Engagement happens when students feel safe, valued, and challenged at the right level.
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
That’s a big ask…How can we make our classroom environment safe and welcoming all while differentiating? It starts with classroom setup and classroom management. In my last post, we tackled how to create such environment by considering traffic flow, visible expectations, and your individual teaching style. Today, we are going to add on by exploring ways to increase student engagement once that environment is achieved.
Science of Reading Warm-Up
I go over this entire warm-up in detail in a previous blog post, but for today, I am going to share some engagement tips that will help make this routine a success. (Make sure to download your vocabulary freebie in that post!)
Before I share tips and tricks, I want to review what I mean by the Science of Reading Warm-Up. When I plan a “Science of Reading Warm-Up”, I divide it into three parts: Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension.
- Vocabulary: I always start my mini-lessons with a “Big Idea Question”. This question is the question the students need to be able to answer by the end of the lesson. It can also be the student objective. When I write these objectives/questions, I make sure to include as much vocabulary as possible. This is how I teach vocabulary in my classroom. When I introduce new vocabulary words, I make sure to include them in as many Big Idea Questions as possible. This includes questions and objectives in multiple subjects. Download a list of academic vocabulary here.
- Fluency: I include one of three strategies (scoop lines, color-coding, and mix-and-match) in my warm-up after identifying and defining key vocabulary in the Big Idea Question. Choral or partner reading can quickly be incorporated into every warm-up. This is an easy way to practice fluency with the whole class on a daily basis. It also allows you the opportunity to observe which students may need extra fluency support in a small group lesson.
- Comprehension: I love graphic organizers, and I regularly use them to support vocabulary instruction. First, ask students to identify vocabulary in the objectives that may give a hint about which organizer to use. Then, allow students to volunteer different graphic organizers that would be appropriate for a given objective. (This is similar to a math talk if you have done that before.) Make sure to model each example on the board.) Finally, allow students to choose their graphic organizers. This final step should only be included in your lessons once the above steps have been practiced for several weeks. In upper grades, I usually aim to hit this last step by January or Trimester 2. For primary grades, my goal is to reach this last step by Trimester 3.
Now that we have reviewed the warm-up, I would love to share some engagement tips and tricks.
To Increase Participation
I regularly use strategies from Teach Like a Champion. One of them is called “100%”. When I ask a question, I wait for ALL students to raise their hands. If I see a group or table with 100% participation, I give that group a point. If we can get to 100% for the entire class, I drop in a star to our Star Jar. Trust me…this works!
Problem Solving: If you are not seeing the participation you expect, give the students some time to Think-Pair-Share. They may just need some peer support, especially for the more challenging questions.
To Differentiate Questions
I attended a fantastic PD on this topic a few years ago. Questioning can be an entire blog post in itself, but I would like to share my main takeaway on the subject.
For each warm-up, I recommend having a few varied levels of questions in the back of your mind. Also, have specific students in mind for each question. For example, if you have emerging readers, call on them for questions where you have to identify a vocab term or immediately after the class had Think-Pair-Share. For gifted students, call on them for questions that require connecting to previous lessons or that target Depth and Complexity Icons. This way, all students are given the opportunity to feel successful. The more opportunities they get, the more likely they will be to participate again.
To Include Student Voice and Choice
Allowing students to choose their graphic organizers increases student ownership. It gives them the opportunity to choose an organizer that best suits their strengths. I recommend giving them time to discuss these organizers with a partner or their group. Peer support will help them feel more capable and confident, which will in turn, increase engagement and participation.
Read more about how to incorporate the Science of Reading in your back to school plans!
Games Galore
Learning can and should be fun! The challenging part for a teacher is how to accomplish this without breaking the bank or causing chaos in the classroom. The key here is to use games that the students can run themselves and that do not require much prep on a day-to-day basis. I use two basic kinds of games: dice games and board games. (I also use online games, but we will go over those in the next section.)
- Dice Games: Dice games can absolutely be used for both math and literacy! (This may come as a surprise, but allow me to explain.) First math games…I bought a container of a bunch of different sized dice from Amazon. This way, students can use different dice depending on their skill and level. For example, if my students are practicing their multiplication facts, they start by rolling a six-sided dice twice. They multiply those two numbers together. They then draw a rectangle with those dimensions to check their answers. Once they are confident with six-sided dice, they can move up to nine-sided dice and 12-sided dice. Literacy games can also use dice! I have a highly engaging Roll and Draw game where students roll a dice, read the word, and add that picture to their drawing. The first person to add on all six images wins!
- Board Games: These take a bit of time to prep initially, especially if you are creating the game yourself. My tip to you is to laminate EVERYTHING and keep all supplies in folders. (The pieces can be stored in plastic bags that are inside the folder or even stapled to the folder.) I would recommend that you store several folders of the same game in a bin that is accessible to students. For example, if you have a game that can be played with three or four students, perhaps you might consider creating four folders of that game. This would allow up to 16 students to play at once. (I usually include games during centers, so I would never have more than maybe two groups playing at the same time.) Save time with this CVC Halloween Board Game.
Read about how to make phonics fun for your students!
My Favorite Online Programs
Technology, when used sparingly, is a very useful tool in the classroom. It is an easy way to differentiate instruction and increase student engagement. I would like to share my top 5 online programs that I use in my classroom:
- Nearpod: Nearpod is highly engaging because students can interact with the activities on their own devices either in an independent lesson or during whole class instruction. The teacher can control the students’ screens, so everyone moves through the lesson together! Want to see a sample? Check out the video on my home page!
- Boom Cards: BOOM Learning is highly interactive and the best part? They are self-correcting task cards! These are perfect for centers!!! I have a ton of phonics Boom cards available.
- Snorkl: Snorkl may be my new favorite thing. Using AI, students record their responses to any given task and get immediate feedback on those responses. They can record their voice and screen, making this an effective way to assess and reassess student progress. (Students are allowed to resubmit their answers after receiving feedback. The teacher can see every attempt to help track their growth.)
- Freckle: I have been using Freckle for years! I like that it is an easy way to differentiate, making it perfect for centers and small group learning.
- Gimkit: Gimkit is a gamified way to check for understanding. You simply create a quiz and choose a game. Students earn points by answering questions and then get to play a game. There are so many games to choose from! They have Capture the Flag and a fishing game that my students really enjoy!
Student engagement not only keeps your students happy and eager to learn; it also makes the classroom easier to manage. I hope you find these strategies and tools as effective as I do, and as always, DM me on Instagram should you have any questions or need any additional resources.
Our next Hot Topic will be data and intervention. It is so important that after completing beginning of year assessments you start your first round of intervention right away. Don’t worry, I will help you get started! Until we meet again, remember to keep learning!