Independent Activities During Small-Group Instruction

Word building stations are ideal for K–2 independent work. Letter tiles, magnet letters, foam letters, pool noodle letters, gem letters, and block letters are all great tools for building words. To keep the station current, you can simply add new letter-sounds to the letter bin once they are taught and add an updated list of words to build.

Many Practice Pages are ideal for revisiting again and again as an independent task. Print the page on cardstock, laminate, cut, and place in a labeled baggie. To keep the tasks current, remove the activities that review skills that have been mastered and add new activities as skills are introduced.

This teacher created a station activity to practice fluency and reinforce the phoneme students are learning. Students first read the passage two times. Next, they highlight and write all the words within the passage that include the target phoneme. Finally, they illustrate what they read about. To keep this station current, replace the passage to match the unit.

One Superkids teacher shared she keeps Sal’s Spelling Station in place all year. She starts with introducing one spelling activity, magic spelling, and provides the materials needed to complete this activity. In a few weeks, she introduces another spelling activity and adds the materials needed to complete that task to the station. She continues to introduce new ways to practice the unit spelling words and adds the materials as needed. Eventually, students have several choices to practice their spelling words. To keep the station current, replace the spelling list for the week.

Remember to always check the written work students do independently and give corrective feedback as needed. Without feedback, the mistakes they make can become permanent bad habits. Checking their work also shows children that the work is important and valued, which encourages them to do their best.

Many teachers use a “Must Do, May Do” format for independent work time management. One Superkids teacher suggests using a “Must Do, REDO, May Do” system. In this arrangement, students complete their must-do tasks first, but then need to return to any previously completed tasks that did not meet classroom expectations. The “Redo Station” includes a crate with one hanging folder for each student. Children must check their folder for any work that they need to complete or do again before moving to the free choice options.

Creating tasks that are completed in pairs or groups establishes accountability among peers. Partner and group activities can include decoding or spelling words with a partner, reading aloud in pairs, playing a game with a group of friends listening for accuracy, and having a friend check completed work using a key.

When students complete a task on their own, providing a way for them to self-check their answers is a great way to give immediate feedback and offer the opportunity for correction. Place the answer key or an example of a correctly completed task in a closed folder at the station.

Several Superkids teachers have shared, when students are asked to read independently or with a partner, they use a device to record themselves reading. When finished reading, they send the recording to the teacher.

When a child completes a task that cannot be turned in, such as a dry-erase activity or a card game, ask students to take and submit a picture with their device before clearing their space.

Provide varied levels of support within your station activities. For example, at a word-building station, some children may require assistance with the medial sound, but can easily determine the beginning and ending sounds on their own. Another group may only need sound boxes to help them know how many sounds are in a word. For another group, simply providing a picture and asking them to spell the word with no support will be appropriate.

When providing an activity that includes decoding or encoding words, use different word lists for each group when needed. For some children, reinforcement with the newly introduced phoneme(s) in the unit is just what they need. Another group of students may need additional practice with previously taught phonemes.

Add color-coded cards to a station to differentiate the tasks each group of students will complete. For example, at the handwriting station, each group of students can be asked to complete an extension task. Striving readers can illustrate the answer to a question related to the sentences they wrote. The on-level readers can write their answer to a “what if” question. The above-level readers can be asked to write more sentences on their own to extend the idea of the handwriting sentences.