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Showing posts with label integrating the arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label integrating the arts. Show all posts

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged!

As elementary teachers, one of our biggest challenges is to keep our students engaged in the learning process!

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

Capturing the attention of the students is not always easy. But children are naturally curious and have that infectious enthusiasm. Here are ten ways to help capture their attention, making learning fun and memorable!

Books!

  1. Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

  2. The right books can capture their attention and their hearts! I am committed to reading at least one picture book (or a chapter) to my students every day. Sometimes the book is related to something I'm teaching, and sometimes it is just to bring out the joy in books. See the image for a link to 10 of my favorites!

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

Educational Games!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

  1. Integrating educational games into your lessons makes learning more enjoyable. Whether it's math bingo, spelling races, or science jeopardy, games provide a hands-on approach to learning and reinforce important concepts. Plus, they're fun, which means children will want to play them over and over! See the image for more about learning games:


  2. Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

    Hands-On Science Experiments!Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

  1. Bring science to life by conducting simple, hands-on experiments. From creating a volcano eruption to exploring the properties of magnets, these activities not only make science more tangible but also stimulate students' natural curiosity. These monthly sets are a great source of science experiments:

  2. Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

    Themed Days!

  3. Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

  4. As much as children need consistency and routine, they also need novelty. Infuse excitement into the classroom by organizing themed days. Whether it's a historical era, a cultural celebration, or a scientific exploration, themed days allow students to delve deeply into a topic and make connections across different subjects. See the image for more about novelty.
  5. Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

    Outdoor Learning!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!
  1. Take the classroom outdoors! Plan nature walks, scavenger hunts, or even simple math games on the playground. The change of scenery can rejuvenate both students and teachers, making learning a breath of fresh air. See the image to read more about getting them outdoors

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

Integrate the Arts!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!
  1. Incorporate the arts into your lessons to tap into students' creativity. Whether it's drawing, painting, crafting, or even singing or drama, the arts not only reinforce lessons but also provide a creative outlet for self-expression.


  2. Guest Speakers or Virtual Tours!Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

  1. Arrange for guest speakers to share their expertise or take virtual field trips. These experiences broaden students' perspectives and connect classroom learning to the real world, making lessons more relevant and engaging. Parents of students can be a great resource for guest speakers, and virtual field trips are easily accessible through Google!

Classroom Puzzles and Brain Teasers!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

Stimulate critical thinking by introducing puzzles and brain teasers. These activities encourage problem-solving skills and perseverance, while also making learning enjoyable and challenging. Don't they just love word finds and crossword puzzles?

Role-Playing and Drama!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!
  1. Incorporate role-playing and drama activities to make learning more immersive. Whether reenacting historical events or performing a play related to the curriculum, these activities allow students to embody what they've learned. See the image for more about dramatics in the classroom.

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!

Student-Led Projects!
Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!
  1. Empower students by allowing them to take the lead in projects. Whether it's creating a class newspaper, organizing a STEM project, or planning a cultural exhibition, student-led projects foster collaboration, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment.

What do you think of these ten ideas?
What could you add to this list?

Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged! Try some of these 10 ideas to keep them engaged and learning!


Sing With Your Students!

Yes, you read that correctly.

Sing with your students! 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Oh, there are so many reasons! 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Music, as well as most of the creative arts, activate both sides of the brain, enhancing learning! There are many, many studies that prove this, in many ways. Singing is a great way to "wake up" the brain and start the day!
 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!


There are many links between music instruction and academic achievement. I'm not expecting you to take over the music teacher's job by any means, but including music in your classroom will help make that connection! (Of course, the music teacher is a great resource for including music in the classroom!)

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Singing strengthens learning and memory. I'll bet there are certain commercials you've been known to sing along with, yet at no point did you make the effort to learn those words! My generation can sing the whole Brady Bunch theme song or the Gilligan's Island theme songs without even thinking about it! Imagine if those words were important learning concepts! (Remember Schoolhouse Rock?)
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
Music lowers stress and increases happiness! Music brings out feelings, doesn't it? Are there certain songs you hear that bring out those happy feelings, just by hearing them? As the happy feelings rise, the stressed feelings go away!
 
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Humans connect with music! Think about some of those happy times in your life with other people. I'm willing to bet, there was music in the background! Parties just aren't fun without good music!
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun! 

Singing as a group increases social interaction! I've actually read that when people sing together as a group, their hearts start to beat as one. I've sung with many choruses, (as well as many students) and I'm pretty sure that really happens! Music makes a connection!
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Singing increases vocabulary! Don't be afraid to encourage children to sing certain songs because they won't understand the vocabulary. After a couple of times through, they'll figure it out, won't they? (Of course, monitor what they sing, as we all know there are some words we DON'T want in their vocabulary!)
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun! 

Music Sources for the Classroom: What to sing with your students? Here are a few ideas:



Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
 
Let them make up their own songs! We all know they are more likely to want to sing it if it's theirs!  Some hints:
  • Have them stick to a simple tune that everyone knows, such as Happy Birthday or Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
  • Discuss the important information that needs to be in the song. 
  • Encourage them to make up gestures to go with their song!

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

But I can't sing!  I have two suggestions:

  • Use recorded music. (See Youtube!)
  • Sing anyway! Seriously, it's not really about you or about the quality of the music. It's about the group experience. Let them see you having fun, and they'll have fun, too! (Plus, you might have some budding vocalists in your class, and you're giving them an opportunity to shine!) Seriously, it's not about you!
One last hint: children's voices are higher than most adults. You may want to sing in your range, but it's about the kids. Most children's voices land on the treble staff. (Between "middle C" and the second space from the top.) Stay out of the "basement" for the sake of the kids!

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!



Keep Them Engaged, Learning, and Having Fun!

In my experience, kids need to move! That shouldn't keep them from learning, in fact, moving is a great way to enhance learning!

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

As many of my readers know, I have studied how the brain learns and using research on the brain to design resources to help children learn. (For more information, check out these posts:)
 
Some of the common threads in these posts include movement, integrating the arts, working with others, and making it fun. Plus, we all know from developmental studies that it's important for them to move! 

(See this post: Is Digital Learning in the Best Interest of Children?)


Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

It just so happens that I have a series of resources that address these needs while promoting learning at the same time! There are 15 resources in this series (so far) and they all have the exact same format: 
  • differentiated informative text about an interesting science or social studies topic (Perfect for close reads and guided reading!)
  • 10 questions about the text
  • 4 sketching tasks to go along with the text
  • 6 brain breaks related to the text
Once they catch onto the format, less time is wasted teaching them how to use the tool, and they become quite independent in their learning!

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

There are many different ways to use these resources! They can be differentiated for different learning levels, organizational needs, and social needs.

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

I always start with whole-group instruction! Everyone gets a copy of the text with the answer sheet, and we read through the text together. I go through some of the questions and show the students how to go back to the text to find the answers. (They LOVE using highlighters on this!)

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

We do all the brain breaks together, and discuss the sketching tasks.  
 
Once they "get" how the whole thing works, we can play a game of Scoot. (See directions here: Active Students? Try Scoot!)

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

Some of my more challenged readers usually need more guidance. I'll bring copies of the text to some of my reading groups. We read through the text together, discussing vocabulary and talking about what we've learned. I'll let the group take turns reading the different task cards. We discuss what the answer might be, and go back to the text to find where we found the answer. (Again, the highlighters!)
 
Once the small group has gone through the whole process (and yes, of course, we all do the brain breaks together!), they're ready to do the whole process independently! (These make great centers!) 
 
Yes, they can re-read the same text and answer the same questions all over again! Why? Because there's a lot of information in those texts, and even though they've answered the questions already, that doesn't mean they remember all the information! A second (or even third) time through, especially after a passage of time, is ideal! Not only are they practicing important skills (reading for information) but they are learning interesting information!

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

These sets make great centers! I often assign centers to be done in pairs. Why? Because of those great conversations! Talking about the text internalizes what they're learning. (More brain research!) Plus, they learn from each other through these rich conversations. Some may share information about the topic that's not even in the text! (More learning, yippee!)
 
Another reason to let partners use these activities is that some children need a stronger reader to help them out. This can be a delicate situation since we need to be sensitive about our lower readers, but you know your kids! Make smart choices for partners who will support each other without insulting each other's abilities!

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

These are also perfect for your fast finishers to do independently during center time!  Again, each set can be used more than once... hopefully, they'll remember more information each time!

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

This one is easy! Anytime! I find they're perfect as centers during those last couple of months of the year when their skills are strong, and they've developed some independence.
They're also great for the beginning of the school year when you're teaching procedures!

Plus, if you're doing a unit related to one of these topics, these are perfect!
 
If you're interested in these, check out this link:

Reading Comprehension for Active Learners

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

 
You can try one for free here:  

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

How do you keep your students learning and engaged?

Keep them engaged, and having fun! It's possible to attend to the children's need to move while keeping the learning happening! Try these ideas!

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