Closure

Kindergarten Mathematics

Planning for Closure

“Closure in a lesson does not mean to pack up and move on. Rather, it is a cognitive activity that helps students focus on what learned and whether it made sense and had meaning.” How the Brain Learns Mathematics (2007) P. 104

Activities for Closure

More Activities for Closure

Activity	Description
3-2-1	Students write 3 things they learned, 2 things they have a question about, 1 thing they want the instructor to know. Students can use post-its, index cards, or journals.
3 "Whats"	Students discuss or write What did we learn today ? So What ?(What is the relevancy, importance, or usefulness of what was learned) Now What? (How does this fit into what we are learning, does it affect our thinking? Can we predict where we are going?)
Journal Entries	Each day students write about things they learned. Journal prompts are available at the top of the Kindergarten Additional Resources Page.
Exit Tickets	Students complete a task to end class. The task is brief and connected to the instruction for the day.
Whip Around	Students quickly and verbally share one thing they learned in the class today. You can have them toss a ball from one to another or use volunteers.
Student reflections/self-assessment
Fish Bowl	Students write one question they have about the topic of the lesson. This can be something for which they know the answer or for which they want an answer. Form an inner and outer circle. Students share their questions with the person in front of them to see if they know the answer. Student alternate asking questions. Rotate inner and outer circles if time remains.
Quick Doodle	Doodle / draw two or three concepts presented in the lesson may include words or numbers.
Key Ideas	Students list the key ideas from the lesson and why they were important.

* These examples and others can be found in the 40 Ways to Leave a Lesson link below.

Prompts for Closure

How does something you learned today connect with something you already knew?
Name two things you learned today.
Share with a partner what mathematics you learned today.
What was your favorite part of the lesson today?
What do you still have questions about?
What did you like?
What did you dislike?
If your parents asked what you learned today, what would you say?
Write down three math vocabulary words you used today.
What questions do you still have about today’s lesson?
If you had to explain to a friend who is absent today, what would you tell him we did in math today?
How would you explain the math you learned today to your younger brother?
What I learned today can help me later when (choose a concept that applies to the specific lesson.)

Other Closure Resources

Closure at a Glance Download Closure at a Glance