Are you tired of the “I'm done, now what” problem? It always seems like a few students finish any activity SO quickly, and then you are scrambling to give them additional work. I tried early finisher bins with activities they could pull out and do independently while they waited for others to finish. However, cleaning up those early finisher bins and constantly changing out activities was so time-consuming and messy. Instead, I created an early finisher binder that they could grab and go when they had extra time. Here is how I create an early finisher binder to solve the “I'm done, now what?” question.
What is an early finisher binder?
An early finisher binder is a binder full of dry-erase pages that students can work on when they need an additional task. It can include worksheets, roll-and-read pages, handwriting pages, etc., that students can write on with a dry-erase marker and then erase! It makes for easy cleanup because all the student has to do is erase the page and put it back. Next time a student finishes early, you can have them grab an early finisher binder to work on!
How do you put it together?
The steps to create an early finisher binder are simple. You will need any activity that can be completed over and over again. Print pages, then put them into sheet protectors and add a dry-erase marker. I liked to store them in a milk crate bin so students knew where to grab them. When students finished an activity early, they knew to go grab one, sit down, and work until it was time to switch activities.
Activities you can include in an early finisher binder
Morning Work Binder
If you already use my Morning Work Binder, then this will be super simple for you! Each student already has their own morning work binder, right? So, when they finish early, all they have to do is take out their morning work binder and pick a page to work on!
If you don't use the Morning Work Binder, then you can just use the pages included to create a few Early Finisher binders to have on hand! There are pages that practice handwriting, phonics skills, number recognition, and counting, shapes, and more! Just slip each page into a page protector, add a dry-erase marker, and you're good to go!
You can find the Morning Work Binder, available for Kindergarten or First Grade here!
Roll and Read
Roll and Read is my go-to activity for early finisher binders! All you have to do is print, put it into a sheet protector, and go! Plus, you can create a roll and read for literally any skill you are working on. If you choose to have roll and read in your early finisher binder, then just have a little basket with dice next to it. When students finish early, they grab the binder and dice, and play until it's time for the next activity!
Find the Editable Roll and Read Template here.
Handwriting Practice
There is never such a thing as “too much handwriting practice.” Your students can always benefit from additional handwriting practice. They can use these sheets, printed front to back, to practice writing a letter, then drawing pictures that begin with that letter sound.
Find these Handwriting Pages and Graphic Organizers here.
For a fun twist on handwriting practice, you can try these daily pages with directed drawing! Students can pick a letter to practice writing, write the sentence, and then learn how to draw the matching picture. It includes a variety of phonics skills, so you can change them throughout the year.
Find the Kindergarten Daily Writing Journal with Directed Drawing here.
Grab this FREE Early Finisher Binder Cover
Here is a free download so you can add a binder cover to your early finisher binder. Just click below to download it:
Let me know if you create an early finisher binder for your classroom!