Getting Ready for the Week After Winter Break
I know, I know, the week after winter break usually gets a pretty bad rap. And I get it. We've all just come back from a lovely holiday vacation and our kiddos often remind us more of the first week of school than those who have a semester under their belts. But that being said... If you prepare yourself mentally for this, I promise it'll be a lot easier to manage.
If you go into the week after winter break expecting that your students will need some brushing up on procedures, a reminder of the rules, and a good solid week or two of review, you can actually enjoy this time. It's all about expectations. Don't expect to hit the ground running. Instead, embrace this time to ease in gently, connect with your students, and have FUN reviewing as a class.
So, how do we do this? I am SO glad you asked. After many years in the classroom, I've come up with a list of the most successful activities for the week after winter break. Try these out in your room and watch as you experience the smoothest return to the classroom you've ever had.
1. Connect with Students
Upon your return from winter break, make your very first activity of the day a morning meeting. As students filter in, have them hang their bags up, greet their friends, and take a seat on the carpet. This slow start to the day will likely be a welcome surprise to your students as they return to the classroom. Personally, I think this is a must because your kids are likely going to be a bit distracted the first day back. This is OK! You might be too, after all. So take this time to have students sit down and connect.
I like to write a prompt on the board that has students think about their favorite thing that happened over break. I give them a minute to think and then we go around in a circle and everyone talks for a minute or two. This is simple to implement, requires no extra planning, and best of all, allows them to feel heard and valued in your classroom. Expect to take this slow, and allow everyone a chance to talk, and listen to each other. Allot some time in the day for this and don't rush through! Starting the day out on a positive note like this is going to be great for setting the rest of the week up for success.
2. Review Procedures and Rules
This next idea isn't so much an activity as it is a lesson. One of the most important things to touch on when you return from winter break are classroom procedures. The students have been out of the normal routine for two whole weeks. They've been having holiday fun, eating sweet treats, and visiting with family. They have likely forgotten how your classroom runs and maybe even the expectations for them.
To help ease back in, I highly recommend reviewing your daily schedule on the first day back. After allowing everyone a few minutes to share the highlights from their break, chat with the kids about the rhythm of the day. You can even make it a guessing game to see who can remember what comes next in the routine. I like to use a blank pocket chart for this and add cards for each of the activities on our schedule as students guess them correctly. While this might seem a little too simplistic for your students - trust me, it will make all the difference in how your day runs if everyone knows what's coming and what's expected!
This is also a great time to touch on classroom rules and expectations. Make a game out of reviewing how things are done in the classroom. You can even set the mood for the day by telling them you forgot and asking them to guide you through how things are done. This is also the perfect time to assign classroom jobs to keep the classroom rhythm in line.
Whatever you do, don't skip a review of the routines, procedures, and expectations. Every classroom is different and you'll likely already know the struggle areas and pain points in your room. Tailor this step to the needs of your kiddos! If there are any changes you want to make in this area, this first week back is the perfect time to do so.
3. Make Review Feel Festive
Next up, review! As I mentioned above, many of the activities you'll be focusing on with students during the week after winter break should include a review of key skills and topics. This is essential to make sure everyone is caught up and back on track before diving into new material. Now I know review doesn't usually sound fun and exciting, but when it comes to the week after winter break - I encourage you to get creative! Coming right out of the gate with an engaging activity will remind your students that they love being at school. When students are glad to be at school, learning is much more fun!
So, why not try a fun math review activity with a festive holiday twist? This New Year's Write the Room Math Review is just the thing! Not only will it help your students review important first-grade math topics, but they will love the festive New Year's theme too. Not to mention, getting up and moving is a great way to regain focus and engagement after winter break.
This resource focuses on topics like place value, addition and subtraction within 20, skip counting by 10s, and missing numbers in a sequence. There are 24 task cards included along with 4 different recording sheet styles. As an added bonus, I included these task cards in a brightly colored, more general theme as well so that you won't be limited to using these only during January!
4. Use Games to Snag Engagement
It's no secret that primary students love games. So, why fight it?! I know I certainly don't! I am a big fan of using learning games in the classroom because I can always count on my students perking up to play. When planning activities for after winter break, I always make sure to weave a few games into the lesson plan. I like to choose a few that can be played with a partner during centers, maybe one or two for small groups, and if possible - a whole group game as well. There's just nothing like playing a game with your whole group at once, right? The kids love it and so do I!
This Winter Phonics BINGO Game is just the thing to add to your lessons the week after winter break. Students will love the snowflake theme, and you can play with up to 30 students at once! There are boards with words only, as well as graphics and words to ensure that you can challenge your students appropriately. The phonics skills covered include short vowels, beginning blends, ending blends, and digraphs. These are the perfect phonics review activities for the week after winter break!
5. Keep it Simple with Fun No-Prep Activities
My last idea for you is one that has both you and the students in mind. The week after winter break should be gentle for everyone - including you! Don't overload yourself with crazy amounts of prep or stress this week. Instead choose tried and true, engaging no-prep activities that you know your students will love. This balances out your schedule, while also ensuring you can review in a fun way.
One of my favorite resources to meet this need are these Winter Sight Word Pages. Students will love using these festive pages to practice common sight words. Each page has students find and color the sight word, write the sight word, highlight it in a sentence, and cut and paste it to spell it out. My kids love the variety of these pages. They are so much more fun than an ordinary worksheet!
Another resource that I often use with my students is this Winter Math and Phonics Review Pack. Inside are 11 pages of math review, 11 pages of ELA review, and 2 "just-for-fun" pages that my students love. These pages are fun for students and highly interactive, making them a great choice for the week after winter break. I use them as morning work, center activities, and options for my fast finishers.
Making the Week After Winter Break Successful
I hope these ideas helped inspire you as you begin planning activities for the week after winter break. I think the key is to remember to keep those expectations in check! If you plan to ease in gently, connect with your students, and review together - I know you'll have a great time! This week doesn't have to be hectic or crazy and you don't have to jump right into new concepts. It can be enjoyable when you approach it with intention. Have fun with your students and have a great start to the New Year!
More Posts to Read Next
Looking for more resources for January? Check out these posts next!
- January Lesson Plan Ideas for First Grade
- Winter Learning Activities for First Grade
- Winter Math and Literacy Centers
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