French Early Finisher Bins
How it works
The idea is that these bins offer math and literacy activities that can be completed INDEPENDENTLY. These activities are not meant to be challenging, I don’t want them to be so hard that they require my support to do. I’m busy helping students, so I don’t want to be interrupted because the early finisher task is too hard. I see it as a great opportunity to put in things for review, games and fun activities that keep them engaged. The activities in these bins are changed out each month so there’s something fresh to work on.
When students are finished their work and have put it where it belongs (either in “fini” tub or in a duotang or other designated spot), they check the “pas fini” tub to make sure they don’t have any other unfinished work.
If all their other work is completed, they can go ahead and start a bin.
Choosing a bin
9 bins means there are some that are definitely “more fun” than others. So how do I make sure that everyone is trying each bin and the fastest students aren’t always getting to the loose parts bins first?
We have a “Bacs finis” board to solve this.
There are 9 pockets (library book pockets), one for each bin. In each pocket there is a card where I have written the names of 2-3 students at the top (turned for privacy).
Students are only allowed to use that bin for the day. If their partner is away, they are allowed to do the bin alone or team up with another group.
I move the cards to the right every day so that they rotate for 9 days.
*Cards are 7.5cm square
*Alternatively you can use popsicle sticks or clothes pins to move student pairings around.
Storage
My bins are in an IKEA Trofast storage system. There are 9 bins and there is usually one activity per bin, though sometimes I’ll add a couple in each. Don’t have room for a Trofast system? Use anything! Ziploc bags, messenger zip up bags, plastic stacking tubs…anything works!
Using the bin
They take the bin to wherever they’d like in the class. Maybe you’d like them to return to their seat, maybe they work on the floor/carpet area. Since my students work at tables, I like them to take their bin somewhere other than their table. I have a few other work spaces in my room or the carpet. This way, they don’t disturb or distract those who are still working.
Getting started
It’s important to set your expectations of these bins. Who can use them? Will you use a board system or is it a first come first serve? How do they need to clean up? Where can they use them?
Most activities are pretty self-explanatory but if I think something needs explanation, I’ll mention it during our morning meeting on the first day of the month. Often, I have repeating activities with different vocabulary, so students become familiar with the tasks.
No September bins
I don’t usually start this until October. In September we are so busy learning other routines and procedures that I wait a bit to throw this into the mix. For September, they can read or draw when finished. Once we’ve established my other expectations and I’ve gotten to know my new students to figure out groupings, then we’re ready to start in October.
See below for what’s included each month (to be updated throughout the year).
*Direct links provided where possible. Not available for loose parts and resources that are from email lists, blogs, products that are no longer available.
October bins
Left to right, top to bottom:
1 - Super Syllabes (Mme Andrea)
2 - Loose parts (October)
3 - Loose parts (October)
4 - Reading comprehension puzzles (Mme Marie-Eve)
5 - Les phrases melées - Halloween (Michelle Dupuis)
6 - French silly sentence builders - Halloween (La classe de Madame Angel)
7 - Halloween vocab puzzles (For French Immersion)
8 - French pattern puzzles (Mrs Beattie)
8 - French pattern task cards (Les idées de Mme Roxane)
9 - Pumpkin number match up (Les idées de Mme Roxane)*
*no longer available on blog, see similar Free activity
November bins
Left to right, top to bottom:
Fruit and veg word puzzles
Puzzles
November loose parts
December bins
Left to right, top to bottom
1 - Super Syllabes Noël (Mme Andrea)
2 - Christmas word/picture puzzles (For French Immersion) & Shadow puzzles (Mme Roxane) FREE
3 - Loose parts
4 - Christmas word problems (Coquelicotlit) FREE
5 - Loose parts
6 - Build a gingerbread house (Mme Roxane)
7 - Silly sentence builders Noël (Mme Angel)
8 - Christmas syllable card (Mme Roxane) FREE & Les phrases melées (Michelle Dupuis)
9 - Christmas puzzles (Mme Emilie) FREE
Left to right, top to bottom
Loose parts
Loose parts
Tic-tac-toe (the tray is from wooden cut outs - Dollarama) & final sound puzzles (Mme Andrea)
Unscramble the sentence (For French Immersion) & Winter word/picture puzzles (For French Immersion)
Missing sound cards (Madame Roxane) *From blog
February Bins
Left to right, top to bottom
March Bins
Left to right, top to bottom
Saint Patrick’s loose parts
Dinosaur loose parts
Telling time (Caroline Joanette) & St. Patrick’s money (Funtastic French)
Telling time (Caroline Joanette) & St. Patrick’s money (Funtastic French)
Telling time (Caroline Joanette) & St. Patrick’s mixed up words (Funtastic French)
St. Patrick’s money (Funtastic French)
Saint Patrick’s vocab puzzles (For French Immersion)
Telling time (Caroline Joanette) & St. Patrick’s addition & subtraction (Funtastic French)
French silly sentence builders - fairy tales (Mme Angel) *also available in St. P
April Bins
Left to right, top to bottom
Easter loose parts
Forest fairies & gnomes loose parts
Super Syllabes - Pâques (Mme Andrea)
Mixed up words (Funtastic French) & Easter vocab puzzles (For French Immersion)
Easter memory game
Les phrases mélées - Pâques (Michelle Dupuis)
French silly sentence builders - printemps (Mme Angel)
Spring syllabes (Funtastic French) & spring vocab puzzles (For French Immersion)
Spring shapes puzzles (Mme Andrea)
May Bins
Left to right, top to bottom
Spring loose parts
Rainforest loose parts
Super Syllabes - Printemps (Mme Andrea)
Build a flower (Les idées de Madame Roxane - from blog)
Tic-Tac-Toe (wooden trays are repurposed from the wooden shapes at Dollarama)
Les phrases mélées - printemps (Michelle Dupuis)
French silly sentence builders - la ferme (Mme Angel)
Sentence builders - spring (source TBD)
Lady bug shapes (Mme Andrea)
June Bins
Left to right, top to bottom
Beach loose parts
Sea life loose parts
Super Syllabes - Été (Mme Andrea)
Animal habitats (Les idées de Madame Roxane - from blog)
Summer vocab puzzles (For French Immersion)
Les phrases mélées - été (Michelle Dupuis)
French silly sentence builders - l’été (Mme Angel)
Sentence builders - summer (Mme Julie on Mieux Enseigner- so sorry, I’m having trouble finding a link)
Fruit puzzles (Mme Marie-Ève)
