We’ve all been there. We are ready to teach a fabulous lesson. We know the lesson will engage our kids. And it does…but they finish and there’s still a half hour left of class. Or, you plan another amazing lesson, and half of your kids are fast finishers while the other half need more time. The fact is, it is nearly impossible to create a lesson in which all kids finish at the same time. And really, what would that say about the lesson if it were a “one size fits all”? There are so many components of a great lesson, and differentiating is certainly one of those component. So, we need a solid plan for activities for fast finishers.
What does this mean for teachers?
The reality is that we need activities to keep all of our kids not just busy, but engaged, in meaningful activities for every moment that they are with us in class. And that means we need lots of activities for fast finishers at the ready. Telling a student to read when they finish early is okay, but there are times when students don’t have the stamina for that. Read here for practical tips and tricks to make this easily happen in your middle school classroom.
Structuring Routines: Activities for Fast Finishers
I’ve been a teacher for over three decades, and I can tell you the main reason I (almost) never fell apart was due to (almost) always having a plan. Fast finishers are something you have to plan for, every day, for every lesson. Sounds overwhelming? It can be, and it was. I finally figured out a system that worked for me, and that was to have ongoing options that students could easily access.
First of all, you have to teach your process. I teach, show, and model what to do at the beginning of the year. And guess what? I have to re-teach, re-show, and re-model until it sticks.
My school uses Google Classroom™. In the “Classwork” tab, I have created a folder called “Finished? Check Here!”. Within that, I keep my three different methods for fast finishers:
- Menus
- Ongoing assignments
- Choice Boards
Before kids begin independent work, I always give a quick reminder about this procedure. Once set up, this system works incredibly well. Below is more information on the three methods I use.
“Menu” Activities for Fast Finishers
Having a “go-to” menu for fast finishers is great for those times when there isn’t a ton of time left, when you have a substitute, or for a time like a Friday afternoon when kids are feeling burnt out.
I have set this up on a Padlet with links to things like word games, online crossword puzzles, other online puzzles, geography challenges for social studies…the possibilities are endless. A puppy cam is one of my selections because it has a calming effect. (I do set a time limit for this…those puppies are addicting!)
You might enjoy these websites as a start:
- Wordle
- Word Suduku
- Puppy Cam
- ilike2learn (geography challenges)
On Going Assignments
As a language arts and social studies teacher, my students often have ongoing assignments that require attention. Often, kids start here if they finish early. I highly recommend having an assignment that is ongoing. Below are some examples:
- Reading: This is the most obvious assignment, but my assignments for reading come first, as part of reading workshop. However, there are times when they have to read something in addition. I use Common Lit and give a weekly assignment, so that is something that they might do.
- Notebook Work: My kids use interactive notebooks in both language arts and social studies, so they can work on this if they finish early. Click here for your free social studies interactive notebook menu.
- Projects: I often have ongoing projects that kids need to tend to. In social studies, they have center work and ongoing unit projects, and in language arts, there is often a writing piece or a novel study that is ongoing.
- Grammar: I assign grammar through IXL on a Monday and it is due the following Monday. This is great for fast finishers, as they have the opportunity to get this done at school rather than at home.
Choice Board Activities for Fast Finishers
My absolute favorite activity for fast finishers is choice boards. In case you are unfamiliar, choice boards are where kids can select from a variety of activities and have their materials at the ready. Although they require some work and preparation up front, the payoffs are huge!
I have created a wide variety of choice boards for language arts, fiction, for social studies, for special months and holidays (such as Black History Month, Halloween, etc.). They are digital, which means that links to the materials that kids will need to complete them are provided. However, you can print them as well. Take a look at my “Poetry Choice Board” (perfect for any time, but especially in April, during National Poetry Month):
Digital and print choices for fast finishers
I love both digital and print choice boards because I like to give kids a choice in how they do the activities. A benefit of a digital choice board is that you can put it up on your digital learning platform and your kids are good to go. However, I love creating interactive bulletin boards for these as well! In my opinion, at a middle school level bulletin boards need to be useful, not just pretty.
If this looks confusing, check out the video that I made for my product page:
If this sounds overwhelming (it can be), I have a whole bunch of choice boards for purchase on my TPT store. They are my best-selling items, probably because they take a long time to make but they are so, so useful for extended periods of time. Check them out here: Choice Boards
If you are reading this around the Thanksgiving holiday, I have a free choice board sampler. Click here to grab yours.
To date, I have 20 different choice boards. Why? I know how valuable they are. Teachers love them because they make life easy, and kids love them because they are fun and engaging. I hope you will give one a try…I promise it will not disappoint.
Not enough time to read? Try the Podcast!
I recently started a Podcast for middle school language arts teachers. Check it out!
I would love to hear any of your ideas for fast finishers. Please feel free to comment below!
Wishing you and your students all the best!
-Linda A. “All in One Middle School“
Helpful Links
Join the All in One Middle School Membership!
Join our Middle School Language Arts Facebook Group
Free Thanksgiving Choice Board Sampler
Free Social Studies Interactive Notebook Menu and Activities
