Forums

Hello, my name is Amy Efird. I’m a senior at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. I would love to teach kindergarten and plan on teaching in my hometown of Mount Ida. My question pertains to the engagement of young students, and how we can get these students more focused in the classroom. The term 'herding cattle' is sometimes used for younger kids, and I would like to know some ways to get young kids from chaotic to focused. 

Hi Amy! First of all congratulations for being in your senior year!! That's amazing! I have taught kindergarten for the past four years and let me tell you....every year is different.  What works for one group may not work for another group, so it's super helpful to have many different ideas in your teacher tool kit.  Definitely the most important thing is setting up the expectations from day one.  It's the most boring part of teaching, but I promise it's so important, because teaching can't happen without the behavior managed.  There is a procedure for everything due to the fact that kinders really are like herding cats.  I love cats, so I use that term haha You can create procedures for a number of things.  How should the students enter the classroom, what do the students do as soon as they enter, what do they keep at their desks, how do they get to the carpet, how do they line up, how do they ask for help or to go to the bathroom, etc.  And all of those things may happen within the first hour of your day.  Having visuals around in the classroom is extremely helpful for the younger students.  Expectations are something I go over on a daily basis.  Procedures I go over if I get a new student or after a break in case students forgot.  Having incentives to work toward is always great to maintain the expectations for the students.  I've done different things each year.  My first students worked toward stickers.  My second group worked for snacks. My third group worked for prizes.  My fourth group...I'm still figuring out what works best for them. It's still early, but I have a point system in place and they like getting points, but I think I need to change my prize menu to cater to them better. I hope this was helpful in some aspects. I wish you all the best of luck!

Hello Amy,

I am a student at Wartburg college. I would also love to teach Kindergarten. Student engagement is something that I have struggled with. What I have learned from working at a daycare and my field experiences is to keep kids moving with short, engaging activities. If you keep your lesson short and to the point, this will help students stay engaged. Planning your lesson around the time of day can also be helpful. If your students are more engaged in the morning, plan your harder concepts in the morning, and vice versa. This allows for student to learn before they lose their focus.

Hi Amy, 

I’m a third-year student at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. I am also looking into teaching younger students, so I understand how difficult it is to keep them focused and entertained. From what I’ve experienced and observed it seems as though early childhood classrooms run the smoothest when students feel cared for and valued by their teachers. Another piece of this is finding what each student is interested in and capitalizing on opportunities to incorporate those topics into lessons or activities. As teachers, I think it’s also extremely important to be aware of where students are developmentally and to know how long their attention spans will be, and to intentionally plan our lesson to fit into that attention span. When lessons go on for too long it is really easy to lose the student's interest and that is when chaos often times occurs. I hope this was helpful and I wish you all the best. 

Best, 

Ella Brase

I really like these tips and they will be very beneficial for me as a future teacher. 

Hi my name is Nikita Hatley and I'm a student at Henderson State University and I'm an Elementary Education major and I have a question about what kind of tips and activities can I use to get my students more envol with learning and subjects.

Hi! I think some of the best advice I have received while being a student at Wright State University is that in order to keep student's engaged, you have to find activities that interest them. Learning the likes/ dislikes of your student's plays a vital role in their attenion span when it comes to class activities. I always find that students love interactive games for subjects. Using Kahoot, an interactive online game, has enabled me to teach my students important concepts while also allowing the children to have fun and compete with their peers in this interactive game. I have used Kahoot for several ELA and Math projects. I think it is also important to learn what your students struggle with and turn that struggle into something that they want to learn more about through something interactive. The more hands-on/ interactive the material, the more likely the studetnts will stay engaged and willing to learn. I hope this helped! 

Something that I have personally found super helpful in keeping my students engaged is Classroom Dojo. It is a way that students can compete for classroom points and they love it! Parents and other teachers can see their students getting points for things like 'On Task' and 'Engaged'. Once other students see points being earned from friends, they catch on and tend to engage for class points. We have also added an aspect of using the points in a class 'store', the more points you get you can earn candy and other small prizes from the store once a quarter. 

Keeping students engaged is one of the hardest parts of any teachers day when they are constantly trying to bring students back together or asking students to stay on task when they might be working on something else. I am placed in a third grade classroom and we use the PBIS behavioral system. The students work hard to earn points each day and are able to use their points to purchase items and prizes from the teachers and school. If my ct or myself notices a student is not on task or the class is chatty, we will single out those who are doing what is asked to thank them for being on task or engaging in what is being taught to give them points. This allows those students who are not engaging the opportunity to join the rest of the classes' conversation and a second chance to earn points for the day.

Knowing what your students like and dislike is a very important thing to know to be able to keep your students engaged in class. Have something that relates to students as well. I believe that getting students out of their seats every day for some amount of time is always good too. It is important to get students moving and to clear their minds before starting an activity.

Hi Amy,

You've received lots of great advice about keeping young ones engaged in learning. To me, you must start by believing that young learners are capable of incredible thinking. Given the opportunity to share their ideas, build structures, problem-solve, and use critical thinking skills, young learners are ready to take on challenges. It is essential to allow young learners to guide their learning by figuring things out and explaining them to others. Provide time, each day, for students to make sense of something - whether it's a puzzle, a discrepant event, or a mystery. Encourage them to ask questions (what do you notice and what do you wonder) and take the next steps to figure things out. Inspire wonder in the classroom—support communication, creativity, and collaboration. Your class will come alive! Kindergarteners are exceptional scientists and creative engineers - promote discovery.

Best,

Elizabeth

I think that keeping students engaged is indeed complicated. Each student is different, with different preferences and characters. And choosing something that everyone will like is hard. But from my experience, I can say it's possible. Maybe, not on the first try, but possible. I'm actually working on my dissertation, and there, I'll always write about engaging students into the educational process. It'll be both theoretical and practical info. Thank the help of https://edubirdie.com/write-my-dissertation, the huge theoretical part is ready, and now I have enough time to work on the practical part. There I'll describe my experience and also the experience of teachers/professors of students of different ages. I think that the information I'll get will be very interesting because each has its own approach and study methods.

I feel like science is naturally engaging! Begin with a phenomena or something to 'hook' their attention. My first graders have so many questions and want to get in there and try themselves :) 

Hi

I taught kindergarten for 10 years. Teaching science was one of my favorites. My advice for keeping early childhood education students engaged is: make learning fun, include hands on activities, music and art, editable activites, and projects that they could comeplete at home or in the classroom. 

Hello all! I am a student at Wartburg College, and I hope to teach in an early childhood classroom. From my field experiences, work at daycares, and classes, I have learned that not only are students better able to pay attention, but they also gain a deeper understanding of their learning when they are actively engaged and participating in their learning. Discovery learning works really well with young children. For example, you can show students pictures or items and ask them what they see, what they could do with them, and so much more. Let them explore, capture their attention, and then explain. Another idea for when reading a read-aloud, depending on the age, you could do a story bingo, a coloring page related to the story, or ask the students to draw the different emotions the main character feels throughout the reading. These all require active listening to the story in fun yet engaging ways. When counting or teaching phonics you can do full-body actions. Students will also be more engaged and excited if you show excitement about it (but still under control). 

Hello! I have found through my studies and my field experience that hands-on learning is best at keeping students engaged. A majority of students have a hard time staying on task when just reading from a textbook or listening to a teacher's lecture. This is especially true with younger students. I have also found that students really enjoy reward systems. Although these recently have been frowned upon by many, I have found in my field experience that student's truly enjoy it and it keeps them engaged and makes them want to do the work.

Keeping students engaged in a early childhood class could be a struggle, but i think having fun hand on activies could be a great way of keeping them engaged. 

The captivating puzzles in Nerdle make for a very enjoyable reading experience. Data researcher Richard Mann, who hails from the United Kingdom, is the man behind the creation of this game. Because his daughter, who is 14 years old, requested a math-related Wordle, he created one for her. Unpredictably, ever since it was first presented, a great number of people from all over the world have developed an interest in it.

I agree with so many posts on here. Keeping it fun, interactive and hands-on is going to be the key. 

Hey! I am a student at Francis Marion University in South Carolina. I have found that having hands-on activities really does help grasp the attention of students! Growing up, I was never really one for science. I typically always associated science as being a boring subject but that was until my teachers started using hands-on activities, because we were able to do something other then just basic writing it always made us stay on task and want to interact more! I also think as a teacher the energy towards the subject is key too!

Hello, Amy! It's wonderful to hear about your passion for teaching kindergarten and your desire to make a positive impact on your students in Mount Ida. Engaging and focusing young students can be a rewarding challenge. Here are some strategies to help you transition from chaos to focus in a kindergarten classroom:

Establish Clear Routines: Children thrive on routines. Create a daily schedule that includes specific times for various activities like circle time, reading, art, and play. Be consistent with your routines so that students know what to expect each day.

Use Visual Aids: Visual cues, such as a visual schedule or a behavior chart, can help young children understand and anticipate what will happen next. These aids make transitions smoother and reduce anxiety.

Active Learning: Incorporate hands-on, interactive activities into your lessons. Young children learn best through play and exploration. For example, use building blocks to teach math concepts or engage in nature walks for science lessons.

Small Group Activities: Break the class into smaller groups for certain activities. This reduces the noise level and allows for more focused attention. You can rotate groups to ensure everyone gets a chance to work together.

Use Music and Movement: Incorporate songs, dances, and movement into your lessons. These activities can help release excess energy and improve concentration. For example, use songs with hand movements to teach the alphabet or counting.

Clear Instructions: Be concise and clear when giving instructions. Use simple language and provide visual cues if necessary. Ensure that all students understand what is expected of them.

Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement techniques like praise, stickers, or small rewards to encourage good behavior and participation. Celebrate small achievements to keep motivation high.

Transitions: Be mindful of transitions between activities. Use a timer or a signal to indicate when it's time to move on to the next task. Giving children a warning and a clear signal helps them prepare for the change.

Individualized Support: Recognize that every child is snake 3D. Some may need extra support or have unique learning styles. Be flexible and adaptable to meet individual needs.

Parent-Teacher Communication: Maintain open communication with parents to discuss any challenges or successes in the classroom. Parents can provide valuable insights and support in helping their children stay focused.

Professional Development: Consider attending workshops or courses on early childhood education. Learning about the latest teaching techniques and child development theories can help you better engage your students.

Patience and Empathy: Understand that young children are still developing their self-control and attention spans. Be patient and show empathy when they struggle to focus. Encourage self-regulation skills.

Hi Amy, 

I am a student at Wartburg College and I’ll be student teaching next semester. I am also interested in teaching younger students like kindergarten or 1st grade. I have worked at a local early-learning center in the preschool room for three years now. I have learned from the teacher that doing short but informative and fun lessons work really well. Students at that age have very short attention spans. Another important part of this is doing activities or lessons that your students are engaged in. Given the grade level, it’s important to understand where students are at their developmental stage meaning we should know they don’t have very long attention spans and we need to make do with time we have for lesson time. With early learners and higher ed learners, when any lesson is too long or boring, that’s when we disconnect. Hands-on material is also helpful in allowing for more engagement. I hope this helps!

Hi Amy, 

I am a student at Wartburg College and I have been interested in teaching at the younger level as well. I have had the opportunity to be in a kindergarten classroom for a week and the main thing I picked up was to keep them moving. When their teacher had stuff that involved them getting out of their seat and working together on things it made them more engaged and wanting to learn. Making sure that you are giving them activities that they are going to enjoy and that just comes with knowing your students well. Once you build that relationship with them you are going to start to notice what they do or do not enjoy. They are also going to repsect you by doing this as well which is going to get them more engaged. Best of luck!