I always struggle to think of math ideas for early finishers. Thinking of ideas for language arts just seems easier because the age-old “read a book ” is really helpful for early finishers. However, math takes a bit more planning. Here are eight math activities your early finishers will love.
Computer Programs
Computer programs are a great math idea for early finishers. They engage the students and practice some valuable concepts. Many students spend a lot of time on technology at school. Tech has great advantages but they need to do other types of activities too.
Board Games and Card Games
There are lots of benefits for early finishers if they are playing games that are not on a device. This type of games encourages teamwork and social interactions that are missing with technology. Games can work on rote skills such as computation or math facts that need more practice. This free Multiplication Game is a great way for students to develop fact fluency.
Games can also have problem-solving elements. Many board games have money where kids have to add and subtract in their heads. Card games are also great for developing math skills. The possibilities for using a deck of cards are endless. I love this list of card games for the classroom. Here is a classroom set of card decks.
Planning a Trip is a Math Idea for Early Finishers
This is a project that works great for early finishers. I like to give kids a few choices to choose from. They can plan a trip to a beach, a National Park, or a city. They can find prices for driving versus flying, prices for where to stay, prices for food, and prices for activities or sightseeing. You can take into consideration the population of your students to decide the possibilities for travel. If you teach at a school with a large population of students without experiences, you can plan a trip to a local park or pool for an afternoon. The project can be as large or small as you want it to be.
Students Can Write Math Stories
I love to give kids the freedom to be creative and writing math stories allows them to be. Give students a list of equations and ask them to write a story for five of them. The finished stories can give you insight into their understanding of the equation.
For example, if you give a student the equation 27 x 3 = then the student can write a story like this: Anna was making cookies for a party she was throwing. There were 27 kids coming to the party. She wants there to be enough cookies for everyone to eat three. How many cookies will she need to bake?
Color by Number Puzzles
Color-by-number puzzles are so much fun for students. They can be a relaxing activity for students who like to color and can easily practice skills. They also take some time to complete which can keep your early finishers occupied. These multiplication color by number puzzles are great for any season of the year. As a bonus, they can used to decorate the hall or classroom when your students are finished. Students need lots of practice to master computation.
Geometry and Art
When I think of math ideas for early finishers, my mind immediately thinks of ways to combine math and art. I love teaching symmetry and my favorite symmetry activity is called Half Drawings. The students use grid paper to create half an image. They use a straight edge to draw a line down the middle of the paper. They then use the grid to help them draw half an image. If it is their first project, you can have them just start with a shape. They can then hand the project to a friend to see if they can accurately draw the other half of the picture symmetrically.
Another variation on this is to cut a picture out of a magazine and cut it in half. Paste the picture on a piece of grid paper. The students then get to see if they can use symmetry to draw the other half of the picture.
2D Shape Drawings are another geometry art project that students love to do. Students can draw anything they want to but the picture has to be drawn completely with 2D shapes. If students seem stuck, have them start with a house which is the most universal shape drawing. You will be astonished with some of the drawings the students will complete.
Problem-Solving Tasks
Do you wish your students had more time to practice problem-solving tasks? These tasks make great math ideas for early finishers. The student who finishes early often needs a challenge while you work with students who don't understand the concept you are currently working on.
You could choose to do a problem of the week format. This would be where you display one multi-step problem in the room. Students can work on it as an early finisher task throughout the week. Another format you could use is putting problem-solving tasks on task cards. I have seen teachers put them on index cards on a ring. This creates a built-in early finisher task.
These are just a few ideas for early finishers. My goal is for students to have options that will help them grow as scholars and be fun too!
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