Easy Self-Checking Activities to Encourage Independent Learning

As a teacher in the primary grades, one of the most important skills we can foster is independence. Rather than doing things for our students, we want to teach them to thrive on their own. It takes time, diligence, and the right resources to make this happen, but it is SO worth it. Not only will it make your days in the classroom smoother, but it will foster a sense of self-confidence in your kids that will serve them for the rest of their lives. If you're ready to make this simple and fun, come along to see some of my favorite self-checking activities to encourage independent learning in your classroom!

Why Independent Learning is a Must

As I mentioned above, independent learning truly has so many benefits. Let's take a closer look at each one before we dive into the fun, self-checking activities I use to make it easier. 

Self-Confidence

We want to raise confident kids. You know, the kind who are equipped to go out into the world and make an impact. We want them to feel safe enough to take reasonable risks, speak up when they know the answers, and adopt a growth mindset. All of this comes into play when we foster self-confidence in our classrooms. Not only will students reap the benefits on an academic level, but they will also continue to grow in other areas of their lives too. 

Better Classroom Management 

We all know how frustrating it can feel to try and run a classroom when everyone needs your help, all the time. As teachers, we are here to help, of course! But it can become a problem when you've got non-stop questions rolling in and a lack of initiative being taken. After all, you're only one person! This is where developing independent learning skills will be a game-changer for the way your classroom runs. 

Develop Student Responsibility 

When children are given more opportunities to learn independently, they will also begin to develop more personal responsibility for their work. They get a sense of pride and ownership over what they are doing because they have more control. This is such a great life skill that we can help our kids develop in the classroom. 

The Magic of Self-Checking Activities

The benefits of independent learning are pretty great, right?! I certainly think so! Now that we've covered that, let's talk about how self-checking activities can help foster these skills in a fun way. 

The best thing about the games and activities I am about to share with you is that they are fun. We all know that in order for primary learners to retain information, they've got to enjoy the process. Independent learning doesn't feel fun when it's the same old worksheet over and over. Your kids will check out fast, and behavior problems will skyrocket. 

So instead, let's embrace some fun ways to promote independent work habits, free up some of your time, allow for smoother days in the classroom, and boost student confidence! 

Poke Cards to Boost Independent Learning 

One of my all-time favorite self-checking resources to promote independent learning is poke cards. These are as simple to prep as task cards, can be used again and again, and have a self-check component that makes them great for independent learning. Here's how they work:

You will print off the task cards, like normal. I like to use cardstock and laminate for durability. Then, hole punch each card where indicated. Last, you will mark the correct hole on the backside with something like a sticker or a circle with a highlighter. 

When you're ready to use them, students will solve the task on the card and use something like a small straw, pipe cleaner, or coffee stir stick to "poke" the answer. Then, they flip the card over and see if they answered correctly.

These are so much fun for students, and they're great to practice a wide variety of skills! For example, these Tens and Ones Teen Numbers are a great activity to work on place value and number sense activities in your classroom. This resource also includes a recording sheet that students can fill in as they complete each card. This extra step is a great way to increase student accountability. There are also some bonus worksheets included for even more independent learning! 

If you're ready to give poke cards a try in your classroom, make sure to check out this freebie! When you sign up, you'll get an engaging grammar center to practice nouns, verbs, and adjectives in your classroom.

BOOM Cards for Digital Fun

Have you tried digital activities, like BOOM Cards, in your classroom yet? These are another fantastic tool to support independent learning as they include self-checking features. Plus, students tend to view these as more of a game than schoolwork, so engagement is always high when using them! I love to use these for center time or partner games that the kids can work on together. 

This set of Addition within 20 BOOM Cards is a great way to get started! They use a cute farm theme that everyone will love, and allow your students to practice counting on to add, addition with pictures to count, and addition on a number line. Students will click, drag, and drop, or select their answers. Best of all? These are no prep! Just assign to your students on a digital device, and you're ready to go!

There are also audio instructions on the slides so that students can be fully independent. Once they submit their answer, it's automatically checked and will give students a chance to answer again if they answered incorrectly. This is such a great feature because it will provide valuable insight and data to you and parents on how students are doing with the skills in each deck. I have tons of BOOM Cards in my TPT shop, so be sure to head on over and take a peek! 

Mystery Pictures for Independent Learning 

Alright, friend, I have one more fun self-checking activity for you to try in your classroom to boost independent learning skills. Have you heard of Mystery Pictures? This is one of those no-prep wonders that you and your students will absolutely love!

These printable pages include a puzzle, along with all the puzzle pieces on one page. Students will cut apart the pieces, solve for each section, and place the pieces on their page. Once complete, they will easily be able to see if they answered correctly or not, as the mystery picture will be revealed. These puzzles are so much fun for kids and allow for practice with a wide variety of subject areas as well as plenty of fine motor practice. 

For example, in these CVC Word Mystery Puzzles, your students will work on identifying common CVC words by reading them on the puzzle pieces and matching them to the correct picture on their puzzle. They will lay out all the pieces as they answer, check to make sure the picture isn't jumbled up, and then glue everything down. This is such a great activity for center time in the primary classroom!

If you want to test out Mystery Puzzles in your room, make sure to grab this free resource. Just click the link, enter your email, and you'll be sent a free set of mystery puzzles that target CVCE and CVC words. I know once you try these in your room, you'll be hooked too! 

Make Independent Learning Fun with Self-Checking Activities

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at some of the ways you can boost independent learning in your classroom. When it comes to growing confidence, encouraging student responsibility, and managing the classroom, there is no better way to do so than with self-checking activities! They have made such a big impact in my classroom, and I know you'll love them too! You can find all of these activities in my TPT shop, or by clicking the links below! Have fun building independent learning skills in your classroom!

Looking for More? 

If you're looking for more ways to make learning fun in the primary classroom, be sure to read these posts next! 

• Phonics Games that Strengthen Early Reading Skills
• Teaching Then and Now in K-2 Classrooms
• Using Spiral Review to Make Math Concepts Stick

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