Ditch The Worksheets: A Ameliorate Manner To Spiral Review


I can't carbohydrate coat this. I simply can't. I am miserable if this offends you, but I get got wanted to country it for hence long. So hither goes...

I HATE worksheets.

I don't simply dislike worksheets. I literally loathe them.

I get got no selection most using them inwards some cases. We are required to role the math worksheets that come upwardly amongst our math curriculum. I create everything I tin give notice to brand them quick as well as engaging. That is most the exclusively fourth dimension y'all volition discovery my students doing a worksheet. 

I know that lots of teachers role worksheets for spiral review. I run across teachers quest most worksheets amongst daily linguistic communication or math problems that spiral through the standards. I get got used them inwards the past times too. #iamnotperfect 

I am issuing a challenge.

Ditch the spiral review worksheets.

Hear me out..

Why ditch the spiral worksheets?


Worksheets are boring. 


Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 listing of questions that students get got to sit down inwards their seats as well as respond simply isn't fun! And what's worse? I was using my spiral worksheets every bit my bell work. It was the offset affair that students did when they walked into my classroom. It gear upwardly their day. And I was slowly them to tears. Not good!

Spiral worksheets don't tally our pacing guide.


It is HIGHLY unlikely that whatever spiral worksheets that y'all volition discovery volition tally the lodge that y'all are education the skills. Therefore, it's non actually a "review." My kiddos would experience frustrated when they were asked a query that nosotros had non even hence learned. I would discovery myself doing a quick half-hearted lesson when nosotros were actually supposed to endure reviewing. 

The worksheets tin give notice endure a fourth dimension sucker. 


Students demand fourth dimension to consummate the daily problems. Then y'all demand fourth dimension to acquire over the answers together. Then y'all demand fourth dimension to reteach or innovate the skills that your students had never seen before. What started every bit a uncomplicated v infinitesimal activity, tin give notice easily plough into a 20-30 infinitesimal activity. 

How should I spiral then?



I am non suggesting that spiral review is a bad thing. I strongly believe inwards spiral review. I honey to instruct inwards units of study, but if y'all never come upwardly dorsum to the early on skills, students volition forget. We retrieve what nosotros create repetitively. I simply intend that their are improve ways to spiral as well as hence simply giving a worksheet.

Build spiral review into your centers as well as pocket-size grouping time. 


The best business office most using pocket-size grouping as well as pump fourth dimension for spiral review is that y'all are able to differentiate the review! Every pupil doesn't demand the same affair anyway.

During math centers, my students get got a rotation that is completely based on review. Since they are doing review activities, they are able to consummate them to a greater extent than independently. When they are struggling, nosotros tin give notice operate on the activity together during our pocket-size groups. During reading centers, my students get got a rotation that includes spiral review through reading response.


During reading pocket-size groups nosotros get got discussions most master copy thought or grapheme traits weeks later on nosotros learned as well as were assessed on the skill. In math groups, nosotros volition role white boards to solve problems from math lessons taught concluding month. (They don't retrieve that they already solved the same problem, hence I simply catch the problems from past times homework sheets.)

Give students engaging review activities rather than worksheets. 


Give them centers. Give them games. Give them projects. Get as well as hence upwardly as well as moving around!

I role my math pump sets every bit my students' math spiral review. They are engaging as well as fun. My students similar to create them. To acquire far a review, I give them a science that nosotros get got already covered whole group. For example, they won't create the multiplication laid until nosotros get got finished the multiplication unit of measurement from our curriculum.

Keep chore cards handy.


I honey to role chore cards inwards my classroom. We create at to the lowest degree 1 chore carte du jour scoot every week. It is business office of our grammar routine. The kids honey getting out of their desks as well as moving to a greater extent than or less the classroom every bit they respond the questions on the cards.

Task cards tin give notice endure used for super quick spiral review too! It actually helps me to acquire to a greater extent than bang for my buck later on prepping these chore carte du jour sets.

I hold a few sets of chore cards that nosotros get got already done whole grouping (or didn't get got fourth dimension to create whole group) on my tabular array or counter. If nosotros come about to get got a duo extra minutes earlier break or specials, I catch a few of the cards. I volition read the query aloud as well as telephone cry upwardly on a student. If they respond it correctly, they acquire to acquire inwards work first. We croak on until our fourth dimension is upwardly as well as the residue of the shape joins to work to leave of absence for specials.

This is super simple!

Look for natural times to review during lessons. 


Spiral review does non ever get got to endure an extra activity that students must complete. It tin give notice endure super quick additions to your electrical flow lesson.

For example, when I am education students most adjectives, I also get got them bespeak out the nouns as well as verbs. Later, during guided reading groups, I tin give notice bespeak to 1 judgement inwards our mass or passage as well as enquire them to discovery the adjectives. 

The same tin give notice endure done amongst math. Students are finding the expanse of a rectangle. Ask them what they know most rectangles to review geometry. Throw inwards multi-step intelligence problems hence that your students get got to a greater extent than opportunities to practise add-on as well as subtraction fifty-fifty during your multiplication unit.

They demand the repeated practice. I didn't get got to prep anything else as well as it takes simply an extra infinitesimal or our time. Simple!

Use toll of admission when students are entering the classroom.


I honey this quick as well as uncomplicated activity! It is similar to an acquire out ticket, but no copying is needed as well as it happens every bit kiddos are entering the room.

I impress THIS sign, laminate it as well as staple it to the wall adjacent to my classroom door.


I role a dry out erase marking to write a query each day. It is best when the query is a yes/no question. It is fifty-fifty improve when at that topographic point is to a greater extent than than 1 right answer.

Give me an representative of an adverb.
Give a x12 fact.
What is 1 element needed for photosynthesis?
What was 1 sweat of the Civil War?
What is 1 agency to brand a substantive plural?

My questions come upwardly from prior lessons as well as permit me run across what students retrieve as well as what they demand to review.

My exclusively dominion is that y'all can't give the same respond every bit the soul inwards front end of y'all inwards line. If it is a query amongst simply 1 right answer, get got students whisper the respond inwards your ear.

If a pupil doesn't know the answer, I get got them acquire to the dorsum of the work as well as I tell them to brain existent carefully! They commonly get got a right respond past times the fourth dimension they acquire to me again. If lots of students acquire the respond incorrect at first, I know nosotros demand to review during pocket-size groups!

You tin give notice also role this activity to acquire to know your students better. Once a calendar week of so, enquire a personal question.

What did y'all get got for breakfast?
What create y'all similar to create later on school?
What is your favorite TV show?

I simply honey learning trivial details most my students. It helps me to actually connect amongst them inwards the classroom.


What create y'all think? Can y'all get got me upwardly on my challenge to ditch the spiral worksheets?

Have a Not So Wimpy day!