First to the Finish Line

I'm not sure about you, but as a teacher I get the frequent, "I'm all done with everything, what can I do?" I absolutely hate this statement and tell my students that I have another assignment and then they usually respond with "No, actually I have something else to do! because they know that something "boring" and school related is coming there way! 

So this year, I really wanted to try to limit this as much as possible and keep all students occupied with something to do.  Plus, give them a choice of what to do!

For those who finish there work well, I will sometimes give students 1 point extra credit if they complete a "fast finisher!"

Here is a list I came up with for those "fast finishers"....

1. Boggle

I found a freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers for a free Boggle Board with letters.  After printing off the letters I laminated them and then created a Boggle Board in my classroom! I try and changed the Boggle board every week and have a competition for this!  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

2. Math Money Dollar/Hundreds Words - This actually came from another blog who has awesome ideas! She uses this in her 4th grade classroom and for her it seems to work very well. Here is the link to her freebie!

http://fourthgrademathnut.blogspot.com/2013/06/inflation.html

3. Big Kid Geometric Coloring Pages

This website, Geometrip, has free downloads to really cool geometric design coloring pages that would keep 5-8th graders busy for a while. 

http://geometrip.com/free/coloring/designs/

4. Word Searches

My students love word searches and there are several websites that provide free printable word searches.

5. Highlight Seek and Finds

At Barnes and Noble, I bought a Highlights for Kids Challenge Seek and Find book, and so I don't ruin the book, I put a transparency over the top of a page and use large binder clips to keep it in place.  Then, I give the students a dry erase marker to complete it!

6. Silent Reading

In the back of my classroom, I have a "library" that my kids love to pick out a book and just read!

7. Color

My 6th graders love to color! I try to keep crayons and scrap paper out at all times.

8. Puzzles

In the summer, I try to stock up on games/puzzles that I find at Target or at The Dollar Tree. If any one of my students finish, they love to go somewhere in the classroom and sit and complete a puzzle.

:)