Help! What do I do with Students who Finish Early with....EVERYTHING?

What to do with students who finish early on EVERY task? Well, we all know the best thing you should be doing is differentiated for that student.  You should be giving them the appropriate level of work.  But, as teachers, we know we need them to prove themselves with their current grade level material before we move onto more challenging work.  So what do you do in this battle?

We all know everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. One of my weaknesses is keeping up with my blog posts like I would like to!!

When I am unable to predict a student is going to finish a task early; I have a back up plan!  I have created these folders to hang on my wall, but if you don't have the space, you can easily put them in a binder or on a shelf.

I created mini-topic sheets that go along with the Common Core Standards (Both Math & English Language Arts).  It works for grades 1-5.  Each topic sheet is correlated with a standard subject such as, Figurative Language or Subtraction.  I normally keep them general, so many different activities can go into those folders.  I do not put out all the subject areas at one time because that tends to be overwhelming or we may have not covered that particular subject yet.  I put out four ELA and four Math folders, and the subjects include ones I am covering that quarter (but this could easily be done monthly or even weekly if you prefer).  Visit my TPT Store for activities and worksheet ideas!

Glue them on the folder or a clear sleeve. Put them in a bin or hang them...the choice is up to you!

I put the covers in a clear plastic binder sheet, and attach it to a regular pocket-folder.  Inside each pocket-folder is a variety of activities, worksheets, resources, etc. that a student could do if he/she finishes early.  I train students early in the year when you can/can't go get "extra work".  This eliminates students getting up saying they are "done" with independent reading. HA!

Now I know what you're thinking...worksheets?! Really? I select these worksheets to be a challenge or great extra practice for students with that particular skill. I am not just throwing out random worksheets as "time killers".  I want students to get better. I mean, that's my job, right?  I look through the internet or my file cabinet to find appropriate activities/worksheets and make a handful of copies. I learned early on to not copy 20+, because it will just be a waste of paper.

Along with the early finishers, I allow students to pick a few worksheets to take home for "extra homework". Before you think I'm crazy, I give students a reward if they do it to the best of their ability and bring it back so I can look it over.  In our school, we use a tally system which leads to bigger prizes, etc. I gave them a tally for each paper they brought back.  If you don't have something like this in your school, you can easily handout coupons to reward them for going Above & Beyond! You could keep track of how many "extra" sheets they do, and they get a reward ever 4-5 times they turn something in (depending on the grade you teach). It may seem little, but these extra minutes of practice are going to help them become successful students, pass those high-stakes exams, and be proud of the fact that they are working harder than they need  to!