Are you tired of hearing “I’m done, now what?” when your students complete a task?  Establishing this one routine for fast finishers in the classroom will not only make your life sooooo much easier, but it will also maximize learning time. Keep reading because I’m about to share my favorite teacher tip with you, and it’s called “I’m Done” folders!

In this post, I’m going to explain what my system for fast finishers is, how to set it up, how to introduce it to students, keep it differentiated, and more!

What Are “I’m Done, Now What?” Folders?

I’m Done Folders are simply that, folders that contain work for students to complete when they finish an assignment. Simple right? And with these few tips, I can help you create a system that goes smoothly from the start of the year all the way until the end.

How To Set Up “I’m Done, Now What” Folders

Provide each child with a folder and a place to keep them. My students worked at tables, so they each had a seat sack on their chairs. Their I’m Done, Now What Folders were kept in those seat sacks. This ensured that once they completed a task they had easy access to their I’m Done work. It also helps to eliminate a lot of unnecessary moving around the room, since children do spend a lot of time at their tables.

I used a large incentive chart to keep track of how many packets each student completed. I write their names down the left-hand side and place stickers in each space once they complete a packet. Later on, I’ll share how to provide incentives to students to encourage them to actually work on completing their given packets.

Creating Work for Fast Finishers

Okay, so you have your folders, you’ve designated a spot for the kids to keep them, and you know how you track their work. Now let’s move on to actually creating the packets that will go inside of these I’m Done Now What? folders.

Here are my criteria:

• No-Prep Worksheets: Remember, this system is to make your life easier, not harder. Look for no-prep resources that you can just print, staple, and put inside of a folder

• No Cutting: You don’t want worksheets that require any cutting. Look for sheets that can be completed with just a pencil and/or crayons. The reason is, children will have limited time in spurts to work on these printables. With cutting activities, it is easy for children to lose pieces and waste time looking for them later on

• Repetitive Directions: Look for printables that have the same directions on each page. This will allow you to model one page for the students and then have them complete the rest independently. If you include printables that have a different set of directions on each page, children might need help as they reach each new page, which prevents them from working independently.

If you follow these suggestions, you will be able to create packets that not only allow children to work independently, but also practice key phonics and math skills

Differentiating Your I’m Done Folders

As with everything else, differentiation is important with your I’m Done Now What Folders.

Why You Should Differentiate Your No-Prep Packets

• The Pace At Which Children Work: Consider who is going to have more time to work on these packets, verse who will barely have an opportunity. Use this knowledge to determine the number of printables you include in someone’s packet. Children who are constantly completing their assignments should have larger packets. Our children who struggle to complete given assignments should have a much smaller packet. These children will not have as many opportunities to work on this, and we don’t want them to feel as if they are falling behind.
• The Skills They Need to Work On: Each student’s packet should be focused on a skill they need a little more support on, yet can still complete independently. Use your progress monitoring data to determine which skills you want each child to work on.

I use these Data Tracking Assessments and Digital Tracker to help me determine which phonics and math skills I want each child to work on.

When it comes to setting expectations for your I’m Done, Now What Folders, you want to model and remind at the start of the year. Before students begin any task, remind them that when they finish, they should take out their folders. Model the way you expect them to work on these tasks. If you continue to remind students of perfect opportunities to pull out these packets, it will eventually become a habit.

Lastly, you want to provide incentives to your students to actually encourage them to do additional work. I implemented a reward system for the completion of three I’m Done Now What packets. And since my packets were all differentiated to meet the needs of each individual, all students had a fair chance at the prizes.

I used a large incentive chart to track the completion of each packet. Each student’s name is written down the left side, and the number of packets along the top.

With each completed packet, they get a sticker next to their name. Once they complete three packets, they get to pick a prize from the prize box.

Here’s a quick video where I explain all about I’m Done Folders:

If you implement this classroom management plan in your room, I am confident that you will not regret it!

You can grab a full year of Kindergarten I’m Done Phonics Worksheets here!

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Why I Always Send Home A Kindergarten Summer Packet

Did you know that children can lose one to two months of math and reading skills over the summer? That’s wild, right? After all of the hard work the children and teachers put in throughout the school year, we want to avoid that summer slide at all costs! That’s why I created the Kindergarten Summer Packet. Eight weeks of no-prep review materials for reading, writing, phonics, and math! Keep reading to see how this kindergarten packet works and why it’s a fan favorite for teachers and parents.  

What’s Included in the Kindergarten Summer Packet?

When I first started thinking about the contents of a valuable kindergarten summer packet, I had to consider a few things: parent involvement, list of skills, and amount of work. Trying to find an even balance for all of these things, I decided to make a no-prep 8-week packet that included one worksheet for math, phonics, reading, and writing per week. This is a reasonable amount of work to ask children to do, parents will not feel overwhelmed, and it will keep skills fresh. The packet includes skills taught throughout the entire year. This is not just an end of the year packet. I felt it was important to include varying levels of difficulty because not all students will end Kindergarten at the same level. I wanted a packet that was made for ALL students.

Kindergarten Phonics Work for the Summer

As you can see below, each sheet has a week on it. This will help parents stay on track and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by a full packet. Now, of course, a child can do more than one week at a time, or they can stick to the schedule of the summer packet. The phonics pages include different tasks such as cutting and pasting, circling answers, coloring answers, illustrating responses and more. They will practice:

• Letter formation
• Letter identification
• Letter sounds
• Initial sounds
• CVC words
• Consonants vs vowels
• Syllables
• Rhyming
• Blends
• CVCE words
• Word Families

The Packet Also Includes:

 

Grab your copy today by clicking here!

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