17 Fun Ways to Review Classroom Procedures

Includes a free printable! Practicing procedures over and over again at the beginning of the school year can get a little boring. Here are 17 different ways to review classroom procedures with your 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade class!

We all know the importance of teaching and reviewing rules and classroom procedures. As upper elementary school teachers, we are bombarded with recommendations to have clear expectations and practice routines and procedures constantly, particularly the first week of school, and then to keep practicing them throughout the school year.

But how do you teach and review procedures over and over again without boring your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students? Below are 17 different ways to practice and review classroom procedures the first week of school and then again throughout the school year.

Need ideas for setting up different procedures? Check these out. And make sure you aren't missing any procedures with this free procedures checklist.

Fun Ideas to Reinforce Your Procedures and Rules

1. Use a Find Someone Who Freebie

This free Classroom Procedures Find Somebody Who challenges students to find different people in the classroom to explain different procedures to them. It is a fun, interactive way for students to review procedures after they have been taught.

Like this activity? Check out these other ways to use Find Someone Who in your classroom.

2. Create a Class Book of Procedures

Make each student (or pair of students) responsible for illustrating and explaining one important procedure in your classroom. Then, put all the pages together to create a class book. Place the completed book in your classroom library so students can read for fun (or if they need a quick review of procedures).

3. Create Individual Books of Procedures

Each student can illustrate and explain 5 or 6 or the most important classroom expectations and create a book that they can store in their desk for reference.

4. Take Pictures

As you go throughout the school day, take pictures of students who are correctly following classroom routines. Post those pictures next to a word wall in your classroom for students to use as reference.

You could also assign the picture taking as one of your classroom jobs.

5. Create Anchor Charts

Have groups of students create an anchor chart for certain procedures. As they school year progresses, you can always go back and refer to the anchor charts as needed.

6. Rewrite a Story

Integrate writing while also teaching classroom procedures! Write a short story where classroom routines are clearly not being followed. Have students rewrite the story, making sure the main character follows the correct procedures.

For a no prep way to complete this activity, check out this Practice Classroom Procedures Through Writing Resource.

No prep classroom procedure rewrite to review procedures for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

7. Act It Out

Have small groups or pairs of students act out a classroom procedure. Make it more fun by having them act out both the wrong way and the right way!

8. Video or Slide Presentations

There are a variety of easy to use technology tools that students can use to create a fun presentation. Powerpoint, Prezi, Animoto, or Google Slides are all good options that will give students a chance to experiment with different tech tools. Have students create a presentation about one of your most important classroom rules or routines.

9. Create A Classroom Procedure Foldable

You can assign specific procedures for students to explain, or let them choose.

There are a lot of no prep foldable options that students could create to review classroom procedures. Check out these ideas.

Review Classroom Procedures with Foldables - have students create a foldable and write about different classroom procedures.

10. Write A Song or Poem

Assign a procedure to small groups or pairs of students, and have them write a song or poem about the procedure. Your bolder students can present these to the class!

If your students are intimidated by poetry writing, then have them start with one of these shorter, less intimidating forms of poetry.

11. Use Blabberize

Blabberize is a fun tool that students will love. Check out these ideas for using Blabberize in the classroom here, and then have your students create their own Blabber about one of your classroom expectations!

12. Find the Fib

Have two students write two true statements and one fib about a classroom procedure, and see if a partner can find the fib. Read more about "Find the Fib" and get a free printable here!

13. Create a Comic Strip

Have students create their own comic strip that explains a classroom procedure. Use pencil and paper, or try out this online comic book creator tool.

8 outdoor learning scavenger hunts, no prep for 3rd, 4th, 5th

Take the classroom outdoors with these fun outdoor scavenger hunts that cover a variety of skills. The 8 scavenger hunts include:

5 senses scavenger hunt
nouns and adjectives hunt
math review
living and nonliving
syllable sort
...and more!

Get 8 scavenger hunts for $2.00 and enjoy some sunshine with your students!

14. Write a How To or Procedure Essay

Have students explain one of your classroom procedures in their first essay of the year!

15. Quick Write

For a quick filler activity, have students list everything they can think of related to one of your classroom procedures in one minute.

If you struggle with getting your students to write, then check out these ideas for making writing fun.

16. Compare and Contrast

Choose 2 classroom routines and have students compare and contrast them. Use the typical Venn Diagram, or one of these other fun ways to practice comparing and contrasting.

17. Draw a Picture

Have students illustrate one of the classroom procedures. Use pencil and paper, or dry erase markers and white boards. They can share their work with the class or another student, and see if the other students can guess what procedure was illustrated.

Don't just teach classroom procedures the first day of school. Upper elementary students need practice throughout the school year. After Christmas Break and Spring Break, for example, are essential times to reteach classroom routines and expectations.

Review routines after getting new students as well. It will help the new students feel more comfortable, while your other students will benefit from the additional reminders!

Make sure your students know these routines backwards and forwards:

Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!

Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!