Allow your first-graders to move and groove during their gathering time. Invite them to dance at their desk, crawl in figure eight patterns, run in place, hop on one foot or wiggle around. The movement wakes the brain up and gets it ready to learn, according to Dr. John Ratey, author of "Spark," a book about how exercise affects the brain. Give students a list of acceptable activities that changes with each day. Add practice of oral math facts, spelling new words or speaking affirmations and the students may learn something as they move.
Give first-graders review sheets to practice on while they gather. They can practice writing letters and numbers, writing and spelling new words, practicing addition and subtraction facts or sequencing events from a previous story. Practice oral reviews by identifying sight words, colors, shapes or signs in a slide show displayed on your smart screen. Challenge students to figure out the next shape or number in a sequence.
Use your gathering time to build community. Pass a bean bag around and have each student say something nice about the student to the left. Affirm statements such as "We treat each other with kindness," or "Everyone deserves respect." Personal affirmations include "If I dream it, I can do it," or "I can learn and grow each and every day." Pair each student with a different classmate each week. Students can review together or take turns reading.
Record stories on an MP3 player or in a slide show. Have students read along with the narrator. Invite parents or school volunteers to spend a little extra time in the classroom to read with students or allow students to retell stories after they hear it. Allow personal reading time using the books from your library. Act out stories using props and costumes. Give students story-starters and let them illustrate the story and share it later in class. Challenge students to make up a story using a list of words you draw from spelling and vocabulary lists.