Movement can be a powerful tool for keeping young learners engaged while learning important literacy skills. When students are up, talking, and interacting with their classmates, they are often more focused and excited to participate.
✅ Here are some of our favorite ways we MOVE in 1st grade!
1. Stand Up, Sit Down
Simple and quick, just like it sounds!
If we are focusing on “long o words”, for example, I will read a list of words aloud. They will stand up if the word is a long o word or sit down if it is not. We also do another version of this called “Cheer and Boo”, which they love. Cheer if it fits the rule, boo if it does not!
🧠 This is a great way to add a little movement to an activity and get oxygen flowing to their brains, helping them stay focused and engaged in the learning.
2. Four Corners
Four Corners is one of my favorite ways to get students moving AND practicing critical thinking skills. Each corner of my classroom is labeled with a number (1–4). I present students with a “Which One Doesn’t Belong?” activity with four different choices.
Students walk to the corner that represents the answer they think does not belong. Once they are in their corner, they talk with classmates about why they chose that option and then I choose a few to share with the class. I love listening to their reasoning because students often notice different things!
For example, I might post these four words: 1. jumped 2. camped 3. calling 4. falls
🎯 The goal is not always one correct answer, which makes it great. Students just need to explain their thinking! For this example, they may talk about the endings, how many syllables, the vowels, etc.
This activity encourages students to move, think, discuss their ideas, and see things from someone else’s perspective, which makes learning more engaging and meaningful.
3. Fluency Fun
We do Fluency Fun every Thursday with our Poem of the Week! It is always a hit with my students!! On this day, we have fun with the poems, while the repeated reading improves their fluency. Students also have a Poetry Journal and a Poetry Station that they visit and I often hear them doing different fluency fun activities with one another! 😍 Want to learn more about our poems? Click here to see our Poem of the Week routines.
⭐ A few examples of what we do….
- Read the alternating lines loudly, then quietly. Or quickly, then slowly.
- Read the alternating lines in “daddy”, “mommy”, and “baby” voice or Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and Goldilocks. They LOVE this!
- Pick certain words to shout out loudly (or whisper quietly)
4. Word Hunt
Word hunts are one of our favorites! If you’d like to see more fun phonics activities I use, check out my 5 Easy Phonics Activities for First Grade post.
I send students on a word hunt around the room to find words that match our focus skill. They might search for:
- short o words
- words with digraphs like sh or ch
- CVCe words
- words with a blend
- words with 2 syllables
- words with inflectional endings
I set the timer for 3 or 4 minutes. Students record what they find on their sticky note. Then, we meet at our meeting spot. I call a few volunteers to tell me the word they found and to ‘sort’ it for me. I write it on the board in the correct column. I do this one whole group, about once every few weeks.
5. Meet and Match
Give each student a card. (I print up a quick set of whatever our focus is, cut them, and they’re ready to go.)
Some examples:
- letter → picture
- word → picture
- word → definition
- beginning → ending of compound word
- sentence → illustration
Students walk around the room until they find the person with matching card.
Once they find their match, they read it together. Then, we meet back at our meeting spot to share all the matches.
6. Scoot
Scoot is a fun and active way for students to review skills while moving around the classroom. To set up the activity, I place task cards or cut-up worksheet problems around the room. Each student receives a recording sheet where they will write their answers.
They move around the room and answer the questions/solve the problems.
Scoot works well for many literacy skills, including:
- phonics patterns
- sight words
- reading comprehension
- vocabulary practice
- nonfiction text features
- sentence types
This activity keeps students engaged, moving, and thinking, while giving them lots of practice with important reading skills.
⭐⭐⭐ I will always make time for these activities since one of my sweet students, who has a difficult time with traditional sitting/listening/learning, said to me, “I love Scoot activities. They’re probably my favorite thing we do in here!” 🥰
👉🏽 You can grab some of my fun Phonics Scoot Activities and get your students moving!
Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Teaching!
Jennifer ~ Practical Primary Teacher 🍎🍏
