A couple of
years ago, some colleagues and I started using math centers in our
classrooms. We learned from other teachers that
were doing math centers in their classrooms and other resources. At the bottom
of this entry I included the references.
We were already
doing centers during Language Arts, but now we had decided to start centers
during math time because we realized that our students were at different levels
and we felt that we weren’t reaching all of them.
Since our math lessons
were whole group, we realized that we didn’t have time to work with individual
students and in small groups, and we, as teachers, were becoming frustrated.
Math Centers helped us and our students tremendously. We started using time more
efficiently, we were able to
immediately assess and assist student learning, and we were able to review and differentiate content as per
students’ needs.
Our students
were able to learn at their ability level, experience success and enjoy Math,
increase their self-esteem, gain new understanding, learn from their peers,
participate in activities of appropriate lengths, and work collaboratively.
Math Centers were the answer to our problems! Below I will briefly explain how math centers work.
Math Workshop
Model:
Before we begin
Math Workshop rotations everyday, students take turns solving daily routines, which
consist of four problems on the board. This provides daily practice of concepts
in the current unit and helps students review skills learned in units we have
already completed.
Math Routines
are in clear plastic communicators so activities can easily be replaced weekly or per unit.
For each unit in
math, we divided the class into three groups (red, green, blue or A, B, C) that
rotated through three stations:
1–Work With
Teacher
2–Independent
Practice & Math boxes
3–Math Games/ Esuite
Students do the
same centers in the same order everyday so the rotation chart doesn't change.
Work with Teacher:
Independent Practice
Games/ Technology
80 Minute Math
Schedule
•10 minutes:
Daily Routines/Math Message
•66 minutes:
Three Center Rotations (20 minutes per center + rotation time)
•4 minutes:
Closure/Exit Slip/Math Minute
Assessment:
References:
•Math Workshop
in Rm. 13 http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/
•Developmental
Grouping to Differentiate Instruction http://blogs.scholastic.com/top_teaching/2010/
• Math Workshop
in the upper elementary classroom http://blogs.scholastic.com/top_teaching/2010/05/math-workshop.html
•EveryDay Math
For Educators http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/educators/
