Jacquie's Five-minute Fillers
Nearly every day a teacher has a few minutes "wait time" — not enough time to start something new, but too many minutes to do nothing (other than watch helplessly as the kids go bonkers). Here, on the first day of each month, I will describe time fillers that my former students liked especially well, along with some that I learned about from teachers throughout the country. The focus for almost all of these activities can be altered to fit the interests and needs of your grade level. And parents, several of these fillers make great "traveling" games. They keep siblings from arguing, and they help you keep your sanity.
As always, I love getting new ideas to pass on at future conferences, as well as on this Website. If you have a time-filler that your students enjoy, I'd love to hear about it. Just use the Contact button on the homepage and tell me about it. And please tell me if I have permission to publish your name. I like to give credit where credit is due, but the choice is yours.
Sound It Out!
I found "Sound Out" on the Education World website. I think this one would be good for 5th graders and above.
Write the following headline expressions on a board or chart. (I'd do it on a chart so you can use it year after year.)
- Tub Braid Heap Hunch (Clue: TV show)
- Sand Tackle Laws (Clue: fictional character)
- Tall Mischief Her Sun (Clue: person)
- Buck Spun He (Clue: cartoon character)
- Shock Cussed Toe (Clue: person)
- These Hound Dove Moo Sick (Clue: movie)
- Docked Hearse Whose (Clue: person)
- Tight An Hick (Clue: thing)
- Aisle Oh View (Clue: phrase)
- Chick He Tub Ban An Us (Clue: things)
- My Gulch Hoard Un (Clue: person)
- Thumb Ill Key Wake Owl Licks He (Clue: place)
Students sound out and say slowly and carefully the words in each headline until it begins to sound like something that relates to the clue.
For example, Tub Braid Heap Hunch, carefully sounded out with the "TV show" clue in mind will begin to sound like The Brady Bunch.
The other headlines, in the order they are listed above sound like Santa Claus; Thomas Jefferson; Bugs Bunny; Jacques Cousteau; The Sound of Music; Dr. Seuss; Titanic; I love you; Chiquita bananas; Michael Jordan; and the Milky Way Galaxy.
Memorable Game
Builds memory and observation skills
This Education World filler can be adjusted to the grade level by increasing the number of items in the box. For kindergarten through second grade you might use 6 to 8 items. Students can either write their responses using developmental spelling or respond orally. For third and fourth graders you might want to put about a dozen items in the box.
Collect a variety of items and put them in a box decorated with the words MEMORY BOX.
One at a time, remove the items from the box, show them to students, name them, and place them on a table or desk. Let the students study the items on the table for one minute, then return them to the Memory Box. Students record their "recollections" on paper. Set a time limit (for example, 2 minutes). Let students exchange papers with a classmate. Once again, remove the items from the box one at a time. As you remove them this time, the students can make a checkmark next to the items their classmates have written. Which student remembered the most items? For older students you can toughen the task by asking them to record the items in the order they were removed from the box.
Do you have a favorite time-filler activity? If so, please use the Contact link and tell me all about it. I'll be sure to pass it on (along with your name) in this space next month.