Why You Might Want to Give Digital Activities a Try
In 2020 and 2021, many of us were forced to figure out an alternative to typical classroom learning that allowed children to learn in a virtual format. At this time, digital learning activities made an incredible appearance, helping students learn from home in an engaging way. They allowed us to continue the education process when we could not be together in the classroom.
However, after students returned to in-person learning, there was a push to get back to the "normal" way of learning. I get it! Hands-on learning was minimal and as primary teachers, we know just how beneficial that is for our students. We wanted our students to have those important education experiences like their peers. But before we throw digital activities into the category of "only for at-home learning," let's dive into some of the benefits they can have for us in the classroom too.
Today we're going to talk about how digital activities can benefit your students in a big way. If you've only considered using digital activities for virtual learning, you're in for a big surprise. Let's go beyond the typical usage of digital learning games and explore how they can help make an impact in your room!
1. High Engagement
First on this list is increased engagement. This benefit is huge! We live in a digital age. Young children have grown up with exposure to all kinds of devices and respond to them with ease. They learn how to use them quickly and beyond that, they enjoy using them! This is a great reason to incorporate some digital activities in your classroom.
One of the best ways to do so is by planning to have one center station set up with some tablets or computers. As students rotate through the room, they can spend some time working on the activity in that center for a bit of technology integration. This is so great because it mixes up the center activities and will boost engagement easily. Students will look forward to going to the tech center because many of the activities that you can assign will feel more like a game than schoolwork to students. As an added bonus, you'll be helping students get comfortable with digital devices - a valuable skill in today's era!
2. Promotes Independence
I think we can all agree that an important thing we're all working on as primary teachers is promoting independence. When my first-grade students first come to me, they need lots of support. But, as the year goes on, they can do more and more independently. A huge part of getting to this point is to provide them with activities that allow them to be successful and spread their wings. Digital activities can come in really handy here!
Many digital activities, like these Sight Word Practice Slides, include sound on the slides. This means that students who aren't fully independent with reading can still use these on their own. As they sit down and begin, they can have the word read aloud. Then, they move through each of the activities to complete the page. These activities use a familiar, repetitive format as well which means that once students have used them a few times, they become pros!
3. Seamless Differentiation
We all know that students work at different levels. It can be tricky to differentiate your activities and ensure that everyone is working at a pace that suits them. This is another way that digital activities will benefit your room. When using digital activities and lessons, it's easy to assign different activities to different skill levels.
This is especially true if you're using digital activities during center time or small groups. Just group your students by skill level and assign the pages that suit them best. In the case of my Sight Word Practice Slides, I have students working on words that they haven't yet mastered. This is so great because it allows me to make sure that everyone is challenged and working at a pace that is ideal for them.
I also love that I can differentiate discreetly with digital activities. Since each child is working on their own screen, no one notices who has which assignment. We all know the comparison game starts early, so this is a nice way to avoid it!
4. Allows for Variety
Primary students need variety in their learning to stay engaged. Digital activities are just another tool in your teacher toolbox to help this happen! I like to make sure that I have a wide variety of activities in our lessons every week to keep things fun for my students. Choosing a blend of no-prep activities, hands-on learning lessons, and digital activities will ensure that your kids have plenty of options to keep them engaged.
The great thing about digital activities is that they can be used in so many different ways as well. This is another way to infuse variety into your classroom! First, use them as a whole-group teaching example by projecting them up on the board. Walk students through the activity together. Then, try using digital during center time as one of the activities that children will rotate through. Later in the week, make them homework or an independent learning activity for your fast finishers. The options are endless, which makes it easy to incorporate plenty of variety into your week!
5. Balances Prep Load
This is such a big benefit in my opinion. Teachers spend so much of their precious time prepping materials and lessons for their classrooms. As I mentioned above, we want to use a blend of hands-on learning activities and no-prep options to make sure we have plenty of variety. Digital activities will allow you to add that variety we're searching for while getting some of your time back in the process.
Many digital activities require no prep at all. Often, you simply need to download the resource, make a copy of the file for each student and you're ready to go! This is very quick and easy to do, so you won't have to spend endless hours prepping another activity. Instead, weave in a few digital activities into your lesson plan each week to keep your prep load balanced while still ensuring that you have engaging activities that students will enjoy.
Ease In With Digital Activities
If you've never used digital activities before, it can feel a bit overwhelming to get started. But trust me, it's super simple! I recommend starting with digital activities on one platform at a time so that you can see how they work in your room. Google Slides and Boom Learning are two of the most popular platforms for classrooms.
If you'd like to try Google Slides in your room - these Sight Word Practice Slides are a great activity to start with. Not only will they allow you to get to know Google Slides, but the familiar, repetitive format of each page will make it super easy for your students to get started with them too.
Each page features audio for the target word to help your young students be independent. There are many different activities on each page as well, which will help keep your students engaged. Children will listen to the word, type the word, unscramble the letters, find the word in a sentence, and more! The variety of activities is very helpful when it comes to helping children get familiar and comfortable with digital devices.
They're also great for using as a whole group teaching example when you introduce new sight words. Just project them on the board and work through a page with your kids to help them grasp the word. The options are endless! Give digital activities a try in your room and see how they can benefit your students. I think you'll be surprised at how many benefits you see!
Looking for Boom Card Activities Instead?
Boom Learning is a popular platform for digital activities. If you want to try Boom Card resources in your room, check out this post next!
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