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Question: I'm concerned that the group activity portion of our Morning Meeting mostly has become a time to play games. I know it's important for the students to have fun together, but how can I use group activities to reinforce academic skills, too?

A: "Group activity is a great way to start the day," a fifth grader recently informed me. I couldn't agree more, but I know something about group activity that the students probably don't know: it's also a great way to learn. And the fact that the children and I are having fun together increases the learning.

I have two favorite activities that support academic goals: Sparkle, a spelling activity, and Buzz, a counting activity. The students demand to play Sparkle at least once a week, practicing spelling words from our weekly list. Everybody stands in a circle to play. The caller says a spelling word. The next person uses the word in a sentence. Then players go around the circle to spell the word, adding one letter at a time. If the group spells the word correctly, the person who finishes spelling it says "sparkle" to the next person in the circle. The person who gets "sparkled" gently floats into his or her chair like sparks falling from the sky. If a student makes a mistake along the way, he or she "sparkles"-and sits down-when the caller or another student notices the error. You can create many extensions to Sparkle, such as having a student name the part of speech from the second player's sentence.

Another class favorite is Buzz. Buzz reinforces concepts of multiplication and factoring. Choose a number, for example: 2. Then begin counting around the circle. Each time a person gets a multiple of the chosen number, that person says, "Buzz," instead of the number. You'll be surprised by how challenging this game can be, and you'll also have to answer questions like, "What about zero?" For additional challenge, you can extend the game into Bizz Buzz. In this game, students pay attention to multiples and factors of two different numbers. For example, if 2 and 3 are chosen, multiples of only 2 (e.g. 4, 8, 10) are replaced by "Bizz," multiples of only 3 (e.g. 9, 15, 21) are replaced by "Buzz," and multiples of both 2 and 3 (e.g., 6, 12, 18) are replaced by "Bizz Buzz." Just try this with fourth and fifth graders!

Eric Henry teaches fifth grade at John Middleton Elementary School in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Eric has been implementing the Responsive Classroom approach for seven years and is a certified Responsive Classroom consulting teacher.
A: First, to emphasize for students that group activities are more than fun games, I think it's important to review the goals of the Group Activity component with the children and to use the term "group activity" rather than "game."

You can use group activities to reinforce academic content without creating lots of new activities. Instead, become comfortable with a few activity structures that can be used with a range of academic content. For example, there's a vocabulary activity called Guess the Word that could also be used to reinforce social studies and science lessons. An index card with a word (or fact) written on it is taped to a student's back. The rest of the class gives three clues to help the student guess the word/fact. If the student guesses correctly after hearing the three clues, another student stands and has a word/fact taped to his/her back. If the student guesses incorrectly, s/he can ask for three more clues. It's important that the vocabulary words or facts are familiar to the students. The point is to practice and reinforce learning, not to frustrate the children. Sometimes I'll post a list of vocabulary words or important facts at the front of the room and the children can refer to the list as they think about the clues.

In a variation of this activity that is appropriate for shy, less able, or younger children, the children work with partners. One pair draws a card from a "mystery box" of facts or words. The pair then gives the whole class three clues and the children in the class try to guess the fact or word.

Another versatile activity is Match-Up. This is usually used as a reading activity but could be used to practice sequencing in any academic area. Match-Up requires some preparation on the teacher's part. Print a poem, song, biology life cycle, historical sequence of dates, etc., on a sheet of paper. Make copies of the page and cut it into strips with one line (life stage, date, etc.) on each strip. Shuffle the strips, then distribute them, one per child. A child stands and reads from his/her strip. Other children who have the same strip raise their hands and these children form a small group. Continue until all children are in small groups. Then each group of children reads their strips aloud, presenting the poem (or life cycle, timeline, etc.) in sequence.

Finally, keep in mind that fellow teachers are a great resource for group activity ideas. A fun thing to do with a group of colleagues is to take an activity structure and brainstorm a list of possible ways to use the structure with varied academic content.

Susan Titterton was a classroom teacher for many years and is now a guidance counselor at Morristown Elementary School in Morristown, Vermont. She has been a certified Responsive Classroom consulting teacher for six years.

A: In planning for group activity, it's important to achieve a balance between game-based activities and arts-based activities. Poetry, literature, drama, music, and dance all provide wonderful ideas for rigorous and enriching group activities that integrate social and academic skill practice.

Children really like to memorize poems and you can use group activity time over the course of several days to memorize a poem. By reading it aloud in playful and challenging ways, you not only practice it for recitation, but also reinforce literacy skills and build a love of poetry. Over the years, I've used many Shel Silverstein poems with children of all ages. As we learn a poem, we recite it in various ways: we whisper it, we change meaning by using different inflections, we use sad voices and gleeful voices, we chant it in parts, we even recite it backwards! And we have a lot of fun. Choral recitation can also be used with social studies content. For example, children can do a choral recitation of the Gettysburg Address or a segment of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Drama can be used in many ways. When we're reading a book together, I'll sometimes have students act out a chapter that we just read as a way of helping them understand the content and prepare for the next chapter. Students can also act out historical events, the life cycle of an animal, or an intricate math word problem. Or we might act out one of our memorized poems, with some children acting and some reciting.

Finally, songs, chants, and dances are a great way to reinforce literacy skills. For example, when children sing or chant songs that are written on chart paper, they practice quick sight word recognition and the rhythmic flow of reading. Children can also write their own words to the tune or rhythm of a previously learned song or chant. This not only develops literacy skills but can also be used to reinforce social studies, history, science, or other academic content. And structured dances, such as square dances, contra dances, or "play party" dances offer an excellent avenue for practicing foundational math and literacy skills.

Marlynn Clayton, a long-time primary grade classroom teacher, is currently certification program manager for NEFC. She oversees the process through which educators become certified Responsive Classroom consulting teachers.

Four Score and Seven Years Ago

Successful group activities often stretch and challenge the group. They work well when those stretches and challenges are deliberate choices on the teacher's part and are introduced when the group is ready to take on a challenge that will feel safe for the group and the individuals. Helping the class to notice their increasing proficiency with a challenging activity affirms the role of practice and effort in learning.

I once heard a group of fifth graders groan, "We'll never be able to say this," upon a first read-through of the Gettysburg Address. "We can't even pronounce half these words." And they were right. They couldn't pronounce them. Yet two weeks later, after intensive coaching and many practice sessions, these fifth graders could do more than pronounce. They proclaimed-with resonant voices and nary a stumble.

-from The Morning Meeting Book by Roxann Kriete, expanded edition 2002

Tags: Engaging Academics

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Group Activities That Reinforce Academic Skills

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Question: I'm concerned that the group activity portion of our Morning Meeting mostly has become a time to play games. I know it's important for the students to have fun together, but how can I use group activities to reinforce academic skills, too?A: "Group activity is a great way to start the day," a fifth grader recently informed me.

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How to Support Children's Social & Moral Behavior With Literature

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Children's social and moral behavior can be reinforced through character education. Character education covers six pillars: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, according to the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics. The key in supporting children's social and moral ...

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Schools and organizations around the world are hosting screenings of a short film called The Science of Character, which explores the research behind character development and encourages us to focus on our character strengths for greater personal and community well-being. See the film below, and check out videos that illustrate four of the seven character strengths distilled by KIPP schools in partnership with grit researcher Angela Duckworth and psychologists Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson (authors of the groundbreaking book Character Strengths and Virtues). I hope these videos will inspire you to celebrate #CharacterDay2017 on September 13.

The Science of Character (8:04)

A lovely example of cloud filmmaking. Over 70,000 schools and organizations in more than 70 countries are screening this compelling eight-minute film on September 13. Fill out this form to register to host your own screening; free discussion kits are available. (Best for: anyone curious about how to develop character strengths.)

PERSEVERANCE: You Don't Know Jack (3:44)

I've never seen a better illustration of grit than the story of Jack Andraka, a high school sophomore who was determined to explore his idea for a solution to fight pancreatic cancer. Learn more about Andraka. (Best for: disenchanted high school students who wonder if they can make a difference.)

GRATITUDE: Science of Happiness-An Experiment in Gratitude (7:14)

SoulPancake is particularly adept at capturing powerful moments of human emotion and transformation. In this video, the act of expressing gratitude increases the happiness of a group of volunteers. Caution: Some language here is not appropriate for kids. (Best for: skeptics who don't believe gratitude exercises are effective.)

SELF-CONTROL: The Marshmallow Test (3:45)

Perhaps the best-known experiment on self-control and delayed gratification, Walter Mischel's marshmallow test has been studied and challenged. Angela Duckworth analyzed the test and found it to be valid. Regardless, re-creations like this one are adorable to watch. (Best for: elementary teachers trying to wrangle impatient little ones.)

OPTIMISM: Deep Sea Diving-In a Wheelchair (9:39)

There are many wonderful character traits explored in this TED Talk, like curiosity, perseverance, and bravery, but it's Sue Austin's optimism-and how she sees her wheelchair as an instrument of freedom and adventure-that really moved me. Learn more about Austin. (Best for: anyone who needs a dose of glass-half-full sentiment.)

There are bountiful resources out there for teaching character, though it's often hard to tell a canned curriculum from the kind that will really have value for your school or classroom. Here are some good starting points for learning more about character strengths and fostering them in educational settings:

Let It Ripple, the folks who organize Character Day, serve up resources for every character trait imaginable at the Character Day Resource Hub.

Angela Duckworth's Character Lab offers a library of tools for families and educators, categorized as strengths of heart, strengths of mind, and strengths of will.

The Character Education Partnership has lesson plans, videos, and articles about teaching and nurturing character strengths.

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5-Minute Film Festival: Resources for Teaching About Character | Edutopia

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Schools and organizations around the world are hosting screenings of a short film called The Science of Character, which explores the research behind character development and encourages us to focus on our character strengths for greater personal and community well-being.

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8 Awesome Cooperative Learning Games - TeachHUB

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Getting students to engage with each other while still engaging with content can be tough. Explore our six awesome cooperative learning games.

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Success in life depends on both academics and character. We help students foster character strengths that are essential for their own success and well-being. And we empower them to express their voice to improve the world around them.

Work hard. Be nice.

A focus on character has been the cornerstone of KIPP since we began and is still the essence of what we believe: to succeed in college and the world beyond, KIPPsters need both a strong academic foundation and well-developed character strengths. They're deeply interconnected and we never compromise one for the other.

KIPP's character work focuses on the seven strengths that are critical for an engaged, happy, and successful life. Our character framework was developed by educators at KIPP NYC in collaboration with Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Martin Seligman, and the late Dr. Chris Peterson, and in partnership with Riverdale Country School.

Every adult in this building models the kind of character we hope to build and grow in our students.

Allison Willis Holley, School Leader, KIPP NYC

Students see how my journey might be similar to theirs. I try to lead by example. I try to show them what grit and optimism look like in real life.

Leyla Bravo-Willey, Fisher Fellow

What Else Makes KIPP Different?

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Character strengths | Learn why KIPP focuses on character development

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Success in life depends on both academics and character. We help students foster character strengths that are essential for their own success and well-being. And we empower them to express their voice to improve the world around them. Work hard. Be nice.