14 Classroom Activities That Increase Student

Engagement
February 24, 2015 | By Sarah Young ***This content is based on a webinar presented by Reading Horizons Reading
Specialist, Stacy Hurst. ***

Some might think that direct instruction involves simply getting in front of the class and teaching
the required material. But direct instruction can be so much more than that! We, as teachers,
need to be doing more to get our students engaged in taking an active role in their learning.
Research shows that students whose teachers spend too much time talking are less likely to be
engaged during direct instruction.
List of Engagement Activities for Students
The good news is that there are many activities that will enable you to spend less time talking
and more time getting your students engaged in the classroom. Here is a list of fourteen student
engagement strategies from Reading Horizons Reading Specialist, Stacy Hurst, that you can use
to increase student engagement in your classroom:

1. Pretest with a Partner up if it is a common noun or sit down if it is

a proper noun. This is a great way to see
This is a great activity, especially for ELLs. how much of your class is actually grasping
the material. Its also a great way to get your
Before handing out the pretest let your
students blood flowing to keep them alert
students know that the test will not be
and engaged.
scored, that way we can lower anxiety and
increase engaged learning. Pair students up
for the pretest, then have them use the same 3. Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
set of materials for that pretest. If its on the
computer, simply have them share a I do this when I do teacher trainings all the
computer between the two of them. During time. You instruct students to put their
the pretest walk around the room so you can thumbs up if they agree or put their thumbs
gauge your students needs and adjust the down if they disagree. Its a very quick way
lesson accordingly. Make sure that the to see how students are doing. However,
pretest is very similar to the posttest so you when students have a low energy level (i.e.
can see how much was actually retained right after lunch) Stand Up Sit Down may be
during the direct instruction. a better alternative. On the other hand, if you
need to maintain your students current
energy level Thumbs Up Thumbs Down is
2. Stand Up Sit Down ideal.

Teachers can use this to help students 4. Secret Answer

differentiate between any two categories.
For instance, when a teacher is trying to help
her students distinguish between common I love this activity because its great for
nouns and proper nouns, she would give an students that might not be as confident in
example then instruct them to either stand their answers. These students are the ones
that if you were doing Stand Up Sit Down or Studies show that the proper ratio of direct
Thumbs Up Thumbs Down as a class, they instruction to reflection time for students is
would be looking around the room to see ten to two. That means that for every ten
what other students answers are before they minutes of instruction teachers need to
would answer it themselves. To do the provide students with two minutes for
exercise properly, have your students place reflection. This activity is a great way to
their hand near their heart (physically) and provide students with that much needed
hold up the appropriate number of fingers reflection time! In this activity, the teacher
depending on what their answer is. This asks a question about a topic or concept that
way, especially if all the students are facing has just been taught. Then the student
the teacher, it is difficult for students to copy produces a written response and either
their neighbors answer. shares it with a neighbor or is invited to
share it with the entire class.
5. Response Cards
8. One Word Splash
This is another great way to get your
students involved during class time. And Although this activity is one that most
frankly, sometimes its nice to just mix teachers are pretty much unfamiliar with,
things up a bit. You can use Response Cards its a very effective way to help students
for any number of responses, including: process what theyve already learned. After
agree/disagree, true/false, yes/no, greater explaining new material, ask your students
than/less than, multiple choice, and to write down one word to sum up that
emotions. For example, while reading a material. Now, you might think that writing
book together as a class the teacher may down one word is overly simplistic but it
pause and ask her students what they think actually requires higher processing skills
the character is feeling right now. Then the that will help your students digest their
students would be able to select happy from learning. This can be done either with a
their personal stack of cards. pencil and paper or a dry erase marker and
personal whiteboard for each student.
6. Think-Pair-Share
9. Quick Draw
This activity is a great way for students to be
able to pause and process what they have This activity is great, especially for visual
just learned. Ask the class a question that learners or students that arent quite writing
they must first consider by themselves then yet. After learning a new concept or topic,
give them the opportunity to discuss it with have your students draw a picture about
their neighbor. Once theyve discussed the what theyve just learned. For example, after
question, students are then invited to share reading part of the story: Jack and the Bean
their answers with the class. By giving them Stalk, have your students draw what has
this time, you are enabling them to be more happened in the story up to that point. Then
engaged in their learning. a student may draw a picture of a boy
planting seeds with a bean stalk growing in
7. Quick Writes the background.

10. Gallery Walk

This is another great activity that will keep facts they learned about the topic. Next, two
your students engaged and their energy level questions they still have about the topic that
high. After having your students write or might not have been covered in class.
draw their responses, and have a Gallery Finally, have your students write one
Walk and allow your students to look opinion they have about the material.
around the room and see other students
responses. Because students seek approval 13. Find Your Match
from their peers they will put more effort
into the exercise.
This is another activity that will get your
students up and moving. Hand out one card
11. A-Z Topic Summary to each student in the class and then have
them get up and find the other student with
End of lesson responses are a great way to the matching card. You can do this with
engage your students and help them connect many topics including: rhyming words,
the dots on their own. I love having my uppercase/lowercase, antonyms/synonyms,
students do an A-Z Topic Summary either as words/definitions, problem/solution, and
individuals or in pairs. If it is an individual words/pictures. I especially like doing this
activity, Ill have my students write either a with math problems and solutions for older
word or a sentence having to do with the students and words to their matching
lesson for each letter of the alphabet. For pictures for younger students.
example, if we learned about baking they
would write a sentence for A such as: 14. Dictation
Always preheat the oven before baking. If
we do that activity in pairs, Ill usually
assign a letter to each pair and have them One of my very favorite activities is
write a sentence rather than have them do Dictation! It is highly effective in engaging
the whole alphabet. students because it is multisensory
involving: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and
tactile senses. Having a multisensory
12. 3-2-1 approach increases working memory and
integrates all language skills/modalities. To
This activity is very quick so its perfect do Dictation have students listen to a word,
when youre pressed for time but still need repeat the word out loud, write it out on
to give your students a chance to process the paper, and then have them read the word out
material. First youll have them write three loud again.