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ARCHIVE: November 2008

“Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds, do not overload them. Put there just a spark.” — Anatole France

Activities for Students Who Finish Early

With almost every learning activity there will be a student or group of students who finish ahead of schedule, or at least ahead of the rest of the class. It is important to include in every lesson a plan for these students. Early finisher activities are important because they provide appropriate activities for students who have completed their work and help maintain a consistent learning environment for students who are still working on other assignments.

Early finisher activities don't need to be complicated; in fact the less teacher involvement required the better. For some activities you might need to bring a few special supplies, for other activities all the student needs is a pencil and paper. Students can work on these activities at a designated place in the classroom or at their desk.

To encourage student enthusiasm for early finishers tell them about the activity before they begin working on an assignment. You may even want to provide several options and let students choose their own activity. Although early finisher activities are rarely graded, they often provide motivation for students to finish assignments in a timely manner because they are novel and/or fun.

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Early Finisher Ideas

• A puzzle at the back of the room
• Collection of "I Spy" books
• Silent reading (perhaps special books in a special corner of the room)
• Tangram or pattern block puzzles
• Coloring pages
• Seasonal activity pages
• Quick Lists (see examples below)
• Writing prompts (see examples below)
• Riddles or other critical thinking activities (see examples below)

Both you and your students should know before beginning an activity what students should do when they are finished. Remember, if you don't have a plan, students will probably end up doing something you don't want them to.

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Examples of Quick Lists

• Write down a manufactured product for each letter of the alphabet.
• List as many restaurants as you can and put stars next to your three favorite.
• List as many different models of cars as you can.
• Make a list of the 10 largest animals you can think of.
• List as many breakfast cereals as you can.
• Write down all of the different places you find sand.
• List as many states and their capitals as you can.
• List as many holidays as you can think of and the month they are celebrated. Which month has the most?
• Write down 10 flavors of ice-cream and rank them from your most favorite to least favorite.
• Name as many countries of the world as you can.
• List all of the forms of transportation you can think of.
• Name as many teachers/employees at the school as you can.
• Name all of the states that have the letter "e" in them.
• List 25 things that would be in the "perfect" classroom.
• If someone gave you $1,000 what are five things you would buy?

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Examples of Writing Prompts

• You have three children. Make up their names and write about their personalities, likes and dislikes.

• If someone gave you $500 that you had to spend on a gift for someone else, what gift would you buy and who would you give it to. Explain why you chose that gift and that person.

• List 10 cartoon characters and write about which one you would like to be and why.

• Name your favorite holiday and explain five reasons why you like it.

• If you could be anyone else in the world for one week, who would you be and what would you do? down a manufactured product for each letter of the alphabet. 

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Examples of Riddles

• What speaks every language? An echo

• If eight birds are on a roof and you shoot at one how many will be left? None, they will all fly away.

• What are two things people never eat before breakfast? Lunch and Dinner

• What has two hands and a face but no arms or legs? A clock

• What can't be used until it is broken? An egg

• What has six legs, two heads, four eyes, and a tail? A horse and its rider

• What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it? A teapot

• What do you get if you cross a pig with a karate teacher? Pork chops

• What five letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? Short

• What kind of rocks are at the bottom of the Mississippi River? Wet rocks

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Courtesy of The Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University (STI/USU)