October 2014
Partner Learning Projects
Almost anything students do independently can be more engaging, challenging, and FUN with a partner. Many of these simple ideas can be used to reinforce skills during transitions or if you have a few minutes at the end of a lesson.
Read together.
Look at books or magazines together. (ABC Books are great for younger children.)
Retell a story. They can also discuss who, what, where, when, why, the problem, resolution, what might happen next, etc.
Whisper a prediction in each other’s ear.
Review information after a science lesson, social studies, etc.
Clean up a center or each other’s desks.
Read around the room.
Give them pointers and empty glasses frames for more fun.
Write the room.
Give them clipboards and ask them to write words that would reinforce a skill you are working on. For example, they could write compound words, words with the “th” diagraph, two syllable words, etc.
Sing a song or say nursery rhymes together.
Help with dressing, such a zipping coats and tying shoes.
Draw a picture together. They could draw their favorite part of a story, illustrate a poem, draw a picture of their teacher, and so forth.
Do crafts such as lunch sack puppets seasonal projects.
Build together with blocks, Legos, etc.
Play with play dough or clay together. They make objects that begin with a certain sound, shapes, sets, etc.
Write together. They could write a sentence, story, poem, song, observation, etc.
Play a board game.
Play a computer game.
Review flashcards.
Practice rereading books.
Brainstorm!
Make lists!
Do surveys and collect data.
Play hand clap games.
Guess who I am? Children dramatize or pantomime favorite books, rhymes, animals, etc. while their partner tries to guess.
Write letters to each other or to politicians, authors, or other famous people.
Make books together.
Answer questions.
Teacher asks a question and they get together to come up with an answer they agree on.
Make shapes and letters with their fingers or bodies.
Do puzzles together.
Check each other’s work.
Edit each other’s writing.
Work on vocabulary. One child calls out a word while the other child gives the definition.
Practice spelling words. One friend calls out a word for their partner to spell.
Play “Mirror.” One child is the leader and the other child is the “mirror” and must mimic what the leader does. Switch roles after a minute.
Do a graphic organizer (Venn diagram, web, T-chart, time line, etc.).
Write on each other’s backs.
Do exercises together.
Work on a science experiment together.