I like this idea. Thanks for sharing. The unfinished work folders were a nightmare for me!!!

for unfinished work. Any work they don't finish goes on their clipboard. When the kids finish their current work given they get out their clipboard and finish the work on it. When the work on the clipboard is empty they leave it out on their desk and get their book box to read. This is a great visual because if I am working with kids all I have to do is look for empty clipboards on their desk and that means they can be up and around. Also, on Friday, we have free choice time ..we call it "Fun Fantastic Friday" we do a clipboard check and if it is empty they can have free choice if there is work on it we conference and they work on it.

I use a folder as well. Just make sure that every 2-3 weeks you have the students clean them out and turn in work, otherwise they turn into a black hole for those students who never seem to finish anything! I also found that the students who finish everything early lamented their empty folders, so I'd make extra 'challenge' work packets for them so they'd have something. I'd also sneak remediation packets into the lower kids' folders who couldn't do the classwork without it being a big deal, because everyone had different pages to do anyway.

I also started a bin at the front of the room with a few extra activities (color by number addition pages, word puzzles, etc. from activity books). I added any extra copies when passing out work or any copies we didn't get to in the *bottom* of the bin, and if students finished early they could pick from the bin. It was a true review when the pile started moving up and pages reappeared from skills a week or more prior. They were allowed to pick through the bin and take whatever page they wanted.

Ketchup Folders....I love the name! I think I might do that, since I already have BEE books for home/school connection, and that'll keep it more distinguisable!

I love this place. Between PT and Pinterest the ideas are just flowing!!!

Yes, my students have "work folders" inside their desks. I love the idea of calling it a busy bee folder though. Such a cute name! Unfinished work gets placed inside, and I keep a pile of extra practice pages for the kids who usually finish their work to put inside.

She is so clever (my friend)!

I LOVE the play on words ketchup = catch up! ! That's a little cooler than calling them busy bee folders

used a "Ketchup" folder last year. Too cute! She took solid colored folders, printed out bottles of Heinz ketchup in color, cut them out, and glued/taped over them on the front of the folder. If kids did not finish, they placed their work in their ketchup folder. I did not have anything this neat, so I am stealing her idea this year!

you like the idea sonjateacher You're very welcome.

I just wanted to say that I love this idea (The Busy Bee folder) and I will be trying it out this year. Thank you!

In my class, we create a list of things that can be done when a student finishes their work early. I started out with just two options and then we slowly added more options as the year progressed. Options one and two are always "unfinished work" and "read a book".
Other options were free writing, AR testing, handwriting practice, play a game (literacy or math), etc.

When I taught Kinder we used a busy bee folder. The students placed any classwork they didn't finish in their busy bee folder. When they finished with their work early they went to their busy bee folder to find something to do, finish work from earlier they didn't complete. Does anyone else use busy bee folders? If not, what do you give the students to do when they finish work early?