Ways to Make Learning Fun

Young children learn best through play. They do not even realize they are learning because they are enjoying it too much, so how do we take this knowledge and use it to help our students learn?

Students Mirror Our Emotions

The first step is for us, as the teachers or parents, to be excited about what we're doing. While worksheets are not a best practice, when we need to use them, we can make them fun by how we present them. For example, you can make it partner work or use one that ends in a puzzle or is a game.

In the school I worked at, we had to use a lot of worksheets due to the impact of Covid-19 impeding our ability to use manipulatives and sharing resources between students. When I acted excited about our morning work or our math worksheet, my students were more eager to participate and had fun with it.

Games

As mentioned above, worksheets are not the best way for students to learn. A way to replace daily worksheets is with a game. There are many available online for a variety of topics including math and reading. The main idea is to have it cover the topic you're teaching and give each student a chance to practice the skills they are learning. For example, after learning addition within 10, rather than giving a sheet full of equations to practice, give them a board game where each space on the board has a different equation the student needs to solve in order to move to the next space. Now, the students are practicing the same skill (maybe even the exact same problems!), but they are having fun and do not see it as work.

Editable High-Frequency Word Games

While I will say the best way to review high-frequency words (or sight words) is to read them in text after using the heart word method, I have found success using high-frequency word games. Again, it made it fun for my students, especially those who did not want to read when a text was placed in front of them. It takes away the pressure and forces them to look at the word without guessing based on context. I took our words from the Wonders Reading Program we were using, but I also have a set that is editable to add your own words for any age group.

Shop Kindergarten HFW Games

Shop First Grade HFW Games

Escape Rooms

A popular review activity is to use escape rooms. There are some that can be used all day to cover all topics you are studying (even ones that are editable, so you can add your own content) and others that are for one lesson. These are great because it breaks up the monotony of the school day and uses a variety of puzzles to review content. Whenever I used an escape room, my students were all engaged the entire time. They worked together with their group and worked hard to solve the problems before them.

Just like many other resources, many other teachers have already created ones you can check out online. I have a few for specific lessons and a few that can be used all day in my shop.

Shop Escape Rooms

Try New Things

Each child is different, just as each teacher's personalities are different. You will need to be flexible and willing to try new things to see what works best for you and your students. I hope some of the ideas I have listed help, but there are so many more you can try!

If you're used to a quieter classroom, you may need to try letting them get a little louder with a game. If you're used to full control, it may be time to try giving some to your students. It is not an easy transition and takes a lot of trial and error, but you never know what something will do until you try it. I hope you'll take a chance to reflect on your student's needs and try new ways to help them learn.

Comment below with new ideas that you have tried that have helped your students! 👇🏼