I learned this strategy from my mentor teacher, Nina Bonito-Romine.
Activity and Purpose
I have 49 colored, laminated file folders that have worksheets glued inside with answer keys on the back for students to work on if they finish any given classwork assignment early. This is so that they always have something to work on and do not distract classmates or otherwise disrupt the class.
Creating the folders
- Gather ALL kinds of different worksheets in Spanish–logic puzzles, short stories with questions, geography, grammar drill/verb conjugation, vocabulary practice (weather, time, clothes, etc.), critical thinking problems, etc. Here are the Fast Finisher activity packs that I have for sale on TpT, and here is a Pinboard with Printable activities in Spanish that could work for this purpose.
- Gather a bunch of file folders (colored or manila).
- Glue the worksheets into the inside of the folder.
- Write in or glue any information that the students might need to complete the worksheet on the inside of the folder as well–for example, if the activity has to do with weather vocabulary, glue a weather vocab list on the inside cover. That way, students can complete it even if you haven’t learned weather vocab. If it’s a list of verbs to conjugate in the preterite, write down the preterite verb endings…etc., etc., etc.
- Write or glue an answer key on the back of the folder.
- Number all of your folders on the tab (mine are cero-cuarenta y nueve).
- Laminate the folders.
- Create a chart that contains all of the numbers of the folders that you have, along with a place for students to write their names.
- Copy the number chart.
Using the folders
- Whenever students finish work early, they grab a file folder, a dry erase marker, and an eraser.
- They return to their seats and work on the activity.
- Whenever they finish one of the activities, they check their own work (against the answer key on the back of the folder).
- Students show me the completed activity.
- I put a sticker over the number of that folder on the sticker chart to show that they have already done it so that they can keep track of which folders they have yet to do. (See my simple sticker chart here.)
- Students erase the folder and get a new one.
- If we move on to a new activity before they finish, they write their name on the outside of the folder and put it in a separate “in progress” bin until the next time they do folder work.
Academic Integrity
Although I encourage my kiddos to complete the activity before they check the answers, I don’t really care if they cheat a little bit as long as they stay busy. There is no reward for filling in the sticker chart, so it doesn’t really matter. If I notice that they are going through them really quickly and obviously just copying the answers, I address that issue.
I like this idea. Now, to find the time to create the folders!
Tell me about it!! I had it stored in the back of my mind for a year before I was able to do it. I ended up working on it during spring conferences when almost no one comes, but we have to be here for 12 hours over two days!! Students can help with the gluing 🙂
Are there any worksheet resources you would reccommend? Those wks look much cuter than any I’ve seen!
Several of mine came from homeeducationresources.com and others came from childtopia.com. My favorites are the logic puzzles that came in a book that I ordered from Teacher’s Discovery…I think it’s just called “Logic Puzzles”. And then I have gazillions of random worksheets that I’ve collected throughout my years of student teaching, observations, and trainings. Good luck!
Hi Martina, this is an excellent idea and I’ve started creating folders. I LOVE all of your resources. I’m a first year Spanish teacher and your ideas have been very helpful for me! Do you have an example of the number chart that you use to put the stickers on when students complete each folder?
I just added it to the post for you!
Hi Martina, I love this folder idea. Do you laminate the worksheet inside of the folder or just tape it inside the laminated folder?
Laminate it inside of the folder so that you can write on it with dry-erase markers!
Buying your “fast finisher” worksheets on TpT and am running with this idea! Thank you!
silly question maybe, but do the students keep up with their own sticker chart?
They are kept in a hanging file folder, and the students are responsible for grabbing their charts and returning them to the folders.