Looking for ways to display the Question of the Day? Not sure how to organize and store all the materials? There are plenty of different options, as you will see. If you are still trying to understand what the Question of the Day is and how it helps students, see part 1 of this series.
How can I display the Question of the Day?
Teachers display the Question of the Day several different ways: pocket charts, sign-in sheets, magnetic displays and more. You’ll need to think about what will work best in your space, what supplies you have on hand, and your own personal preferences.
Sign-in Sheet
You might use the questions on a sign-in sheet, to allow name writing practice every morning. One way to do this is to display the question on a large sheet of paper (or two sheets taped together.) You could even add the question to chart paper. Students sign in under their response each day. I like this format because it allows students to practice writing their name in a purposeful way.
Use back to school themed questions to ease your students back into school.
As the year goes on, students can sign in with their last name or their initials, to expand their learning.
Students can sign in with their initials or last names.
Sign-In Sheet without Names
Sometimes when teachers present the question on a sheet of paper, they find another way for students to respond, rather than by writing names. Students may add a tally mark to represent their response. Or you could add blank ten-frames under the responses and students add a dot to the ten-frame for their answer. This allows students to practice math skills even as they sign in. (This is great for early first graders!)
You could also simplify the sign-in sheet by having students respond with an X (or any other letter they have practiced writing recently.) This would still allow some letter formation practice, without the time required to sign a full name.
Student Response Cards
If you don’t think sign-in sheets will work in your room, you can display the Question of the Day in a pocket chart, on a bulletin board, or on a metal display (ex: file cabinet, oil pan). Students then locate their name card and place it under the correct response.
The pocket chart cards are easy to reuse.
There are several advantages to student response cards. These cards create a more efficient method of responding than a written response. It is also easier for classmates to read their friends’ responses with the neat writing on the name cards. The question cards are also reusable year after year, which can save the teacher time in the future. But they also create the added dilemma of finding a way to store them until next year.
Clothespin Clips
As another option, you could post the question at the top of a large sheet of heavy paper/cardboard. The question could be swapped out every day. Each student has a clothespin with their name on it. They clip their name on the chart to match their response. This limits the questions to those having two responses, but it does provide additional fine motor practice as little fingers maneuver the clothes pins.
Conversation Questions
You can also simply use the questions as a conversation starter. During morning meeting, show the daily question and give each student a quick chance to respond verbally. This can be beneficial for building oral language skills.
This format works particularly well if you need to alternate between in person and distance learning. It’s a routine that can work easily in both settings. If you need directions on how to upload and assign a question of the day in Seesaw, check out this post.
They answered the questions. Now what do I do with the responses?
In addition to practicing reading and name writing/recognition, you can revisit the Question of the Day during math. Spend a few minutes analyzing the data – creating a graph or comparing the number of students who chose each response.
Once you are done using the questions for math, you can share the responses with families by posting a photo on your website or sharing a photo on Seesaw or a another sharing app. Teachers generally just recycle the sheets at the end of the day.
Some students do enjoy looking at the questions later. Questions of the Day that are written on paper can be bound into a book or hung on the classroom wall. Students can revisit them as they read around the room or during choice time.
If you use the student response cards (rather than sheets of paper), you will dismantle the questions each day. You could always take a photo of the responses, print it and use that to create a class book (or share it online).
How do I store the reusable pieces?
Storing Sign-in Sheets
For sign-in sheets (of any size), you could certainly laminate the sheets and store them flat on a shelf. Students can sign-in with a dry erase or vís-a-vís marker. Consider storing the used sheets upside down, adding to the pile as you use one. At the beginning of the next school year, flip the pile over and your questions are ready to go, in the order you used last year!
Storing Pocket Chart Cards
Pocket chart cards are a bit bulkier to store. You can organize the cards in plastic zip bags – putting the questions and response cards from 1-2 months in each bag. Then you can store them in a plastic box. I prefer the 12” X 12” scrapbooking boxes because of how they fit on my shelves. But plastic shoeboxes are another option, too.
An alternative to plastic bags and boxes is to stand them up in cardboard photo boxes. The question cards are the perfect width for the boxes – and the response cards can be tucked in behind each question. As you finish a question, file it in the back of the box for next year!
Finally, if you use only the question cards, you can simply store them on a ring. Group similar cards together on rings, so you can keep your themes/monthly topics together.
As you can see, there are numerous ways to display (and store) your Questions of the Day. The method you choose will need to match your personal preferences and your classroom space. Regardless of your choice, your students will love being able to read the questions independently as they learn more about one another and practice basic math skills.
Are you looking for tips on creating questions or incorporating this routine into your schedule? Check out part 1 of this post for suggestions! If you want to use the Question of the Day routine but don’t have time to create the questions, visit my store. I have hundreds of pre-made questions available!
Questions of the Day featured in this post:
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Wonderful done thanks for sharing kids will enjoy these beautiful beginnings to their every day learning thanks
I store my Questions in a binder with sheet protectors. I fold the sheet protector in half length-wise, unfold, and staple 2 times along the crease. Each sheet protector holds 4 days worth of questions and answers. I hope this will help someone!