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Getting Familiar with the Kindergarten Common Core Standards

The common core standards have been adopted in most of the states in the US. These standards tell us what students should be able to do by the end of the year. The standards are used from kindergarten through high school. Therefore, they build on each other year after year in hopes that once students graduate high school, they’re prepared for college, a career and life.

As kindergarten teachers, it’s our job to digest the standards and then teach students what they need to know. That way, students master each kindergarten common core standard by the end of the year.

Common Core in Kindergarten

Kindergarten is very different now from when I was in kindergarten. Students are asked to master many different skills that you may be surprised by when you first take a look at the standards. However, students can and do learn these year after year. The kindergarten common core standards set a strong foundation for all students will learn throughout their schooling.

This post breaks down all you need to know about the kindergarten common core standards. What they are, how to teach them and resources to use.

Kindergarten Common Core Math Standards

There are 5 categories in kindergarten Common Core Math Standards:

  1. Counting and Cardinality
  2. Operations and Algebraic Thinking
  3. Number and Operations in Base Ten
  4. Measurement and Data
  5. Geometry

Let’s take a deeper look

Counting and Cardinality: Students learn about numbers and how to count in order and they also compare numbers.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Students learn how to add and subtract.

Number and Operations in Base Ten: Students learn place value and how to compose and decompose teen numbers.

Measurement and Data: Students learn how to measure objects using standard and non-standard units. They put similar objects in categories.

Geometry: Students learn names of shapes, identify and compare shapes.

This post breaks down all you need to know about the kindergarten common core standards. What they are, how to teach them and resources to use.

Kindergarten Common Core Language Arts Standards

There are 6 sections in the kindergarten Common Core language arts standards.

  1. Reading: Literature
  2. Reading: Informational Text
  3. Foundational Skills
  4. Writing
  5. Speaking and Listening
  6. Language

Let’s take a deeper look

Reading Literature: Students are introduced to a variety of different types of books and stories. They learn about different parts of a story and are able to explain them.

Reading Informational Text: Students are introduced to non-fiction books and stories. They learn to find the main idea and key details in the story.

Reading Foundational Skills: Students learn concept of print, phonics and phonemic awareness. Students learn sight words and practice reading with fluency.

Writing: Students use drawings, words and sentences to write different types of stories.

Speaking and Listening: Students participate in multiple conversations with different people. They ask questions when they don’t understand something and they present ideas and concepts they do understand.

Language: Students begin learning conventions of Standard English and are introduced to and begin to use a variety of new vocabulary.

This post breaks down all you need to know about the kindergarten common core standards. What they are, how to teach them and resources to use.

Common Core Curriculum

Many curriculum companies updated their teacher guides and student materials to follow the Common Core Standards. You can also find a lot of curriculum that follows the standards on Teachers Pay Teachers and other similar websites.

Some of the resources I offer that coincide with the Common Core Standards:

Math:

Kindergarten Common Core Math Assessments for the YEAR BUNDLE

Math Games for Kids – Access to ALL Current and Future Math Games

Language Arts:

3 Star Coloring – A Beginning of the Year Writing Lesson

Letter Sounds and Rhyming Words Word Work Center

Common Core Website

To read more about the Common Core Standards or see all the grade levels in full, visit http://www.corestandards.org/

 

Do you use Common Core Standards at your school?

4 Movement Activities to Teach Verbs

You can teach verbs in many different engaging ways! If you don’t know by now or if this is the first blog post you’re reading from me, I love getting my students up and moving. When you teach kindergarten, you take as many opportunities as you can to get those wiggly bodies out of their seats (or rug squares)!

Verbs are especially simple to create engaging lessons where students can move because the definition of a verb is just that – “something you can do”. Here are the 3 activities I use in my classroom to teach verbs to my students.

How do you teach verbs to your students? Want some new and exciting ways to teach verbs? Check out these 4 activities that will get your students moving!

4 Movement Activities to Teach Verbs

Charades to Teach Verbs

This is a NO PREP activity which is always what we look for as teachers. Gather students at the rug or somewhere where all students can see each other. Choose a student to come up to the front. They choose a verb such as swim, eat, sing, etc. and “perform” the verb. Then, they choose their classmates to guess which verb they were performing.

Add more movement by having the rest of the class copy the movement the performer is doing before or after they guess!

You can do this activity completely with no materials, however, many little students have a hard time coming up with a verb on their own (especially if they’re shy).

Take them Outside (or to the Playground) to Teach Verbs

Anytime you can take students outside their engagement is automatically higher. After discussing verbs, take your students outside and have them play, move, run and notice all the verbs they do outside. I like to do this on the playground because there are many more action verbs that they can do such as slide, swing, jump, climb, etc.

This is another NO PREP activity! You can have a discussion about verbs before, go outside and have students notice the verbs they can do and then bring them back in and record all the verbs they did on an anchor chart.

Lesson Extension: Verbs we can do Product – at home, on the playground, at school, at the doctors, at a restaurant, at my friends house, at a birthday party, at the beach, at the pool, on the soccer field, at the park, at my grandparents, at baseball practice, at my neighbors house, at the ice cream shop

How do you teach verbs to your students? Want some new and exciting ways to teach verbs? Check out these 4 activities that will get your students moving!

Freeze Dance to Teach Verbs

I use freeze dance in basically everything I teach. There’s always a way to make freeze dance work for whatever skill you’re teaching. Again, another NO PREP lesson!

The way we play freeze dance when learning verbs is I’ll put on a song (Kidz Bop is my favorite). Students dance around the room until I stop the music. When the music stops, I pull an equity stick (or call on a student) and they tell us a sentence. This sentence can be about anything! Then, the class says the verb in the sentence all together when I count to 3.

For example:

Student I pick says – “The cat ran to the park.”
Pause for the class to think…
Class all together on 3 – “ran”
Then the music starts again!

Another way I use freeze dance is when I teach sight words! Check out this post: Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

Verbs Around the Room

Again, when you can incorporate movement in a lesson, both you and your students win! This verb game is a great way to teach verbs. In this resource there are two different versions that you can use depending on the level of your students or you can use the first version in the beginning of the year when you introduce verbs and the second version once your students are more comfortable with verbs. Two for the price of one!

Version 1: Students walk around the room and find the cards numbered 1 – 12. When they get to a card, they complete the verb activity. Then, they go find another card. They can do this in order or not.

Version 2: Students walk around the room and find the cards numbered 1 – 12. When they get to a card, they complete the verb activity such as “jump 10 times”. After, they read the sentence on the card and find the verb. Then, find the same number on their recording and write the verb from the sentence.

Have you tried any of these verb activities in your classroom? Share how it went below!

Teaching Setting in Kindergarten

Teaching reading comprehension skills in kindergarten can be tough but it isn’t impossible! When you teach kindergarteners, you have to make sure you’re explaining concepts to them at their level and engaging them in meaningful lessons so these concepts stick. My biggest tips when teaching little ones big ideas is to relate it to them, get them up and moving and repetition.

One of our Common Core Standards in kindergarten is for students to identify the setting of a story. Here are some engaging ways I’ve found to be effective when teaching setting in kindergarten.

Teaching setting in kindergarten can be very tricky. It's a big concept for little students. Check out these engaging ways to teach setting in kindergarten.

Relate It To Them

Kindergarten students tend to only think about themselves and their world. By relating concepts to them, they can connect it to their world which then helps them connect it to the stories you are reading in class. I like to relate the concept of setting to my students by discussing the different settings they visit throughout the day. I tell them they are the character in their own story and they tell me where they go.

Many places my students go are to school (obviously), home, the grocery store, the dentist, the doctors, a friends house, the park, the movie theatre etc. We have a discussion about these settings and who or what else we would see there.

Expand this lesson by having your students draw themselves in one of the settings they go.

Teaching setting in kindergarten can be very tricky. It's a big concept for little students. Check out these engaging ways to teach setting in kindergarten.

Get Them Moving

Getting my students moving has been a huge asset, especially this year with my wild bunch! Whenever we can play games, move around the room or do a “Write the Room” activity, I am all for it (and they learn so much better). That’s why I created a Setting Write the Room.

To prepare for this lesson, the teacher puts picture cards around the room. These cards have a number in the corner. Students walk around the room looking for these cards. When they find a card, they they look for the number and circle the correct setting on their recording sheet. The recording sheet has both pictures and words so students can do this independently whether they can read or not.

picture of setting write the room

Click here to get your own Setting Write the Room

.

Repetition

Another simple way to get students to learn and remember the skill is to repeat, repeat, repeat! Repetition is key. Here are some ways to practice setting with your class.

  • Read stories and discuss setting throughout the book (bonus: find a book that has multiple settings!)
  • Read a story and students draw the setting
  • Discuss setting in other subject areas such as science and social studies
Teaching setting in kindergarten can be very tricky. It's a big concept for little students. Check out these engaging ways to teach setting in kindergarten.

Want to read more about engaging ways to teach your kindergarten students?

Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

5 Key Benefits of Using Write the Room in Your Classroom

Christmas Book Companions

The holiday season is seriously one of my favorite times a year for both personal and classroom reasons. It’s a magical time where lights are shining, people are a little happier and students can’t wait for Santa to arrive. Now, I’m not going to lie, the month of December is pretty crazy with extra activities and (let’s say) highly energetic students. It can be hard to keep up with academics when you’re having holiday parties, making gingerbread houses or singing Christmas carols like we do in my class. This is why I’ve created Christmas book companions for three Christmas stories. These resources help me celebrate the holidays while continuing our regular language arts curriculum.

Need a special activity to celebrate Christmas in your classroom while still keeping curriculum going? Check out my Christmas Book Companions.

Christmas Book Companions

A book companion is a language arts resource that goes along with a specific book. Each resource includes various language arts comprehension concepts that teachers can use to teach the skill or as a review. Also included in each companion is a craftivity. These are probably my favorite part of the product because they always make a good bulletin board (which you may know is my guilty pleasure!)

The Polar Express

This book companion includes:

  • Sequencing the story
  • Problem and solution
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing the Boy Graphic Organizer
  • Describing the Polar Express Graphic Organizer
  • Polar Express Verbs
  • Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Need a special activity to celebrate Christmas in your classroom while still keeping curriculum going? Check out my Christmas Book Companions.

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

This book companion includes:

  • Sequencing the story
  • Problem and solution
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing Bear Graphic Organizer
  • Bear’s Verbs
  • Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Need a special activity to celebrate Christmas in your classroom while still keeping curriculum going? Check out my Christmas Book Companions.

Mooseltoe

This book companion includes:

  • Sequencing the story
  • Problem and solution
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing the Boy Graphic Organizer
  • Describing the Polar Express Graphic Organizer
  • Polar Express Verbs
  • Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Other Holiday Book Companions

I love incorporating these holiday book companions in my classroom leading up to a holiday. They help me feel like I am balancing between celebrating the holiday while still focusing on important language arts curriculum. 

If you’re like me and love the holidays, check out my other holiday book companions

How do you celebrate holidays in your classroom? Do you stick with academics and your regular schedule or do you incorporate special activities?

Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

I don’t know about your students but mine LOVE when they’re able to get up and move (without getting in trouble). This year, I have an extra rowdy bunch, so I’ve tried to incorporate more games and activities that gets my students moving while they’re learning. This sight word movement game has been the perfect addition to my classroom!

This sight word movement game will be an absolute hit in your classroom! Students move around the room while practicing their sight words! Check it out here

Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

This is a super low maintenance game to set up and is all the rage once your students start playing! Here’s how you set up and the many ways you can play.

Set Up

Type in your sight words and print out the pages you need. I do 6 sight words a week so I print them out 6 at a time. I also laminate these pages so they’ll keep for many years to come.

Included in my Sight Word Run the Room resource, is an easy set up page. All you need to do is type  your sight words into the chart (it can hold up to 30 sight words at once). Once you’ve typed your words, the sight words magically appear in all the different page options. I’ve included a whole page, half page and quarter page options. Then print, laminate and stick around the room.

Directions

Once your sight words are posted around the room, you’re ready to play. There are many different ways to play this game and all of them are described in my Sight Word Run the Room resource but I’m going to explain my students and my top three favorites below.

For an easy set up and 3 different size option cards, click the picture below!

This sight word movement game will be an absolute hit in your classroom! Students move around the room while practicing their sight words! Check it out here

First Way to Play

My students FAVORITE way to play is freeze dance style! I put on music (Kidz Bop is always a hit) and they dance around the room until I freeze the song. They freeze, I say “Find a sight word” and they run to the nearest sight word. Then, I pull an equity stick to call on a student and that student tells us the sight word and uses it in a sentence.
*If the student doesn’t know the sight word they’re standing at, I let them call on a friend to help them. Teamwork!

Second Way to Play

Our second favorite way is through setting up a “track” in my classroom. I call it a track, however, they just circle around all our tables. Students must go the same way around the track and I give them certain ways to move around it. When I say freeze, they stop, find a sight word and again I pull an equity stick. They say the word and use it in a sentence.

Third Way to Play

Another way to play is by calling out a sight word, students run to that word and then the teacher pulls an equity stick and the student says a sentence with that word in it.

This sight word movement game has been such a hit in my classroom and is a fabulous way to get your students up and moving while still learning an important skill like their sight words!

How do you keep your students engaged? Let me know below!

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

Sight words can be very hard to teach. Some words can’t be sounded out, others can be, and a lot of learning sight words is just about memorizing. When I first started teaching, I relied on flash cards to teach sight words. And, although I do still use them for some things, I have found many other more engaging ways to teach sight words! These games use different styles of learning so learning sight words are accessible to all learners.

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

sight-word-activities

Whiteboards

Whiteboards are an awesome tool when teaching sight words because you can use them in many ways! Here are my favorite ways to use whiteboards when teaching sight words.

  • You (the teacher) writes a sight word on your whiteboard. Students give a thumbs up when they know it. Students say the word all together. When students say the word all together, the students who don’t know the word are hearing it and learning from their classmates.
    • Extension: Choose one or two students to use the sight word in a sentence.
  • You say a sight word and students write it. This works best when you’re sitting in front of your word wall as students can look to the word wall to find the sight word to write.
  • Show students a few words (or sit in front of the word wall) and ask students to write one word or a sentence with the word in it and then share with the group.

Play-doh

Play-Doh always gets my kids super excited and ready to learn. There’s something about it that makes learning feel more like play and less scary. Here are my favorite ways to use Play-Doh.

  • Students have flash cards of their sight words for the week and create them using Play-Doh.
  • Students look to the word wall to create the sight words you’ve already learned.
  • Partners create words and take turns making a sentence with that word.
  • Students flatten out the Play-Doh like a pancake and use a toothpick to write the word in the Play-Doh.

sight-word-activities

Sight Word Run the Room

This is a game I created to get my students and their wiggly bodies moving around the room while we practice our sight words. The game is a version of freeze dance and when the music stops, students go to a sight word that is taped around the room. I pull an equity stick and that student tells the class the word and a sentence with that word in it.

This game has become my students absolute favorite way to practice sight words! They beg me to play it each week with our new words!

Read more about this sight word activity here.

Chasing Rainbows – Created by Literacy with the Littles

This game is super fun and engaging for students! You play by setting out sight word cards that have rainbows on them. The teacher calls out a sight word and students use their unicorn fly swatter to tap the sight word rainbow!

When we played, my students were so engaged and a little rowdy! They couldn’t wait to find the next rainbow for their unicorn!

Are you stuck teaching sight words in the same way, using flash cards? Check out these engaging sight word activities that aren't sight words!

Sight Word Fluency Strips – Created by A World of Language Learners

This activity is a perfect way for students to practice their sight words as well as their fluency! Included in this resource are many different strips filled with sentences or parts of sentences that include many sight words.

In kindergarten, we talk about trying to read with expression and  not read like a robot. My students were able to practice reading with expression while they read sight words we had already learned!

Sight Word Cut and Spell – Created by Sweet in Kindergarten

This activity is created by one of my favorite kindergarten teachers! Students cut out all the letters at the bottom of the work sheet and build the sight words above. What I love most about this activity was that it not only works on sight word recognition, it also helps students with their fine motor and cutting skills. Plus it’s editable so I was able to type in my own sight words that we were working on for the week.

sight-word-activities

Ways to play with Flash Cards

Although I said above that flash cards were boring, there are some fun ways to use your sight word flash cards. Here’s how!

  • Tap What You Know
    • Spread sight word flash cards out and have the students tap a sight word they know. Then ask them what that sight word is and have them say a sentence with the word in it.
  • Name a sight word and have students find it
    • The teacher says a sight word and students look through their sight word flash cards to find the word
  • Sight Word Surprise
    • Flip sight words over on the table, students grab one and say what it is and say it in a sentence

What are some engaging ways you teach and practice sight words in your classroom?

A Look at Literacy Centers in Kindergarten

Having time in your schedule to break into small groups and teach students at their level is so beneficial. When I am meeting with students for our guided reading time, the rest of my students are doing various literacy centers.

I love this part of our day because it’s a time that I can tailor lessons to my individual students. I can support them when they need support and challenge them when that’s appropriate. This time is also important as it gives the students doing centers a chance to be independent and grow in their problem solving abilities.

Before we begin doing literacy centers, I take a week to teach each center. That way, when we break into groups, students can be independent and successful in what they are working on. It’s very important that you train your students to solve problems on their own so you’re not being interrupted a million times!

Have you heard about the benefits of small groups but don't know where to start? Are kindergarteners even capable of doing centers? Read this post to find out how I use centers in my classroom.

The Centers

Meet with the Teacher

During “Meet with the Teacher” students come to my table and meet with me. This is when I use my guided reading lessons that coincide with their reading level. Students are grouped by similar abilities so I am able to support, teach and challenge depending on what they need.

Word Work

Our “Word Work” station is where students practice our sight words for the week. They do this through different games, activities and worksheets. They know what to do for each activity because they have been taught prior to this time, about directions and how to play or complete properly.

Work on Writing

When students go to the “Work on Writing” station, they are practicing writing skills. In the beginning of kindergarten, I teach students to use many details and try their best to convey a message through 3 Star Coloring. Once students have learned their letter sounds, they are ready to start sounding out their words. This is when I give them other types of writing activities such as responding to a question, drawing and writing about a season or holiday or writing in their writing workbooks.

Have you heard about the benefits of small groups but don't know where to start? Are kindergarteners even capable of doing centers? Read this post to find out how I use centers in my classroom.

Listen to Reading

The “Listen to Reading” station is when students get to use Raz Kids (Learning A-Z) on the iPads. This program is awesome as you can assign students books at their level. In the app, students may read the book to themselves or they can listen to it being read to them. When they listen to it being read, the word is highlighted as it’s being read which is great for students to learn sight words and vocabulary.

Read to Self/Read to Someone

During “Read to Self” or “Read to Someone” students are in the library of our classroom and are again reading books at their level. The books they read in this stations are different books than the ones we’ve read during guided reading. Students have a box in the library labeled with their color group and are to grab only books from that bin. “Read to Self” sounds just how it is, they are reading to themselves. Whereas, during “Read to Someone”, students read to another person in their group.

This time with my students is so precious as I truly believe guided reading can take a non-reader and turn them into a reader or a reader into an even better reader! Literacy centers is such a valuable part of my day and in classrooms everywhere.

Related Posts

How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

How to Help Your Struggling Readers

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Celebrate Thanksgiving With a Thanksgiving Book Companion

The holidays officially begin once Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is upon us! Many of us are working toward the middle part of our school year at this point. Students are in a routine and have learned many things so far!

If you don’t know already, I absolutely LOVE celebrating holidays in my classroom. There’s something magical about this holiday season and getting to share it with your students.

When the excitement is high and teaching feels more like herding sheep, it can be a little hard to get students to focus on your regular academic schedule. This is why I love using book companions in my classroom! Book companions make it easy to incorporate the holiday into the classroom while still focusing on academic essentials.

Take a peek at what’s inside my Thanksgiving Book Companions!

Using Thanksgiving Book Companions is a perfect way to incorporate the magic of Thanksgiving while still focusing on academics. Check them out here!

Thanksgiving Book Companions

Bear Says Thanks

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

  • Sequencing the story
  • Problem and solution
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing Bear Graphic Organizer
  • Bear’s Verbs
  • Craftivity

The Night Before Thanksgiving

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

  • Sequencing the story
  • How the family prepared for Thanksgiving Graphic Organizer
  • Problem and solution
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing the Family Graphic Organizer
  • The Night Before Thanksgiving Verbs
  • Craftivity

Five Flying Turkeys

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

  • Sequencing the story
  • My Favorite Part Writing
  • Additional Writing Prompt
  • Describing Turkeys Graphic Organizer
  • Five Flying Turkey’s Verbs
  • Craftivity

Using Thanksgiving Book Companions is a perfect way to incorporate the magic of Thanksgiving while still focusing on academics. Check them out here!

These book companions can be purchased in a bundle or individually depending on which story you’d like to incorporate or if you’d like to incorporate all! Using a book companion is a great way to sneak in some Thanksgiving fun while still learning or reviewing critical language arts skills.

Using Thanksgiving Book Companions is a perfect way to incorporate the magic of Thanksgiving while still focusing on academics. Check them out here!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in your classroom?

My 4 Favorite Kindergarten Apps

Using digital resources in your classroom can be very valuable if you have the tools needed to do this. My school is lucky enough to have iPads. We have one iPad cart that we share between kindergarten, first grade and second grade. However, we pretty much can use the iPads at any time because we have a small school.

It can be hard to find the right apps for kindergarten, especially before they can even read! That’s why, I’ve created this list of my 4 favorite kindergarten apps. These will hopefully help you out when you decide what digital resources you want to include in your classroom.

Have a kindergarten app you use and love in your classroom? Comment with the name and a little about it below. I love learning about new apps and trying them out in my classroom!

Do you use technology in your classroom? I use iPads in mine and have found 4 awesome apps to use with my kindergarteners! Check them out. Freebie included!

Reading Apps

Raz-Kids

This app is my favorite reading app because you can input the student’s reading level and the app provides books at that level. Students can listen to reading or read it on their own. When they listen to the book, the app highlights the word as it’s being read. This is great for learning sight words or new vocabulary words. Once students have listened to the book and read through every story on their own, it gives them new books!

Math Apps

Freckle

This is an app that I’m still learning as well. However, I am loving it so far! It is a math app that allows the teacher to put in certain lessons or standards you want students to work on. Students can see that they have an activity from the teacher from the red circle next to the math app. (This app can also be used in reading but I’ve only used the math portion.) Students can also explore different math contents on their own (but at their level). My students love this app!

Daisy the Dinosaur

This is a coding app! Students program Daisy the Dinosaur to do different things and move in different ways! This is an app I let students use when they have free time on the iPad. I haven’t incorporated it into our regular curriculum yet.

Learning Apps (All Subjects)

ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse is probably my students favorite app! This app has tons of games, puzzles, coloring, music and much more! This app includes all subjects which is one of the reasons I love it too! When we do ABC Mouse, I just let students go and explore whatever they feel like exploring. You put in their grade level when you set up your classroom, so it’s all grade appropriate.

Do you use technology in your classroom? I use iPads in mine and have found 4 awesome apps to use with my kindergarteners! Check them out. Freebie included!

My students love using iPads and exploring these apps during our class time. I’m always trying to find other apps teachers are loving to add to my list of favorite apps. If you have a favorite, drop the name and a little about it below!

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Students come into your classroom at all different levels. Some students are really strong in reading and others need a bit more support. It can be hard to reach each student at their level but as teachers it’s our job to try! Throughout my years teaching, I’ve learned some tips to challenge my high readers.

Some years, I have students come in to my kindergarten classroom already reading (normally incoming kinders don’t read yet). Other years, I’ve had students come in reading at a first grade, second grade, even third grade level! This has been a challenge for me as I figure out what I need to do with these high readers.

Do you struggle with how to support your high readers? Check out my tips and ways I challenge my higher readers. Freebie inside!

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Use Small Groups

I recommend using small groups in both reading and math. Students will always come to your class at different levels and by using small groups, you’re better able to tailor lessons to your students needs. Sometimes, my high reading groups only consist of one or two students… that’s okay! If you can split your class up this much and have enough things for other groups to do, I highly recommend you do this.

To read about small groups during guided math check out the posts below.

All Your Guided Math Questions Answered: A Collaborative Post with Sam Ripley

Everything You Need to Know to Launch Guided Math in Your Classroom

How to Write Differentiated Lesson Plans to Use During Guided Math

Ask Open Ended Questions

When they’re in these small groups (or even if you don’t do small groups) ask your high readers open-ended questions. Critical thinking questions and open-ended questions give students the opportunity to really have to think about their learning and about what they’ve read.

Give Challenge Work

Giving challenge work does not mean extra work, it means giving them meaningful work that challenges them. When I give challenge work for my high readers, I think about the comprehension skill for the week and I find a worksheet or an activity that goes along with the comprehension skill. I also look for work that will make them think more than something the rest of the class is doing. When you give meaningful work, you’re challenging your higher readers.

Do you struggle with how to support your high readers? Check out my tips and ways I challenge my higher readers. Freebie inside!

These are some ways I’ve found to challenge the students who need a challenge. What do you do for your high readers?