If you don’t have an independent work station… you need to start one right now! Here’s where to start. Building my independent work library was life changing for me! I was understaffed and had a classroom full of students who needed 1:1. Teaching my students how to work independently not only freed up some staff…. but taught them life long skills (independence, schedule following, clean up, attention) that they will carry with them throughout life. If you haven’t started building your library, I send out a few freebie a month to help you get started via my email list! Make sure you sign up to receive them (you can also find them all on the blog!)
Today I’m sharing 4 February tasks that are simple, free, and quick to prep! You can download these free resources by signing up for my email list to get the password to the Simply Free Library. The Simply Free Library has over 50 free downloads just like these! You could make a whole independent work center just from these downloads!
I love any task that I can quickly prep, pull, and clean up. Sorting mats are a huge win for this! To make this task errorless, just give students one mat with all the correct answers! This increases motivation, confidence, and of course independence!
HOW TO SET IT UP: Mix them up and place them in a bin for students to pull from. Need an extra prompt? Don’t make it verbal! Start each mat with ONE piece on it as a visual reminder to match to!
If your students are non readers you can give them a visual prompt on the sorting mat by adding one pie and one turkey to each mat as a cue!
Ten frames are perfect for 1:1 correspondence! This task is bright and fun for Valentine’s Day.
HOW TO SET IT UP: Cut them into strips as seen in the picture. Mix up the answers and place them in a bin for students to pull from. You could also keep these on one sheet to use as a file folder activity!
This task box can be easily stored in a small plastic bin, like the one linked here (affiliate link), or in a shoebox! It it quick and easy to prep and will last forever with the right lamination! (hint, you can find my favorite kind here- it’s not scotch.) (affiliate link)
Another great sorting mat activity that focuses on winter animals! Sorting mats are so versatile and can be used so many ways. Keep them as mats or attach to a file folder. You could even hole punch to create a big binder full.
For lower level students, use this as a basic errorless learning activity. Have students place the polar bears on the polar bear mat- that’s it! If you have a student who is just beginning to sort, or a student that cannot read, leave one piece on each board, as a prompt for what goes where.
This month I added in a sorting activity for THREE colors. This is a bit more advanced, but as always you could use one mat for errorless, two mats for sorting, or three mats for a challenge!
HOW TO SET IT UP: Mix them up and place them in a bin for students to pull from. Need an extra prompt? Don’t make it verbal! Start each mat with ONE piece on it as a visual reminder to match to!
To join the Simply Free Library, you just need to sign up for my email list! You will get the password and have instant access to over 55+ free resources, 40+ are independent work tasks!
