete all of the sheets, I can change up which sheets they complete on which days. One day, I might say to complete the pink sheet, but the next day they might complete the blue sheet. The day after that they might complete the yellow sheet. That way my students can practice all of the skills and won’t get bored!

I have a set for kindergarten and first grade and a set for second and third grade! Click the links to check them out!

Time-Saving Tip #4: Use Student Numbers

I learned this when I was student teaching and I have never gone back!! Give your students numbers at the beginning of the year. Typically, their number order is the same as the order of their names alphabetically.

But here’s the best part… Use student numbers for everything that you want to reuse the next year!

• Student Mailboxes
• Student Hooks/Cubbies
• Individual Whiteboards
• Book Bins
• Anything else you might reuse the next year!

If you use student names on these items, then you have to relabel them year after year with each new class. But, if you use student numbers, you can reuse them for as long as you want without having to relabel!

Don’t get me wrong… I do label things with their names if it’s something that I can’t reuse– things like workbooks, folders, etc. I definitely want there to be some items that are personal to them. Other than that, I use student numbers to label and it has been such a time saver in the long run!!

Time-Saving Tip #5: Don’t Grade All the Things

As teachers, we have the tendency to feel like every. single. piece of work the students complete needs to be graded.

However, you do not have to grade everything!

Some things that you assign to your students to complete are things that help you see which students “get it” and which students need more practice. Sure, you’ll want to look through them and write down the names of students who need extra practice, but you probably don’t need to formally grade them all. Boom! Ten minutes of time saved right there!

Also, I don’t grade work that is completed with a partner or with a group. I look it over to see how the group did, but because it was a joint effort, I feel like grading it doesn’t really give me feedback on each individual. Therefore, I’ll stamp it with a “great job” stamp and move on! Boom! Another ten minutes saved!

Here’s my general rule of thumb…

If it doesn’t HAVE to be graded, don’t grade it! Simple as that!

Please don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying you should have the students complete a bunch of work and then never look at it! You will still want to look it over to make sure your students are understanding the concepts and skills, but you don’t need to formally grade it every time.

Freebie Alert!!

Don’t want to have to memorize these time-saving tips for teachers?? Luckily, I have compiled them into a FREE checklist!! Click the image below to sign up for access to the FREEBIE Library where you can find the Time-Saving Tips Checklist… And other free resources as well!!

After you download the checklist, comment below to let me know how these time-saving tips for teachers have helped you!! What other time-saving tips for teachers do you use??

Free Distance Learning Resources

We all know that distance learning has added a whole new layer of stress to teachers’ jobs!

I wanted to help out as best I could, so I wrote THIS POST that includes free distance learning resources.

Click the picture above to check it out!

I hope these time-saving tips have been helpful!! Let me know in the comments below if you’ve used any of these tips… Or, let me know if you have your own time-saving tips for teachers!!

The post 5 Time-Saving Tips for Teachers appeared first on A Differentiated Class.

These 4 differentiated instruction strategies will help you meet all of your students’ needs without a ton of prep or planning time! Talk about easy peasy lemon squeezy!

1. Use Task Cards

Task cards make differentiating for your students SO EASY!! Why? Because different students can complete different levels of task cards at the same time!

You can tape different levels of task cards around the room for your students to solve. That’s what I did when I wanted my students to practice addition. Some of my students were still working on two-digit addition while other students were ready for a challenge. So I had those students practicing three-digit addition.

All of my students were practicing addition but at different levels!! And, I only had to explain the directions once because they were all doing the same activity! I LOVE not having to go over a gazillion directions!!

The task cards I used have 8 different levels of differentiation!! So it’s super easy to meet your students’ needs… Just print, cut and use! Click the picture below to shop for them in my TpT store!

I said I love task cards, so my TpT shop is full of them! Click HERE to check out all of my task cards resources!!

Read even more about how I run math centers in my classroom in THIS BLOG POST!

2. Color-Code Your Worksheets

This is another one of my favorite differentiated instruction strategies!! Not only does color-coding your worksheets help you differentiate your instruction for different groups, but colorful paper makes everything prettier!!

These phonics word lists are PERFECT for differentiating because you can copy the different lists onto different colors of paper. Your lower spellers can work on skills like word families while your more advanced spellers can work on long vowels!

Again, all of my students can be working on the same activity, like stamping their words or building their spelling words with magnet letters!

This phonics word lists resource actually comes with 102 different word lists so the differentiation possibilities are endless!! Click the picture below to shop for it in my TpT store!

I have a blog post all about these phonics word lists that you can read HERE!

3. Give Your Students Choices

This is one of the most powerful tools for differentiating your instruction! Not only does it help you meet their needs, it also increases student motivation! A win-win!

Students Can Choose Their Activities

Out of all of these differentiated instruction strategies, I use this one all. the. time! Giving your students choices about the activities they participate in gives them the power to choose the things that cater to their strengths and interests. And when your students are interested in what they’re doing, they’re more likely to be engaged and learn!

Whenever we do literacy centers, my students have a choice. They can choose which center they do and in which order. I use some of the Daily 5 centers in the classroom, so their choices are:

• Read to Self (basically, independent reading)
• Listen to Reading (listening to books on the Kids A-Z app on the iPad)
• Word Work (practicing their spelling words)
• Writing (I don’t think I need to explain this one…)

On any given day, my students will choose to complete 2-3 of the literacy centers. The only center they don’t get to choose is meeting with me for small group guided reading.

My students have to participate in each center at least once throughout the week, so this helps insure that everyone is practicing all of the skills I want them to practice.

You could also use this method with math centers! Just let the students choose which activities they complete in which order! Here are some ideas for math centers they could choose from:

• Math Games
• Technology (math apps or websites)
• Independent Seat Work

Again, you would choose when your students meet with you during math centers, but they could choose the rest!

Students Can Choose Their Materials

Similar to how letting students choose the activities they do allows them to choose things that cater to their strengths, the same goes for letting them choose the materials they use!

Having a variety of materials available for students to use when they practice their spelling words lets them choose the ways that work best for them. Some ideas for materials to have available are:

• magnetic letters
• stamps
• white boards and dry erase markers
• magnetic boards (like Magnadoodle)
• Scrabble letters
• different kinds of writing tools (pens, markers, colored pencils, etc.)

For writing, give your students different types of writing paper to choose from!

4. Use Open-Ended Problems

This differentiated instruction strategy lets your students challenge themselves by using open-ended problems!

One of my favorite ways to do this is by using a NUMBER OF THE DAY! The kids use the “number of the day” to complete several different math activities.

What I like about this is that the kids can challenge themselves at a level that they’re comfortable with.

In the picture above, the students use the number 32 to practice tallies, base-10, and coins.

With the coins, the kids can choose to use any combination of coins to make 32 cents, so if they feel comfortable using quarters, they can do that. But if they only feel comfortable counting dimes and pennies, they can do that too.

Each student has the opportunity to challenge themself! If you like how I use the number of the day, click HERE to see my Math Morning Work for Kinder and 1st Grade! Or click HERE to see my Math Morning Work for 2nd and 3rd Grade!

Here are some more examples of ways to incorporate open-ended problems to give your students the chance to challenge themselves. These could easily be used as a warm-up in the morning or before beginning a lesson!

• The answer is 14. What is the question?
• How many ways can you make the number 21?
• How many words can you make that begin with “ch”?
• What words can you make with the letters in the word _______________?
• The beginning of the story is, “It was a stormy day…” Finish the story.

With each of those examples, the students can access the problem at whatever level they are currently at!

I would LOVE to hear how these strategies help you differentiate your instruction!! Either leave a comment below and let me know how you’re using these differentiated instruction strategies in your classroom!!

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