Your child’s teachers have given them schoolwork, but some children tend to get their schoolwork done ahead of the rest. Gifted children are often the ones who finish their schoolwork early. This is because the way they learn differs from others, allowing them to excel at schoolwork (much like how some kids excel at sports or playing musical instruments). Now you may be left wondering what to do when your child finishes early, especially since state laws require students to participate in educational activities related to their core courses for an entire school year. Help foster your child’s critical thinking skills and keep them learning with these ideas for when they finish their work early.
Choose an Educational Video
Educational videos and series are a great way to keep your child engaged in learning. Some popular educational video resources for students include TED Talks and PBS programs. TED Talks are fantastic for middle and high school-aged kids because they focus on topics that students can relate to. They offer a new way of viewing things and introduce ideas on important concepts such as leadership, perseverance, high school experiences, and more.
PBS is also a great source for educational programming that students can access in and out of class. Offering a variety of free shows that can be sorted by genre, students can enjoy content including art and music, food, history, home and how-to, and more. Parents can even enjoy the plethora of content available through PBS’ popular educational resources.
Make Crafts or Artwork
Crafting and drawing foster a number of important developmental skills, especially in younger kids. It allows children to hone their fine motor skills, identification of shapes and colors, as well as their overall creativity.
Use colored popsicle sticks, some markers, and googly eyes, and allow your child to create their own popsicle stick monsters. Combine bubble wrap, paint, and paper for an awesome sensory activity that allows students to make raindrops. Encourage them to paint something that they may be feeling at the time. Have them create a seasonal craft or something for an upcoming holiday. The number of crafting possibilities are truly endless.
Practice Spelling by Writing a Letter
Students can always use more practice when it comes to spelling, even those who are gifted. Writing letters to family members, friends, and even themselves is a great way to help them hone those spelling skills. It will help keep them interested because they can write about things that are important to them.
Letter writing can also help students with transferring their thoughts to paper, especially if they are allowed to write in an open-ended diary format. This can assist with thought processing, sentence structure, and more in addition to spelling. When a student’s spelling is strong, their reading will also show signs of improvement. Research has shown that successful reading and writing go hand in hand.
Get a Head Start on Upcoming Schoolwork
Not all children learn or work at the same pace. That means that yours may finish their schoolwork earlier than originally anticipated. If a gifted child finishes their schoolwork at a faster pace, there is always the opportunity to get an early start on upcoming assignments.
If there are no other assignments planned, delving deeper into the subjects they have already covered can be extremely beneficial. More advanced assignments can be a good solution for them, providing them with more challenging work that better suits their learning abilities. Students that prove to work through their schoolwork at exceptional rates may also be able to assist other students who may be struggling. Tutoring can be a great way for your done-early students to still work on the material while helping one of their peers.
Read a Book Together
Reading is one of the best ideas for students who finish schoolwork early. You can never read too many books, be they fiction or nonfiction. Reading fosters public speaking skills as well as reading comprehension, both of which are important.
Since a lot of school programs offer books to match every student’s reading level, there are tons of options to pick from. You will want to pick something for them that will be interesting and challenging (though not so challenging that they get frustrated and discouraged from wanting to read). Popular stories include Where the Wild Things Are, Go, Dog, Go, and Peek-A-Who for younger students to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The One and Only Ivan, and Peter and the Starcatchers for older students.
Ask Them to Help You Around the House
Learning doesn’t have to take place only within the confines of your child’s dedicated workspace. There are learning experiences everywhere, even around the home. If your student finished their schoolwork early, engage them in hands-on activities that will provide excellent opportunities to learn something new. Teach them how to cook their favorite meal by allowing them to take the lead as you provide guidance. Show them how to sew or allow them to help you plant and tend to a garden. All of these tasks offer valuable skills that students can use well into their adult years.
Make sure that you do not make the mistake of choosing the typical chores they normally do around the house. You will want to make sure it is something new and something that will spark their interest enough to want to get involved.
Learn More About How CCA Provides Personalized Learning
Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) realizes that every student is unique in their learning journey. That is why we take pride in providing personalized learning for all students from grades K-12 that suit their independent needs and abilities. The curriculum at CCA allows students to master important skills at their own pace. This allows students to feel comfortable and safe working in a learning environment that fosters their independence and better educational growth.
At CCA, students and their families have the ability to choose the kind of courses they take, as well as the ability to customize their own schedules. The flexibility provides the opportunity for students to participate in other activities such as extracurricular activities, volunteering, or even holding jobs. Students can also choose to participate in classes in real-time, watch a recorded version, or even forgo the particular class session if the child has exceeded the need for the information provided.
If you feel that your student could benefit from the many ways that CCA fosters personalized learning, contact us today for more information.
