1. Have a system that works for when your kids come through the door. Last year, I used to lay the morning work out on the tables. This worked great, but I noticed some kids would just sit there because they literally “forgot” what they were supposed to do. I hold the belief that if a child physically has to grab the paper and pencil and go to their seat, they are more likely to begin working faster. I just put a table near the door that has morning work, pencils, and anything else they need for the day. Before the kids come in, I tell them what they need to start their day.
2. Be strategic on what you give your kids for morning work. I am not saying you have to plan out your whole year, but don’t just give them busy work. Remember that even if you are only doing morning work for fifteen minutes each day, that is an hour and 15 minutes each week. That adds up to be about 50 hours each year! And we all know that 15 minutes spent on morning work is a good day! I have been using my First Grade Morning Work Bundle this year, and my kids absolutely love it. It has been very interactive, and I believe this is so important even at the beginning of the year.
3. Bring the work to life! Go over morning work together, and make a quick mini-lesson out of it. I am able to take the roll and write sight words, and step it up a level. When we check our work, I will have the kids say the word, clap the word, say the word again, and then write the word if they didn’t get to it. If they did get to it, they can write it in the air. For the math, we do a lot of kinesthetic activities and TPR when counting and going over the math problems. Whenever possible, I have the kids stand up and move about the room to go over a problem. This can be as simple as counting to a certain number and having them do pushups or jumping jacks. If you have time to go over morning work, do it. It sets the tone for the whole day, and really wakes the kids up!
4. Go over the schedule for the day. I always have my kids read it with me so that it is not just me talking. I make up motions for all the different components of our day. I will also let the kids know the theme for the week on Monday and I brush over the skills we will be learning in reading and math. That way, the kids know EXACTLY what they will be doing, and there are no surprises. I think the kids appreciate this, and their behavior shows throughout the day!
5. Give your kids a chance to talk. Let’s be honest…they have a lot to say! If you don’t give them a chance to talk about whatever it may be when they walk in, rest assured they will try fit it in during instructional time. I have my tables numbered, so I can tell the kids to take turns and I can have them start and work in a clockwise order. If you would like to read about how I organize my tables, be sure to visit my blog post on table cards!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you would like more ideas from me, be sure to follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers, Pinterest, and Facebook to stay posted with fabulous freebies and ideas!
