If you have read my previous blog post, I mentioned that my #1 reason for implementing these Morning Work bundles in my classroom is because of the Spiral Review it provides for my students. As a third-grade teacher, I am constantly being referred to as a “testing grade.” Not that I always need to be reminded, but since I am in a testing grade, I am a huge fan of utilizing materials in my classroom that are consistently providing review to my students. I am a firm believer that in order for my students to remember information presented in the Fall, that could potentially be on state testing in the Spring, they need to be practicing the skills they have been taught. I think this comes solely through Spiral Review.
On this specific blog post, I write about how effective these Morning Work pages are for Math, and its spiral review.
I begin each school year right away with Week 2. Not only does it allow students to recall previous skills that were taught in 2nd grade, but it also helps build their confidence in completing their work, as they get back in the groove of school again. For instance, students should be able to complete Math questions 1-11 on Week 2 Day 1, which hopefully will give you the extra time needed in the mornings, as I previously wrote about.
However, there might be times when students come across a question that they may not know how to solve. For example: questions 12 and 13 on Week 2 Day 3, where it asks the students about parallel lines. I encourage my students to try their best and answer the questions. I tell them not to worry about getting it correct because I will go over what parallel lines are. By going over the worksheet as a whole group, it lets me to introduce this new information.
The day my class completes this worksheet, I always introduce my students to the 3 lines of geometry together (parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting) through hand motions. This allows my students to start becoming familiar with the terms of these different lines, without spending too much time teaching it. Simply because it will appear in our curriculum later in the year. By giving my students a brief introduction to these three lines, they will be able to complete future morning work pages, such as Week 8 and Week 15 when it asks about parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines again.
That is the beautiful benefit of these Morning Work bundles, that they provide students with a continuous spiral review throughout the year. I am able to provide a short introduction of a specific skill in the Fall, and as the year continues, my students can recall and practice this information. It makes the life of teaching a tad bit easier, because it kind of presents a “bypass” to the introduction of new information, when it does appear in our curriculum.
Read More About Spiral Review
- Getting started with morning work in the elementary classroom
- Morning Work: Daily ELA Review
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