Do you have students who struggle to stay focused in the classroom after they finish their work? Having a set of early finisher activities can help you keep each student engaged throughout the entire day. Check out this list of 5th grade early finisher activities for the classroom!
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Why do we need 5th grade early finisher activities?
Having early finisher activities for your students is vital because they keep students engaged, promote independent learning, help with classroom management, encourage creative thinking, and provide differentiation. Overall, having early finisher activities is an effective way to meet the needs of all students in your classroom and promote a positive learning environment. π©πΏβπ«
Keeps Students Engaged
When students finish their work early, they may become bored or disengaged if they have nothing else to do. Therefore, providing early finisher activities can keep them engaged and motivated to continue learning.
Promotes Independent Learning
Early finisher activities can promote independent learning because they give students the opportunity to explore topics of interest or work on self-directed projects.
Helps Manage Classroom Behavior
Students who have nothing to do may become restless or disruptive, leading to classroom management issues. Therefore, you can use early finisher activities to help prevent these behaviors by keeping students occupied and focused.
Encourages Creativity and Critical Thinking
Early finisher activities can encourage creativity and critical thinking by allowing students to solve problems, work on puzzles, or engage in open-ended projects. π
Provides Differentiation
Early finisher activities can provide differentiation by allowing advanced students to work on more challenging tasks while providing additional support for struggling students.
5th Grade Early Finisher Activities
Coming up with a list of fresh and engaging early finisher activities for your students can be challenging. Luckily, I have done all the hard work for you. You can quickly implement these early finisher activities in your classroom, and your students will remain engaged throughout the day!
#1 Extension Activities
Offer extension activities that challenge students to think more deeply about the topic they are learning. For example, they could research related topics, create an infographic, or write a summary of what they learned. I like to add a challenge question that allows students to think critically about the subject. For example, when teaching graphing, let students explore which jobs use data and graphing.
Check out these Critical Thinking Task Cards! They are perfect for extending students in Math and ELA lessons!
# 2 Independent Reading π
Provide a selection of books or articles related to the lesson or unit and allow students to read quietly and independently. I like having a stack of magazines in my classroom for students to read when they finish their work. Additionally, students can read any book and complete an independent reading activity. Check out these Book Talk Prompt Cards that allow students to discuss books and make recommendations to their classmates.
If your students prefer reading non-fiction, you can have these Informational Reading Passages on hand for your early finishers. They come with comprehension questions and have various themes throughout the year!
#3 Educational Games π²
Provide your students with educational games or puzzles. For example, students could play a game that helps them learn vocabulary words or practice math skills. Having a basket or shelf with educational games and puzzles that students can play with whenever they finish early can help keep students engaged and wanting to finish their work on time. If you need game suggestions, check out this blog post, including collaborative and competitive math games for students.
Having these Math Match Up Games in your classroom is handy for when students finish early during math lessons. These games will keep students learning and focused on math throughout the entire lesson.
#4 Creative Writing βπ½
Encourage students to write a story, poem, or essay about the lesson or unit you are working on. This could also be a chance for students to write creatively about their interests or hobbies. Try setting your students up with a specific notebook to write in when they finish early. This notebook will encourage them to write and can serve as a special notebook for them to take home at the end of the year.
Check out these Digital Writing Prompts that will help promote creative writing in your classroom.
#5 Peer Tutoring
Students who finish early could be paired with students who are struggling to complete their work, need more help with the material, or need help with homework. Additionally, if you have students who are constantly finishing their work early, you could train them to help their peers. Remind students that helping their classmates does not mean finishing their work for them. Instead, they must reteach the concepts to complete their work more independently.
#6 Enrichment Projects
Offer students a choice of projects that allow them to explore a topic more deeply. For example, they could create a poster, diorama, or model. This enrichment project can run like a passion project, where students choose a topic they are interested in. Furthermore, this project will allow them to develop their creativity and develop research skills.
#7 Literacy and Math Centers
Having literacy and math centers set up consistently throughout the school year can help with early finishers. In addition, these centers can be linked to what you are learning so students can continue to practice important math and ELA concepts.
These 5th Grade Literacy Centers come with ten different activities, so students will never get bored!
For a closer look at how you can use these literacy centers in your classroom, check out this video:
#8 Digital Learning π»
Provide access to educational websites or apps that relate to the lesson or unit. For example, students could use online resources to learn about a topic or practice a skill. Students love using technology, so they will be more motivated to complete their classwork by giving them the option to use it when they finish.
If you need FREE apps for your students, check out these blog posts! π±
- FREE LITERACY APPS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
- 12 FREE MATH APPS TO INCORPORATE TECHNOLOGY IN THE MATH CLASSROOM
#9 Choice Boards
Choice boards are an excellent tool for teachers because they provide students with a variety of engaging activities that allow them to continue learning and exploring new topics. Students love having the option to choose, so try using these Literacy Choice Boards in your classroom today!
#10 Extra Vocabulary and Spelling Practice
Students can never have too much practice when it comes to spelling and vocabulary! Extra vocabulary and spelling practice can be a fantastic way to provide early finisher activities that reinforce essential language skills. Add word games, flashcards, word sorting activities, or vocabulary quizzes to your early finisher activities.
Check out this 5th Grade Vocabulary Bundle that will help your students grow stronger in reading and defining vocabulary words.
#11 Drawing or Coloring ποΈ
No matter what age, students love to draw and color. Giving students the option to draw when they finish their work on time allows them to express themselves creatively. In addition, you can set up a special drawing notebook where they can record all their sketches throughout the year. Also, you can give students mindfulness coloring pages or color by codes as an educational option. Take a look at the color-by-code activities below that focus on specific math and ELA skills.
#12 Organization Time
I love giving students the option to organize their desks or help me organize an area of the classroom, such as the class library when they have finished their work. Having students organize their desks and other areas of the classroom is a great way to promote a sense of responsibility and ownership among students. Also, the act of organizing can help students develop important life skills such as time management, planning, and organization. ποΈ
#13 Task Cards
Task cards are versatile tools because they can be used in many ways. To use them as an early finisher activity, create sets of self-contained task cards that can be completed independently. You can provide a variety of task cards that cover different subjects so that students can choose activities to complete when they finish their work. Check out some of my engaging task cards below!
#14 Writing or Typing Practice βπΎ
Giving students the option to practice their handwriting or typing skills can be a great early finisher activity! You can print out handwriting sheets so that your students will gain valuable practice. Also, you could have students write the alphabet on lined paper. Additionally, as technology becomes more prevalent worldwide, giving students typing practice can be highly beneficial. Set your students up with Typing Club or these engaging Typing Games!
#15 Browse a Magazine
Some students do not enjoy reading, so giving them magazines with colorful pictures and less text can be a great tool to encourage them to read more. In addition, magazines can provide students with engaging and age-appropriate content and cover a wide range of topics. There are a lot of excellent subscriptions to magazines that you can have in your classroom and some fantastic FREE digital subscriptions as well!
Check out my Magazine Scavenger Hunt that you can use alongside your magazines as an early finishers activity.
Keeping early finishers engaged can be challenging, but with this comprehensive list of activities for your 5th graders, your students will remain engaged throughout the entire lesson.
If you want more early finisher activities, read these blog posts with 4th grade early finisher activities and 3rd grade early finisher activities! β€οΈ
Comment below with your favorite 5th grade early finisher activities!
