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Writer's pictureAaron Daffern

25 Brain Break Ideas for 1st Grade



Brain breaks are great for kids. They need an opportunity to move periodically, recharge their batteries, and process what they've learned. Instead of putting on a brain-numbing video from GoNoodle, try these brain breaks instead. Since I'm a Texas educator, I've also included the relevant state standards for your reference.


If you'd like to see my list for Kindergarten, click here.


ELA Phonological Awareness (TEKS)

1. Rhyme Time: With a partner, produce a word that rhymes with a word supplied by the teacher (1.2Ai).

2. Alliteration Attack: With a partner, identify the spoken onset or initial sound of an alliterated phrase given by the teacher. Extend the alliteration by adding one or two more words with the same initial sound.(1.2Aii).

3. Vowel Sounds: With a partner, distinguish between a long or short vowel sound of a one-syllable word spoken by the teacher (1.2Aiii).

4. Vowel Change: With a partner, listen to a one-syllable word spoken by the teacher. Change the vowel sound from long to short or short to long and say the new word. The new word could be real or a nonsense word (1.2Aiii).

5. Adding Phonemes: With a partner, listen to two words spoken by the teacher that are identical except for an added phoneme to the second word. Identify the phoneme that was added and how it changes the word (1.2Aiv).

6. Removing Phonemes: With a partner, listen to two words spoken by the teacher that are identical except for a removed phoneme from the second word. Identify the phoneme that was removed and how it changes the word (1.2Aiv).

7. Changing Phonemes: With a partner, listen to two words spoken by the teacher that are identical except for changed phoneme to the second word. Identify the phoneme that was changed and how it changes the word (1.2Aiv).

8. Phoneme Blend: With a partner, blend spoken phonemes (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/) into words (1.2Av).

9. Blending Blends: With a partner, blend spoken phonemes (e.g., /c/ /l/ /a/ /p/) into words that include an initial or final consonant blend. Identify the blend (1.2Av).

10. Segmenting Phonemes: With a partner, segment a spoken one-syllable word of three to five phonemes into individual phonemes (1.2Avii).

11. Segmenting Blends: With a partner, segment a spoken one-syllable word of three to five phonemes that include an initial or final consonant blend into individual phonemes. Identify the blend (1.2Avii).


ELA Phonetic/Spelling Knowledge (TEKS)

12. Word Wall Spelling: One partner says a high-frequency word from a word wall. The other spells it (1.2Bvi, 1.2Civ).

13. Sounding Out Words: One partner faces the teacher while another faces away. The teacher holds up a decodable word. The partner facing the teacher says the sound of each letter while the partner facing away guesses the word (1.2Bi, 1.2Ciii).

14. Sounding Out Digraphs: One partner faces the teacher while another faces away. The teacher holds up a decodable word with a digraph. The partner facing the teacher says the sound of each phoneme while the partner facing away guesses the word (1.2Bi, 1.2Bii, 1.2Cii, 1.2Ciii).

15. Sounding Out Trigraphs: One partner faces the teacher while another faces away. The teacher holds up a decodable word with a trigraph. The partner facing the teacher says the sound of each phoneme while the partner facing away guesses the word (1.2Bi, 1.2Bii, 1.2Cii, 1.2Ciii).



Math (TEKS)

16. More Than: With a partner, generate several numbers that are more than a pictorial model (up to 120) shown by the teacher (1.2D).

17. Less Than: With a partner, generate several numbers that are less than a pictorial model (up to 120) shown by the teacher (1.2D).

18. Ten More/Ten Less: Teacher says a number aloud (up to 120). One partner says the number that is ten more than that number, the other partner says the number that is ten less than that number (1.5C).

19. Counting Forward: With a partner, count forward to 120, alternating between partners, from a number given by the teacher (1.5A).

20. Counting Backward: With a partner, count backward to 0, alternating between partners, from a number (less than 120) given by the teacher (1.5A).

21. Partner Composing 10: Partners hold hand behind their backs. When the teacher says, "Compose," each partner brings out their right hand with a random number of fingers displayed. Partners add the two sets and name the missing value to make a ten. For example, one student holds out five fingers and the other holds out three. The partners would then name two as the missing value (1.3C).

22. Finger Adding: Partners hold both hands behind their backs. When the teacher says, "Add", they bring out their hands with a random number of fingers showing. The students then add their fingers with a verbal number sentence (1.3D)

23. Skip Counting by 10s: With a partner, skip count forward to 120 by 10s, alternating between partners, from a number given by the teacher (1.5B).

24. Skip Counting by 5s: With a partner, skip count forward to 120 by 5s, alternating between partners, from a number given by the teacher (1.5B).

25. Skip Counting by 2s: With a partner, skip count forward to 120 by 2s, alternating between partners, from a number given by the teacher (1.5B).

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