In elementary teacher Genia Connell’s class, her students know exactly what to do if they finish their work early. Her classroom mantra is: “No one is ever done; there is always something that is just waiting to be practiced, discovered, or learned.” 

Connell provides several different opportunities for engaging enrichment activities that students can work on independently throughout the week. Here are her top recommendations for critical thinking activities for the fast finishers in your classroom.

Think Math Board

Every three or four days, Connell puts a new “answer” on her class’s Think Math board. As soon as a new answer goes up, students are eager to write a question that matches the answer on a sticky note they add to the board. Kids love the open-endedness of this activity, especially when the answers lead to some truly inventive number stories. Think creatively when writing your answers, for maximum effect:

• The answer is a product of 24 magic markers.

• The answer is 4 sides and 4 vertices (corners).

• The answer is 15 more cupcakes.

While this might seem like a relatively easy task for students, it may take several weeks of modeling and going over correct answers before the majority of students are able to correctly write number stories that match the answers.

Other Math Activities for Fast Finishers

Daily Reflections

Connell also has a “Daily Reflections” board featured prominently in her classroom. For their daily reflections, students write down something they will take away with them from the day. It might be a concept they have learned, something that finally makes sense to them, or a question they are still pondering. Some students add their daily reflection to the board during the day when they are finished with their work. Connell also gives time at the end of the day before clean-up so all students have a chance to add their reflection.

Where Am I? Geography Challenge

The concept behind this is simple—every week, give students a hint as to where you are and challenge them to use technology or a reference book to find the correct answer. Students can then write their answer and place it on a map of the United States. “Where Am I?” challenges can feature all kinds of geography clues:

• I am camping at the first National Park in the United States.

• I am on a kayak in the middle of the longest river in the United States.

• I am drinking an ice cold bottle of water in the place where the hottest temperature ever recorded occurred. What was the temperature, and when and where did it happen?

• I am in the third largest city (population wise) in the United States.

• I just watched the start of the Iditarod Dog Race. What city and state am I in?

• I am at 28° N latitude, 81° W longitude (answer: Orlando/Disney World)

• I am at 43º N latitude, 79º W longitude (answer: Niagara Falls)

Students can also come up with their own “Where Am I?” clues and challenge their classmates to find a well-known landmark when given a latitude and longitude or other geography-based hints. 

Morning Jumpstarts

Just because they’re called “morning jumpstarts” doesn’t mean your students have to do them in the morning! Jumpstart activities can be used at the start of the day to help children settle into the day's routines, before midday break, as a calming transition between subjects, or—of course!—as enriching activities for your fast finishers. A selection of Morning Jumpstarts are linked below, and you can check out the full collection here.

Encouraging your students to conduct short independent research projects is the perfect way for curious young minds to quench their thirst for knowledge while learning a little something about a topic that intrigues them. 

Your students can use a graphic organizer to write out the questions they have about their topic, what they discover during their research, and their sources. Some students will be able to narrow their topic and formulate important questions very easily while others may need extra support in this higher-level thinking skill. 

Once the students have collected their information, give them the choice to share what they’ve learned through a written or oral report, poster, on a web page, or any other way that they want to get their newfound knowledge to their classmates. 

Writing Chapter Books

In Connell’s class, the back of each writer’s notebook has space reserved for students to take part in free writing. While some students use this space to jot down random thoughts, many are working on writing their very own chapter books! Connell says that, “frequently, students share their latest chapter with me, which leads to some of the most authentic and worthwhile conversations we have about their writing.”

Monthly Packet of Enrichment Activities

At the beginning of every month, Connell gives each student a packet filled with activities that complement the curriculum and which can be worked on when they have a few spare minutes. This is also the perfect place to put practice pages for any subject that needs more focus. Connell tries to incorporate enrichment material from the following areas in every packet:

• Themed cover for open-ended writing or drawing

• Logic and reasoning problems

• Reading comprehension

• Language application and foundational skills

• Writing prompts for poetry, narrative, opinion, and expressive pieces

• Map work

• Science activities

• Internet scavenger hunts

• Vocabulary work   

Once you create this packet, it can be easily copied and saved for subsequent years. It is also a great resource for guest teachers to have. You can find engaging practice pages here, or from resources such as Scholastic Teachables.

Finish Folder

The Finish Folder is exactly that: a folder where students keep work that is in progress. On Thursdays, Connell checks on the status of each student’s Finish Folder, and any incomplete work (except the monthly enrichment pack) is stapled together as homework that is due the following Monday.

In Connell’s experience, “having a wide variety of different independent work available helps to ensure that students are optimizing their learning opportunities throughout the day.” Because not all students are fast finishers, she periodically schedules time for all students to work on their independent research projects, think math, and monthly packets. These enriching activities are more than just busywork — they are vital thinking, practice, and learning experiences.

Shop more books and activities for fast finishers at The Teacher Store.