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An Interactive word wall can transform spaces in your classroom. They provide a way for students to engage with content in an authentic matter and promote a sense of curiosity among your students. As a classroom teacher I used #ScannableTech in many different ways and wrote a book sharing ideas, tips and tricks for using this technology in the classroom. What I love about QR Codes and Augmented Reality are the ways you can use this technology to change an everyday practice in your classroom with a simple scan.

A word wall is a staple in most classrooms. From primary grades to high school your vocabulary words for a unit of study are prominently displayed for students to reference. The great thing about a word wall is that students see what words they should use in their discussions and responses about a topic to help them stay accountable for using domain-specific vocabulary.

Interactive Word Wall

But what if we could transform this word wall experience?

A word wall doesn't have to be a list of vocabulary affixed to a corner of your classroom. It can be an interactive tool for learning with just a few tweeks. This is where our #ScannableTech comes into play. With QR codes and augmented reality teachers can connect students to content hosted online.

QR codes are totally free to make and use. Take a look at your own word wall. If it's full of vocabulary words related to an ecosystems unit (think: food chain, energy pyramid, etc.) you can connect one of your words to an online resource to make your word wall interactive. First, choose your word-let's pick endangered species. Then, find content online that will help students understand or learn more about this vocabulary word-let's use this clip from National Geographic. Once you have your online content you can copy and paste the link into a QR code generator like QRStuff.com. After creating your QR code you can print it out and tape it to your word wall so anyone who scans can watch this video clip.

If you want an augmented reality experience so your online content pops off of the page, there are a few options to check out. Aurasma makes it super easy to get started and create AR experiences with your mobile device. For more complex animation and layering on multiple types of content you can check out Blippar which has a fantastic dashboard for creation.

Building behaviors for scanning

Students need to know what happens when they scan content on an interactive word wall. Make sure they have time to practice scanning QR codes or augmented reality triggers. They should also know when it's okay to get up and scan an interactive word wall. The best part of this process is that you are encouraging students to think beyond the page and stay curious about the content you're teaching.

Get your students involved!

The task of finding and/or creating online content for an interactive word wall might feel daunting. You can have students create word wall content by asking them to curate and create material. Students can take on the challenge of making a tutorial to explain a math vocabulary word or find a video that demonstrates a science concept.

Learn more about scannable technology with my book Deeper Learning With QR Codes and Augmented Reality: A Scannable Solution for Your Classroom now available in paperback and ebook format.

Have you created an interactive word wall? Share your ideas in the comments section!

This post originally appeared on Corwin Connect, you can view ithere.

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How-To Create an Interactive Word Wall with #ScannableTech﻿ - Class Tech Tips

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An Interactive word wall can transform spaces in your classroom. They provide a way for students to engage with content in an authentic matter and promote a sense of curiosity among your students. As a classroom teacher I used #ScannableTech in many different ways and wrote a book sharing ideas, tips and tricks for using this technology in the classroom.

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Today must have been one of the BEST days I have had yet this year with my students! It might be one of the first days all year that I ended the day with a HUGE smile. I typically do mixed ability groups when I do group work but today I decided to switch it up and do leveled grouping. I am usually hesitant to do leveled grouping because I find my students off task more often. I think this may come from having to put more of my focus on the low group to keep them moving (allowing the other groups to get off task). I anticipated a wide range of abilities when I introduced order of operations. Although students were aware of order of operations they are now expected to do them with more complicated grouping symbols and negative numbers. Yesterday I gave an exit slip asking students to solve a med/hard order of operations problem and rate themselves (1-3) on how they felt about order of operations. Looking through the ratings I felt students were pretty honest so I grouped them according to their ratings.

Red Group: I feel confused

Green Group: I feel great

I wrote the problems that all three groups were doing on colored index cards. The green and purple groups did different problems provided by the text book and red did simpler problems I found on a worksheet.

I told the students they had one verbal warning before I started ripping off 10% each time they were off task. The slip was worth 5 points in the grade book making each piece worth 0.5 points. I do a lot of positive reinforcement for group work engagement with my golden groups and since they were working in groups (not their golden group) each student earned a puzzle piece for their group.

I don't know if it was the groupings, the problems, or participation slips but students were VERY engaged. I only ripped a handful of students sheets and only 2 students scored below a 90%. The students even noticed a difference asking if they could stay in these groups for the next book!

I don't think grouping should always be homogenous but this activity had shown me I shouldn't be afraid to group by ability level (I have had TERRIBLE experiences in the past). The participation sheets will also be making an appearance again soon - maybe partner work?

Today is a day that reminds me why I love teaching. I hope I can share another day like today soon :)

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3818884/?claim=hh8vrbhg72m">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

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Fast Times of a Middle School Math Teacher

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Today must have been one of the BEST days I have had yet this year with my students! It might be one of the first days all year that I ended the day with a HUGE smile. I typically do mixed ability groups when I do group work but today I decided to switch it up and do leveled grouping.

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I have a confession... I still have photos on my phone from the 2012-2013 school year. Yes it is 2014 and I am finally getting some of those photos off my camera :)

LAST year I was peeking into a fellow math teacher's room and noticed her students reading directions in these clever clear plastic stands.

I knew I needed those stands for my own room and immediately went on Amazon.com to find a set. I can't remember the exact set I bought but you can purchase similar ones here.

I love to use these stands for stations or presenting task cards. Recently I used the stands for a unit review. I had a variety of math games and activities to practice integers, order of operations and the distributive property.

I always make two-sided copies of directions so students can see from both sides of the table.

I seriously LOVE these stands and I get excited every time I use them! I recommend getting at least one stand for each table. I have a few extra which can be helpful if one breaks or I need more than one stand at a table.

If you don't have a way to present task cards or directions on tables I highly recommend getting yourself a set. Once you have them you will never understand how you got along without them for so long :)

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Change The Way You Display Directions...

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I have a confession... I still have photos on my phone from the 2012-2013 school year. Yes it is 2014 and I am finally getting some of those photos off my camera :) LAST year I was peeking into a fellow math teacher's room and noticed her students reading directions in these clever clear plastic stands.

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Puzzles, games and mini-competitions organized by grade

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Please use MathPickle in your classrooms. If you have improvements to make, please contact me. I'll give you credit and kudos 😉 For a free poster of MathPickle's ideas on elementary math education go

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Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.

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As we near the end of the fall semester, I know many of you are already thinking about and preparing for the spring semester. For the next few weeks, I will be offering blog content to do just that! Today's post was inspired by a conversation that I recently had with a principal who, after analyzing test data, concluded that her teachers needed to do more work with math vocabulary.

Over the years, I have often heard teachers talking about their students being unable to answer questions on state assessments because they get confused about the vocabulary. I always think to myself, and am sometimes brave enough to ask, "How did you rehearse the vocabulary in the classroom?" The responses have varied but generally amount to giving vocabulary quizzes, using flashcards, or creating a Frayer graphic organizer for each word. While all of these methods are great, they will not produce a long-term understanding of important math vocabulary and terms.

Instead, we must give students the opportunity to interact with the words on a regular basis in a way which is both engaging and meaningful. Understanding mathematical vocabulary and terms is essential to student success with grade-level content and skills. However, how can we effectively support student understanding of these important words- by using a math word wall!
What is a math word wall?
Much like the word walls we see when students are developing sight words and high-frequency words, a math word wall is a collection of words that is updated as students encounter new vocabulary and terms. Now, I know you're thinking, "Space is at a premium in my classroom!" I totally get that, so, here are a few different ways to create a math word wall space in your classroom:

Use a large wall or other large space to display the letters of the alphabet. Then display the words under each letter. See the pictures to the right for examples. The top picture is from my seventh-grade math class and the next picture is from my fourth-grade classroom.

Create unit specific or topic-specific boards on poster board. This method is great if you do have limited space. See the picture on the bottom right for an example.

I've also made a portable word wall with butcher paper wrapped around a clothes hanger (kind of like the hanger is wearing a long t-shirt). I mostly used this method for my science words because I already had one, sometimes two, large word walls.

How Do I Use a Math Word Wall?
Through my 16 years in education, I have learned that students retain vocabulary much better when they review the words weekly through a variety of activities. The word wall will then become an integral part of your instruction when used regularly.

One of the activities with which I have found a great deal of success is called "I'm Thinking of a Word Wall Word." Once a week, I take 5 - 10 minutes out of the day to review the words. I choose a word to define and say, "I'm thinking of a word wall word that means (insert the definition here)." I then ask students to raise their hands to respond with the correct word. I repeat the process for 4 - 9 additional words. Over time, with regular use of this activity, my students have become more proficient with their math vocabulary.

This is just one of the many ways a math word wall can help your students become more proficient with their math vocabulary and terms. Want more activities and ideas? Click the image below to download a free eBook!

Sound Off! How do you help your students become proficient with math vocabulary and terms?

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How to Get Started Using a Math Word Wall

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As we near the end of the fall semester, I know many of you are already thinking about and preparing for the spring semester. For the next few weeks, I will be offering blog content to do just that!

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Math Workshop Professional Learning | Math Solutions

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Math Solutions offers comprehensive professional learning plans for implementing Math Workshop in your school and district.

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Cignition’s FogStone Isle lets kids explore, create and engage with math through real-world scenarios. Unlike most game-based learning programs, FogStone […]

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Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games, which describes [...]

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Glogster: Multimedia Posters | Online Educational Content

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The creative visual learning platform that every educator and student deserves.

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search

Enriching mathematics for all learners

A free-to-use collection of mathematics activities, lessons and problems designed to nurture curious, resourceful and confident learners of mathematics. Produced by The University of Cambridge.

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The Nrich Maths Project Cambridge,England. Mathematics resources for children,parents and teachers to enrich learning. Problems,children's solutions,interactivities,games,articles.

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By Kitty Rutherford, Posted April 27, 2015 -

People of all ages love to play games that are fun and motivating. Games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. Further, they afford opportunities for students to deepen their mathematical understanding and reasoning. Teachers should provide repeated opportunities for students to play games, then let the mathematical ideas emerge as students notice new patterns, relationships, and strategies. Games are an important tool for learning in elementary school mathematics classrooms:

* Playing games encourages strategic mathematical thinking as students find different strategies for solving problems and deepen their understanding of numbers.

* When played repeatedly, games support students' development of computational fluency.

* Games present opportunities for practice, often without the need for teachers to provide the problems. Teachers can then observe or assess students and work with individuals or small groups of students.

* Games have the potential to allow students to develop familiarity with the number system and with "benchmark numbers" (such as 10s, 100s, and 1000s) and engage in computation practice, building a deeper understanding of operations.

* Games support a school-to-home connection. Parents can learn about their children's mathematical thinking by playing games with them at home.

This game is on p. 65 of the downloadablePDF. Building Fluency
Fluency requires a balance and connection between conceptual understanding and computational proficiency. Computational methods that are over-practiced without understanding are forgotten or remembered incorrectly. Conceptual understanding without fluency can inhibit the problem-solving process (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 35).

Developing computational fluency is an expectation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Games provide opportunity for meaningful practice. The research about how students develop fact mastery indicates that drill techniques and timed tests do not have the power that mathematical games and other experiences have. Appropriate mathematical activities are essential building blocks to develop mathematically proficient students who demonstrate computational fluency (Van de Walle and Lovin, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 94). Remember, computational fluency includes efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility with strategies (Russell 2000).

The kinds of experiences that teachers offer their students clearly play a major role in determining the extent and quality of students' learning. Students can build understanding by actively engaging in tasks and experiences designed to deepen and connect their knowledge. Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding can be developed through problem solving, reasoning, and argumentation (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 21). Meaningful practice is necessary to develop fluency with basic number combinations and strategies with multidigit numbers. Practice should be purposeful and should focus on developing thinking strategies and a knowledge of number relationships rather than on drilling isolated facts (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 87). Do not subject any student to computation drills unless the student has developed an efficient strategy for the facts included in the drill (Van de Walle and Lovin 2006, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 117). Drills can strengthen strategies with which students feel comfortable-those they "own"-and will help make these strategies increasingly automatic. Therefore, strategy drills will allow students increasing efficiency, even to the point of recalling a fact without being conscious of using a strategy. Drills without an efficient strategy offer no assistance (Van de Walle and Lovin 2006, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics Grades K-3, p. 117).

This game is on p. 5 of the downloadable PDF.

Cautions

Sometimes teachers use games solely to practice number facts. These games usually do not engage children for long because they are based on students' recall or memorization of facts. Some students are quick to memorize; others need a few moments to compute a related fact. When students are placed in situations in which recall speed determines success, they may infer that being "smart" in mathematics means getting the correct answer quickly instead of valuing the process of thinking. Consequently, students may feel incompetent when they use number patterns or related facts to arrive at a solution and may begin to dislike mathematics because they are not fast enough.

Introduce a game
This game is on p. 67 of the downloadable PDF.

A good way to introduce a game to the class is for the teacher to play the game against the class. After briefly explaining the rules, ask students to make the class's next move. Teachers may also want to model their strategy by talking aloud for students to hear his or her thinking. "I placed my game marker on the six because that would give me the largest number."

Games are fun and can create a context for developing students' mathematical reasoning. Through playing and analyzing games, students also develop their computational fluency by examining strategies that are more efficient and by discussing relationships among numbers. Teachers can create opportunities for students to explore mathematical ideas by planning questions that prompt students to reflect about their reasoning and make predictions. Remember to always vary or modify the game to meet the needs of your leaners. Encourage the use of the Common Core's Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Holding Students Accountable

While playing games, have students record mathematical equations or representations of the mathematical tasks. This yields data for students and teachers to revisit to examine their mathematical understanding.

After playing a game, have students reflect on the game by asking them to discuss questions orally or write about them in a mathematics notebook or journal:

* What skill did you review and practice?

* Which strategies did you use while playing the game?

* If you were to play the games a second time, what different strategies would you use to be more successful?

* How could you tweak or modify the game to make it more challenging?

This game is on p. 42 of the downloadable PDF.

K-Grade 5 Math Games were created by North Carolina teachers and can be accessed on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, under Kindergarten Instructional Resources/Games.

For students to become fluent in arithmetic computation, "they must have efficient and accurate methods that are supported by an under-standing of numbers and operations. 'Standard' algorithms for arithmetic computation are one means of achieving this fluency" (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 35).

"Overemphasizing fast fact recall at the expense of problem solving and conceptual experiences gives students a distorted idea of the nature of mathematics and of their ability to do mathematics" (Seeley 2009, Faster Isn't Smarter: Messages about Math, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century, p. 95).

" Fluency refers to having efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods (algorithms) for computing that are based on well-understood properties and number relationships" [emphasis mine] (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 144).

" Computational fluency refers to having efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain these methods, and produce accurate answers efficiently" [emphasis mine] (NCTM 2000, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, p. 152).

Kitty Rutherford serves as the North Carolina Elementary Mathematics Consultant for the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. She is an experienced leader, collaborator, and licensed educator with a Master's Degree in Elementary Education coupled with over twenty-seven years' experience teaching elementary school students, training educators, collaborating with multiple stake-holders, and implementing effective programs. She has received such honors as the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, NCCTM Outstanding Elementary Mathematic Teacher, Alpha Delta Kappa State Excellence in Education Award, and Teacher of the Year Finalist. She currently serves as the State Coordinator for the NC Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching and on the board of the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

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By Kitty Rutherford, Posted April 27, 2015 - People of all ages love to play games that are fun and motivating. Games give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts.

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Setting Up an Interactive Notebook- Middle School Math

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Several years ago, in the middle of my third year teaching 6th grade math, I was approached by my middle school's instructional coach about a new (to me at the time!) model of teaching called math workshop. The general idea was that students would be placed in small groups that would rotate through different stations, or centers, throughout the class period. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty skeptical at first. It was a little overwhelming to think about completely overhauling the structure of my everyday classroom routines, and in the middle of the school year none the less! Pair that with the fact that I coach high school baseball in the spring, and I was envisioning what would have been close to zero free time dwindling into the negative numbers! Ultimately I decided to give it a try, and am I glad that I did. I truly believe it has benefited all of my students.

Math workshop can be set up in a lot of ways, depending on what works for that teacher and their students, so let me start by telling you about what I have been doing in my classroom. This year, because I have smaller class sizes of around 22 students, each of my classes are divided into four groups of 5 to 6 students. My first year I had larger class sizes, so I had them rotate through five centers. In general, I create groups based on the level of the students. I have thought about mixing the groups up, but really like how I am able to differentiate instruction when the groups are based on how well the students are understanding the material. The four centers include a center at the front table with me, an assignment center, a technology/hands-on center, and a problem solving/review center. I teach three classes that are 90 minutes each, so after accounting for 10 minutes of checking homework, a 10 minute daily check of what we did the previous day, a very brief introduction to the lesson, and a wrap-up at the end of class, I have about 12-15 minutes for each center. A while back, I wrote a post about how math workshop could work in different class lengths and sizes. You can check that out here! Above is a chart I made to keep track of groups and centers. I also have a document posted that shows what color group each student is in. So, you might be asking yourself, what do each of these centers include?

Teacher Center: This is BY FAR the most important center for the students and really the number one reason why I decided to switch to a math workshop structure. It benefits the struggling and advanced students in so many ways, not to mention all of the students in between! For my struggling students, I am able to work essentially one-on-one, in their small group, to see what they aren't understanding. With all of my students during this time, I begin by having them work on these Math Task Cards, which are a basic set of problems for each topic we cover in 6th grade. For my advanced students, who usually breeze through these problems, I have spent a lot of time creating 6th grade Enrichment Task Cards for each of these topics. I recently began teaching a section of 8th grade math and have also created sets of task cards and enrichment task cards for 8th grade math. These are linked below! I laminate and cut out six copies to have ready, so each student has their own. Originally I had students working in their notebooks at this center, then I switched to white boards, and now I recently turned my front table into a giant white board...and am I glad I did! The students absolutely love writing on the table! Just be sure you order enough dry-erase markers...they go fast!

Math Task Cards - 6th Grade Math
Math Enrichment Task Cards - 6th Grade Math

Math Task Cards - 8th Grade Math
Math Enrichment Task Cards - 8th Grade Math

Assignment Center: I always have students head to this center directly after they have met with me at the teacher center. This is their chance to practice what we have just learned at the previous center. We use a textbook series for our math curriculum, so my assignments are usually 10-15 problems from the lesson we covered that day. The issue that arises with this center is that you will have one group that needs to start their day at homework, without having gone to the teacher center. I have my advanced group always start here, since they can usually do the homework with little introduction. Then by the time they get to my center, they have practiced on the homework and are ready for the enrichment problems!
Tech/Hands-on Center: This center is by far the most loosely defined (and sometimes the hardest to plan for!). Our school IMC has iPads available to check out, so usually on Thursdays and Fridays I have students play math apps (from a list I have pre-selected!) on six of the iPads that I have checked out. On days without the iPads it varies greatly. A lot of times, at this center, I will incorporate math games that either review a past concept or relate to what we have recently learned. This free Connect Four: Multiplying Decimals game is an example of a game I created for use at this center. Other times I will create a more hands-on activity for them to complete. For example, when multiplying fractions, I had students use fraction dice and cards to create their own problems. They wrote their work on the answer sheet (FREE!) found in my TpT store at this link: Fraction Multiplication Answer Sheet

Another question that comes up is the amount of preparation. To be honest, it is quite a bit of preparation up front. Having a bank of math games and some form of technology for the technology/hands-on center has been important for me. I do spend a lot of outside the classroom time getting things ready and creating activities, but it hasn't been completely overwhelming. I have been using math workshop for a few years now and I am already starting to notice less preparation because of materials I have ready to go! If you are just starting and want to stock up on a bunch of resources all at once, I have all of my 6th grade materials split between two math mega bundles. This Problem Solving/Review Center: This center can also fluctuate a bit. I sometimes have students working on these awesome (and once again free!) Problems of the Month, which are from the Inside Mathematics website. These problems are progressively more challenging applications of recently learned concepts and skills. I print and laminate six copies of one of these problems to have ready to go at the center. Students have about a week to work on each problem. The great part is that there are different levels, from easy to difficult, so students can work at their own pace. I have recently started using this station as a review center as well. I found that by the end of the year, my students were forgetting what we had done at the beginning of the year! To try to avoid this, I am going to start using some of my "early in the year" math games as review later on in the school year.
Some common questions arise about starting math workshop, so I will try my best to answer a few. One of the most common is how and if students stay on task at all of the different centers. This was my biggest concern going into math workshop. After using math workshop for about a year now, I've found that if anything it has been easier for kids to stay on task. By moving around and changing activities every 10-15 minutes, it helps them get a quick movement break and refocus on a new activity. Sure, there will always be behavior issues at times, but these behavior issues probably would have occurred if students were being asked to sit through a "normal" class and worktime. Setting up routines at the beginning is very important and I have already done a better job this year compared to past years. I'm sure, like everything in teaching, I will find a way to make it that much better next year. I also use a behavior system where the class starts with four letters P-U-M-A. If I need to take away all four letters for not following expectations, then we lose math workshop for the following day. This is pretty good motivation for them, especially when we are planning to use iPads the next day!
Mega Bundle (PART 1) and Mega Bundle (PART 2) include everything I have created for 6th grade math (with no overlap between bundles). This Mega Bundle (8th Grade Math) includes my 8th grade resources. I put these at a HUGE discount when compared to purchasing everything individually!
If you plan to start a math workshop structure in your class, my advice would be to find what works for you! I know some teachers who don't have a schedule that allows every group to go to every center each day, so they have them go to one or two centers per day. As far as I am concerned there isn't one right way to use math workshop. I would love to hear any ideas or answer any questions that you have in the comments section below!

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Several years ago, in the middle of my third year teaching 6th grade math, I was approached by my middle school's instructional coach about a new (to me at the time!) model of teaching called math workshop. The general idea was that students would be placed in small groups that would rotate through different stations, or centers, throughout the class period.

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What exactly is a math station? Before I implemented math stations in my 5th grade classroom, I envisioned them as elaborate "centers" around the room where students would go to play games or complete activities. But who has time to create those cute little centers? And even if we had the time, who has enough space in their classrooms to set up all those centers?!

Fortunately, I learned that math stations don't have to be elaborate, complicated, OR picture perfect! Math stations, or math centers, can be nothing more than a set of directions along with the task cards or other materials for the activity. The best math station activities are highly engaging and often involve partners working together. The activities can be completed at a table, at a student desk, or even while sitting on the floor! As you can see from these pictures, that's where my students enjoyed working.

Why Implement Math Stations in the Upper Elementary Grades?

Differentiation is the buzz word in education, but the challenge is finding the time to plan and prepare activities that meet the needs of all of our students. Upper elementary students need differentiation as much as younger students, but figuring out how to differentiate can be a daunting task. Adding math stations to your instructional program can be an effective way of meeting diverse needs and finding the time to work with small groups of students on targeted skills.

Math Stations Made Easy

If you aren't sure how to get started with math stations, you'll find Math Stations for Middle Grades to be an excellent resource. I wrote it as a guide for upper elementary and middle school teachers who want to simplify the process of setting up math centers. This teaching resource includes 60+ pages of activities, printables, and management strategies! You can purchase it alone or with editable templates of the task cards and selected resources. If you want a larger selection of ready-to-use printable task card games, the Math Stations and Games Bundle is just what you need!

(Click here to preview Math Stations for Middle Grade online)

Math Stations for Middle
Grades (Non-editable PDF)

Math Stations PDF
with Editable Templates

Math Stations, Templates, and Games for Task Cards

What You'll Find in Math Stations for Middle Grades

62 pages of lesson plans, teaching strategies and printables

25 prepared, content-specific games and activities like the Target Number Challenge game shown here

Over 10 pages of directions and teaching suggestions

Math Stations Classroom Management Ideas

Descriptions for implementing Learning Choice Stations and Rotation Stations

Create Your Own Game non-editable templates and blank printables

What are some activities to use with Math Stations?

Math Stations for Middle Grades includes over 2 dozen math games and activities in a variety of math content areas. You'll also find blank printables for game cards. However, if you would like even more activities, including the directions, printables, and answer keys, you'll want to purchase the Math Stations and Games for Task Cards Bundle. You can customize those games by adding your own task cards with specific math content.

Math Stations in Action!

These pictures were taken of my 5th graders as they were working in Math Stations. You can see their Math Station Logs in some of the pictures.

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Math Stations and Math Centers Made Easy!

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What exactly is a math station? Before I implemented math stations in my 5th grade classroom, I envisioned them as elaborate "centers" around the room where students would go to play games or complete activities. But who has time to create those cute little centers?

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Math interactive notebooks are a great hands-on tool to engage students in the content and process. It has been noted by researchers that interactive notebooks allow students to systematically organize information. Typically the right side of the notebook is teacher guided note taking, often in the form of a graphic organizer, foldable, or cut and paste. The left side of the notebook is where students are able to process the information through practice, drawings, and reflection.

Math academic vocabulary is conceptual. Students not only have to know what "rate of change" means, but they have to do something based on the term or phrase. Most mathematical terms have lengthy and complex definitions that are difficult to interpret and apply for a middle school student. Students who are able to read a problem and quickly identify the terms and corresponding process are much more successful with solving the actual math content. Math interactive notebooks provide a place to interact with the vocabulary and a space to reference at a later time.

How to incorporate math interactive notebooks and vocabulary

My first year teaching, I had students create a glossary in the back of their interactive notebook. Students would write the definition and draw a picture of some sort. While this was a step in the right direction, it really didn't allow students to interact. It was more a rote experience that took up precious time.

Later, I decided to incorporate vocabulary into the class with specific activities. Below are three different ways for students to interact with the vocabulary using their interactive notebooks.

The Angle Relationships Card Sort is perfect for differentiating between common terms.

CUT AND PASTE

This is one of my favorite, go-to activities for math interactive notebooks. Students are working with absolute value, which is often confused with the opposite. Here students are given a problem, then asked to find the absolute value and the opposite of the problem. This specifically addresses the misconception that they are one in the same.

I think this activity lends itself to slope quite nicely, as well.

CLASSIFICATION

It is embarrassing to admit, but it wasn't until college that I really understood the number system. I think it was all the terms "rational, irrational, real, integer" that through me for a loop. It all seemed so abstract, and while I am sure that someone taught we these terms, it got to the point in high school math where it is assumed that you know them. I wouldn't be shocked if the average person or student couldn't explain a rational number.

Various classification structures (venn diagrams, tables, concentric circles) are excellent for teaching the differences between the terms and how they apply.

Based on the activity, students are able to converse with peers about the vocabulary, practice using it in context, and summarize their learning.

WHO DOES THIS BENEFIT?

First and foremost this is going to benefit the English Language Learners in your classroom. They will get hands-on experience with the vocabulary and feedback from both peers and the teacher. Additionally, this is will support students who struggle with math content in general. Because of the interaction with the text, they will be moving their learning from short term memory to long term memory using summarization. I am a huge fan of summarization after being training through AVID.

WHAT IS THE KEY?

Ultimately, its not about the flipping of paper or the cutting and pasting, it is about the conversation and dialogue taking place in the classroom. If you have a high population of ELL or teach an intervention class or see the benefit for your students you might want to include some conversational prompts. Here are a few to get you started:

"________ (term) is similar to _______ because..."

"I know that ________ (term) is not..."

"Can you explain why you..."

"What would happen if..."

What other ways do you incorporate vocabulary in your math class?

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Math interactive notebooks are a great hands-on tool to engage students in the content and process. Three ways to incorporate vocabulary into your INBs.

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So, you've been thinking about trying out stations in your middle or high school math classroom. There's a lot to learn for sure, but once you get them situated and they become part of your classroom routine, the possibilities and benefits are endless.

As with any new idea or concept, there is a little bit of a learning curve. Stations are not something you can "print and go" the first time and have them go smoothly. They require a little bit of prep work. Here are three rookie mistakes you may find yourself getting ready to make when getting started with stations.

1. Not prepping your class. So, you've prepped yourself - read up on stations and have everything copied, labeled, set up and ready to go. You get super excited to share this new idea with your students - give a few directions and send them off. You anticipate great things - collaboration, movement, lots of "a ha" moments. Instead, you get confusion, chaos, lots of questions and blank stares. Your students need to be prepped just as much as the stations themselves. If you have never done stations before, you'll need to start from scratch. Explain what you are doing, why you are doing it and how it is going to work. This should be done BEFORE the station activity is scheduled to being. Preferably, the day before - or even weeks before. You can easily ease your students into stations during back to school by setting up some "review centers" or "get to know me" around the room and have them move around and review old skills or get to know one another. Think of stations as another classroom procedure. Practice makes perfect.

2. Using stations as "busy work". Stations have SO much value. They shouldn't be used as busy work - something for a substitute (oh please don't do that) or something for the students to do while you catch up on grading. If stations are used incorrectly once, your students will probably hate them. They are smart and they know when they are doing something that has real educational value. By seeing you up and moving around the room, encouraging discussions and asking questions - they'll get the hint that this is not just another worksheet or activity. If you make stations seem valuable, your students will see them the same way.

3. Using stations ALL the time. Let's be honest. When we find something that works, we want to use it all the time. Your students however, probably don't feel the same way. Stations are most effective when used sporadically. If you use them daily - they'll become "just another thing" your students do. If you want stations to be something your students enjoy and really get something out of - use them occasionally. Maybe once or twice a unit.

I could talk about stations for days (as evident by the fact that I have two other blog posts on this topic alone) but rather than type a whole series of posts, I thought it would be best if you could hear about stations directly from me. Click the WEBINARS tab on the menu bar at the top of this page to get info on how to sign up for a free stations webinar!

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Three Rookie Mistakes - Stations in Secondary Math

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So, you've been thinking about trying out stations in your middle or high school math classroom. There's a lot to learn for sure, but once you get them situated and they become part of your classroom routine, the possibilities and benefits are endless.

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Let me start with this video. It really breaks down how I format the small group instruction (guided math) portion of my math block (I have a 90-minute block):

And here is a copy of how I structure my whole 90-minutes. The math program I use for whole class instruction is called "Digits":

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Let me start with this video. It really breaks down how I format the small group instruction (guided math) portion of my math block (I have a 90-minute block): And here is a copy of how I structure my whole 90-minutes.

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When to Use Them: I love having various sets of card sorts. They are fabulous as a classroom activity with pairs, an activity for early finishers, or an activity to keep skills fresh and improve fluency. In an advanced class, you could give the cards without the headers and ask students to sort them in any way possible. You would be surprised at what observations they are able to make. In an intervention setting, the headers will provide structure. At the end you can question for the similarities and differences, along with key understandings of the concept.

SOLVE AND COLORS
Students Practice Basic Math Skills
Why I Love Them: Solve and colors are really perfect because kids get to color. Something about colored pencils in math, makes the lesson more successful.

When to Use Them: My favorite use for solve and colors is as a practice of basic math skills, whether that be adding and subtracting rational numbers or multiplying and dividing decimals. They are easy to leave for substitutes, to use after testing, or as fun homework assignments.

Matching Cards
Students Practice Recognizing Multiple Representations
Why I Love Them: Matching cards require the same about of time upfront as a card sort, so get yourself some parent volunteers. I have found great success in using matching cards to show multiple relationships. This can be depicted with ratio tables and graphs, proportional relationships, fraction, decimal, percents, and linear relationships.

When to Use Them: Again, these are perfect for sponge activities, review activities, or quick and easy lessons on Fridays. I personally loved using these over and over again with my intervention students. We would use matching cards to build number fluency with fractions, decimals, and percent representations, as well as many other necessary skills.

Task Cards
Students Practice Individual Skills within a Small Group
Why I Love Them: Students can be working on the same concept with different types of problems. They are super flexible! Lots of teachers use them for scoot or various games, but my favorite is small groups. You can incorporate them into stations, use them for formative assessments, etc. Task cards are easy to prep and can be utilized multiple times throughout the year.

When to Use Them: When I pull small groups, I love using task cards, hands down. I used them to have a small group of students working on various problems that were all around a similar topic. I could easily scaffold the students within my small group based on the card, starting with the most basic problems and then moving on to multi-step word problems.

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How to Plan Student-Centered Math Activities

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When to Use Them: I love having various sets of card sorts. They are fabulous as a classroom activity with pairs, an activity for early finishers, or an activity to keep skills fresh and improve fluency. In an advanced class, you could give the cards without the headers and ask students to sort them in any way possible.

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This week I just wanted to post about some amazing work stations that I had once again in my class! I'm thinking this might become a weekly post to share the greatness that is out there!

First up, my kiddos played with Hooting Rounding Decimals Dominoes by Bayside Teacher. I split this up into two different activities as it comes with two different levels. One group was rounding to the whole number while another group was rounding to the tenths place! After giving a detailed lesson on how to play dominoes (kids these days) we had the hang of it and were on a roll!

Next up was the Decimal Dominoes Game that I created where students match the word-form and standard form of decimals through hundredths. This was definitely a quick play for them but it was necessary review for some as well.

Our next activity was "Frank"-ly Number Patterns. I still have some kiddos practicing with skip counting. I created this game with three levels and we started with the basic level where it is number patterns with multiples of that number rule. This one caused some thinking because I did the number patterns where they were adding and subtracting both patterns. Definitely some higher level thinking going on!

Every one of these games was well loved and were great for the skills that my Resource Math ( 7th and 8th Grade) were working on. Today some of my 7th graders helped me come up with themes for some upcoming games that they are excited about. It's always great when they buy into them weeks before they even play them! Gotta love that!
Don't forget to answer yesterday's blog post for a chance to win a free copy of the Decimal Shopping Spree Bundle! Comments will close tomorrow at noon!

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More Math Stations That Work! - Smith Curriculum and Consulting

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This week I just wanted to post about some amazing work stations that I had once again in my class! I'm thinking this might become a weekly post to share the greatness that is out there! First up, my kiddos played with Hooting Rounding Decimals Dominoes by Bayside Teacher.

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Open Middle - Challenging math problems worth solving

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Open Middle offers interactive math problems designed to foster critical thinking. Explore unique challenges that boost problem-solving skills and creativity.

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Could be used in grades 6 - 10
http://mrorr-isageek.com/turbo-texting/

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Create Small Learning Communities with the Station Rotation Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker

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Whenever I'm asked the question, "How do we fix education?" I find myself emphasizing the importance of creating smaller learning communities within the context of the larger classroom. I passionately believe the most effective learning communities are those that allow teachers to spend more time working individually or in small groups with their students to [...]

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There are so many resources out there for teachers, but it can be hard to pick and choose which websites are worth spending time on.

If you want to invest some time into learning how to really utilize a few great sites, these five are a perfect starting point.

Whether you are looking for hands-on inquiry, graphing software, or virtual manipulative apps, you are sure to find at least one you can try.

I know that after first being exposed to these few, I would have a hard time teaching as well without them.

NCTM offers a set of math resources on the Illuminations site. One of my favorite features here is the enormous library of virtual manipulatives. You can allow your students to drag around the virtual algebra tiles, discover triangle congruence theorems, and shade equivalent fractions (and that's all just pulled from the first page of manipulatives!) This set is perfect for classrooms with computers or ipads.

There are also some fantastic lessons. They're sorted by grade level. Check out some lessons for grades 6-8 or 9-12. There are lessons for younger kids too.

The brain teasers are also fun and would be great warm-ups. There are plenty available.

I use GeoGebra to make exploration easy in Geometry class. Students can sketch a figure into the software (parallel lines intersected by a transversal, centers of triangles, tangent lines, etc.). GeoGebra allows them to easily display angle measures, drag points around, and notice properties by observing what measures change and what measures stay the same. There are endless possibilities with this, especially if you are trying to incorporate a little discovery-based learning.

Download the free software for your classroom or check out the teacher pages that are packed with worksheets, samples, and ideas for lessons that use GeoGebra.

Desmos is the new way to do all your graphing and plotting. It's ideal for Algebra investigations. Use this site to allow students to transform functions and create fun or artistic graphs.

Try the graphing calculator or browse the teaching resources and activities that are available. You can also check out videos that show some of the many uses of the desmos calculator.

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5 Websites That Will Revolutionize Your Math Teaching

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There are so many resources out there for teachers, but it can be hard to pick and choose which websites are worth spending time on. If you want to invest some time into learning how to really utilize a few great sites, these five are a perfect starting point.

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Math Vocabulary Word Wall Grades 6th-8th {back to school}

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Math Vocabulary Word Wall Grades 6th-8th {back to school}. 171 Terms for Middle School Math! These are very versatile and can be printed 1 per sheet or 4 or 6 per sheet. The could be posted around the classroom or they could be used to created intervention cards for struggling students.

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PADLET

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https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enCA751CA752&biw=1564&bih=674&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=frayer+model+math+example&oq=frayer+model+math+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0l3j0i30k1.62749.63610.0.65870.6.6.0.0.0.0.113.522.5j1.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.6.522...0i67k1.0.m_mL5QpF7S8&safe=active&ssui=on

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At my school, word walls are mandatory, even the PE space has a word wall! At first it can seem that a word wall is more like a decoration, but overtime I have come to love my word wall! I especially love when students use the word wall! Here are a few tips I have for maintaining a word wall and getting use out of it in my middle school math classroom.

1. Structuring Your Word Wall

Yes, the word alone is helpful, but ultimately, your word wall should include at least an image or an example that can be connected back to the word. Sometimes, a definition is not necessary. This might sound obvious, but if students are relying on the Word Wall daily or weekly, the text should be visible from across the room, and should be in a place where a majority of students can see it. I have many English Language Learners in my classes, so word walls are especially helpful for them. Some of my fellow teachers even use the Spanish translation as additional leverage for students.

I like my words to stay up all year as we learn and review the words. This helps students to use academic vocabulary and make connections between the different units. I love when a student can see how a proportional relationship and a linear equation are connected! In the beginning of the year, I only have the categories posted at the top of the wall. I then include the words and as each unit ends, I move on to the next category of words. We start my favorite unit in a couple of weeks- Algebra!

2. WAYS TO USE YOUR WORD WALL

Word walls look great and all, but ultimately, they should be used if you are going to devote wall space to them. This means that students need to be aware of its existence and its usefulness. To do this, I incentivize using academic language by giving classroom dollars to students who use the vocabulary correctly when answering a question or explaining an answer. When students are about to begin practicing a new skill, I ask students to point to the word that will help them if I am unavailable. During mad minute exercises, I include vocabulary that they can provide a definition with one word (example: product=multiply). If they don't know it, they can take an extra second to look up at the word wall.

Flyswatter Game

If you want students to get familiar with your word wall, use the Flyswatter Game. This is a very engaging review game. If you are like me and don't bother to cover up anything in your room before a test, this will help remind students where to look when they are stuck. Two students face off with flyswatters in hand. You give them a prompting such as "2, 4, 6, 8" are examples of ______" And the first student to swat the word 'multiples' earns their team a point.

Non-Content Words

Word walls do not have to be specific to your content area. I have character words like tenacity, curiosity, courage, and community on my walls too. These are our school values, and it is important that these words are referenced by students and me daily.

Flashlight Game

This game is great for those last few minutes of class as a sponge activity. Turn off the lights and use a flashlight to point to a word on the wall. Students can then shout out an example, the definition, or even a counter-example. You could do best two out of three girls against boys or even just keep a running tally throughout the week.

3. Making a Word Wall

Knowing that teachers have more to do than hours in the day, creating the word posters is a task easily assigned to students who finish early or in your homeroom class or those students who love to ask how they can help. After a unit test, I would have early finishers complete this as an activity for the next unit. I would give the word/definition/example/picture that I wanted them to use, and choose the best ones to go on the wall. There are also lots of resources on Pinterest or TPT to choose from. Mine are from this store. I keep mine displayed in page protectors and when they are not in use, they live in a binder divided into categories. This is super helpful at the end of the year when I need to take them all down.

For all of the other content areas out there, I have included a few ideas below.

There are more details about it in this great little article by Julie Jackson and Rose Narvaez, called "Interactive Word Walls".

My fellow teacher uses Mondays to introduce new vocabulary for the week. Students then complete Frayer models for homework.

Social Studies

This is a science example, but I think it would totally apply to all of the connections in social studies.

At first a word wall might seem excessive or more like an "extra" thing to do, but now that I have seen how my students use them, I am sold! How do you use your word wall in your middle school classroom?

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Using a Word Wall in the Middle School Classroom

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At my school, word walls are mandatory, even the PE space has a word wall! At first it can seem that a word wall is more like a decoration, but overtime I have come to love my word wall! I especially love when students use the word wall!

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http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/001-word-wall-post-for-blog.pdf

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We think that this is a very good time to wish for peace. Above is a picture of the wreath that I made for this winter's season. Do you know this symbol? Where did it originate? Do you ever use a different symbol for peace (for instance, sideways "V"s)?

In this activity students learn about the semaphore flag symbols and how this peace symbol was first designed. They design their own symbol and try to figure out how many possibilities there are in this kind of communication.

The activity: PeaceSymbol.pdf

How should I cook my turkey? - Students judge timing, cost, tastiness, and quantity necessary as they plan for the feast. 4.MD, 5.NBT, 4.MD, 6.RP, 6.NS, 7.NS + Great video on a deep frying fire with William Shatner.

Shopping season already! - Students will be able to add some understanding and analysis to holiday shopping trips after calculating savings in dollars and percents with this timely investigation. 6.RP, 7.EE, 7.EE

Not enough mashed potatoes - Use Brian's famous mashed potatoes recipe to practice changing decimals to fractions; calculating ingredient measure for various-sized Thanksgiving servings; have students explain their reasoning; and to have students figure out how many servings 7½ pounds of potatoes would make. 5.NF, 6.RP, 7.RP

Consumers in the U.S. spend a lot of money. In this activity we look at historical data to see if there are any patterns in our spending. How does our holiday spending show up in these graphs? What accounts for spikes or drops in spending? What patterns do you notice? Which patterns will likely continue and which patterns won't? Let the class see, think, wonder and discuss in this timely activity.

Soo Yeon is a Mathematics teacher at an international school in Asia and has be an avid user of YummyMath. Formerly she was a chemical engineer and shares our intent of providing practical, relatable, and real-world contexts in teaching mathematics.

She would like to share the following with YummyMath users:

"As you know Leslie and Brian's hard work and vision of exploring math in real life contexts has been instrumental in helping students develop critical thinking, questioning skills, and a positive attitude towards Mathematics. I wholeheartedly share their vision and am dedicated to upholding their mission. Moving forward, YummyMath will continue to evolve, enhancing content and user experiences to better meet your needs both now and in the future. I understand the challenges teachers and parents face in balancing engaging activities with time management. To address this, I kindly request your input through a survey ( ) to ensure that YummyMath effectively supports your needs.

Thanks so much for your support as YummyMath starts this new chapter. "

In this activity, students work through the nomenclature to understand the possibilities of nano science and quantum dots. Questions that are answered; How many nanometers are in a millimeter? What is a semiconductor? What and why does this nano technology increase our ability to closely examine, understand and modify our tools?

The activity: Quantum-dot.pdf

On Veterans Day we honor the men and women that have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. There are now 16.2 million living veterans. We found these maps that show where veterans live in the U.S.

What do you notice and what do you wonder when seeing these maps?

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We think that this is a very good time to wish for peace. Above is a picture of the wreath that I made for this winter's season. Do you know this symbol? Where did it originate? Do you ever use a different symbol for peace (for instance, sideways "V"s)?

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Jo Boaler

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At youcubed, we inspire, educate and empower teachers of mathematics, transforming the latest research on mathematics learning into accessible and practical forms.

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With the beginning of our geometry units in 6th grade math, it has been all about angles and triangles this past week! Thanks to some creative (and cheap!) angle ideas I found on social media, I was able to incorporate some new things in my classroom this year as we start geometry! First off, this fun idea to reinforce a basic understanding of angles! With some leftover fun tape from Office Depot, a little card stock to write the angles, and about ten minutes, I made this fun entryway into the classroom. I can't take credit for the idea, but am happy to share it! It definitely caught the students attention and had them thinking about different angles!

The second fun idea I found (again... can't take credit for this one) I was able to use with my math intervention groups this week. After we had learned about different angle relationships (vertical angles, supplementary angles, and complementary angles), I covered our front dry-erase table with table at various angles. I then went through and measure the minimum number of angles they would need to be able to find all of the missing angles without a protractor. This turned out to be a great problem solving challenge and really promoted teamwork and working together. I could also see this working out great as a math center during math workshop.

UPDATE: I recently added a full set of Angle Relationships Task Cards to my TpT store! It currently includes over 70 challenging angle problems and 4 different levels of difficulty!

With the start of geometry, I was also able to try out one of my newest units of Math Task Cards: Triangles, Quadrilaterals, and Transformations. I now have two sets of task cards up in my store. A set of Math Task Cards, which are a little more basic problems. Then, for students that finish these quickly, I have them try the Math Enrichment Task Cards. Having these more challenging task cards makes it easy to push my higher students and keep them challenged! Here are a couple shots of the prep and final product of some of these task cards. I always print out six cards for each topic, which is what I need for my math workshop front table group. If I have time I corner round the corners and laminate to help them last!

Geometry has also allowed me to finally get to what is probably my favorite Challenge of the Week problem! I recently updated this freebie with five more questions that could be used, so be sure to re-download it if you have already grabbed this one from my store in the past!

So that's what we have been up to in 6th grade math recently. I'd love to hear what you have all been working on in your classrooms! And how about some humor to get everyone on their way? Who knew that One Direction is now a swear word?

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Angles, Triangles, and the Start of Geometry in 6th Grade Math!

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With the beginning of our geometry units in 6th grade math, it has been all about angles and triangles this past week! Thanks to some creative (and cheap!) angle ideas I found on social media, I was able to incorporate some new things in my classroom this year as we start geometry!

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The concept of math workshop has been around for a long time. However, I was always really hesitant to try it. You know the excuses...too much planning, too chaotic in the classroom, and... did I say too much planning? The list could go on. Out of college I was afraid of centers in general. How do you get all the kids to be on task at the same time, but doing different activities? I must have slept through that class. So, one day I got really brave. I spent hours making a math choice board with 9 different center activities. Well, after about 5 minutes, one of my boys had gotten hit in the head by someone's knee and was crying. Not to mention the fact that the centers were too complicated for the kids to remember the instructions to all of them without my help. It was utter chaos...

Fast forward a couple of years. A really awesome teacher has moved next door, and we decide to do all of our planning together. Strength in numbers, right? I decide to dive into the world of math workshop again. But this time, I have a very organized plan. I did a ton of research and with a lot of trial and error, I would love to share some tips (and an occasional freebie) with you, in the hopes that your first day (or one hundredth, for that matter) of math workshop doesn't end with some kid bleeding and you pulling your hair out. In this blog post series I have 7 habits or procedures that are necessary to have a successful math workshop. Even though the workshop looks different in every classroom, these principles will help regardless of your grade or model.

Before you get out all those math games you have been dying to use, there are three main things that you have to decide.

1. How many groups will you have?

If you have no idea, ask yourself the following questions:

How many students do you have for math?

How many different small groups do you physically have room for in your classroom?

How much time do you have set aside for math?

The answers to the first two questions should help you determine how many different total groups you will have, as well as how large each group will be. I have a very small class and a small classroom, so I only have three groups. Each group usually has 4-5 kids. I run a very basic workshop, but using my model, you could easily add 1-2 more groups. I always divide my kids by ability. It is so much more efficient when they come to me for small group instruction. Therefore, I have a low, a middle, and a high group. The answer to the third question will help you determine if you can actually rotate through the number of groups that you want. I would suggest at least 10-15 minutes with each group.

2. What kind of centers will you include?

Since I have only three groups, I have the following centers:

Teacher Time: This is a time for me to reteach, practice, or enrich the students based on what we are learning. Typically, for the lower students I begin with a review of previous concepts. For the middle group, we usually either reteach or practice the skill depending on their mastery. Usually, the high group has already mastered the skill, so we work on higher level thinking skills or multi-step word problems.

Independent Practice: This is a time for the kids to practice the skill independently. For my class, they already have a workbook that comes with the curriculum. I just pick and choose which parts I want them to complete. Any students that finish early may work on any previous lessons in the workbook. If your kids don't have a textbook or workbook (that you think give them good skill practice), I would suggest making them a packet of worksheet pages stapled together for the whole chapter. This way they are less likely to lose all the individual sheets, and it is less for you to have to get ready each day.

Activity: This is the place where you can use all those amazing math centers that you buy or download off of TpT! I commonly have manipulatives, task cards, or games at this center. My activity center usually is something that involves the skill we are learning that day.

I know that many of you will need more centers to accommodate more groups. Here are some ideas:

Review Center: Use center activities from previous concepts in the activity center.

Math Facts: Allow students to practice their basic facts. You could either have a specific activity set up for the kids, or you could give several options for them to choose from.

Computers/ iPads: Have the students work on specific skills on interactive websites or apps.

3. What is your Math Workshop schedule?

Generally speaking, math workshop consists of 3 parts: whole group instruction, center time, and closing. I usually only spend about 10 minutes in whole group instruction. My goal is for my highest group to understand the concept and go work. I won't see them until the end of center time, so I want to teach enough so that they will be able to work independently. I also spend about 10 minutes in closing. During this time I typically project the answer key to the workbook pages (that they worked on during independent practice) on the board. All the students check their work and then complete an exit ticket (more on that in a different post). When the kids have finished the exit ticket, we review the answers. The remaining time in the middle is divided by how many groups you have.

The two keys for scheduling math workshop are the order of the centers and the timing of direct instruction. Below is a schedule for my classroom.

Basically, the lower the group, the sooner they come to you. Remember, all they have had as far as instruction is a brief overview. The higher groups come to the teacher last. The order of the other groups is up to you.

I know this post was a bit lengthy, but I hope it might help even one teacher who is resisting the plunge into math workshop. Do it- you won't regret it!

Also, check out lots of other great math workshop ideas at Math Workshop Monday with Third Grade Doodles!

Check out the rest of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Math Workshops Series:

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Math Workshops- Week 1: Have a Plan -

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The concept of math workshop has been around for a long time. However, I was always really hesitant to try it. You know the excuses...too much planning, too chaotic in the classroom, and... did I say too much planning? The list could go on. Out of college I was afraid of centers in general.

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Challenging Math Problems

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Directions: Use the digits 1 to 9, at most TWO times each, to fill in the boxes to make an equation with no solutions.

Hint

Hint

How can you tell when an equation has no solution?
How can you tell when an equation has infinite solutions?

Answer

Answer

There are many answers, but the coefficient of both x terms have to be the same and the constants must have different values. So, 2x + 3 = 2x + 4 is an answer because it is equivalent to 3 = 4, for which there is no solution.

Source: Robert Kaplinsky

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Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides - Open Middle

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Directions: Use the digits 1 to 9, at most TWO times each, to fill in the boxes to make an equation with no solutions. How can you tell when an equation has no solution? How can you tell when an equation has infinite solutions?

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Not only are doodle notes based on brain research, but they are loved by students and teachers!

After getting input from hundreds of teachers, I've seen lots of:

"really liked how students responded!"

they "retain more information"

"keeps the students engaged"

"students keep asking for more!"

"helped my students stay focused"

"helped my math class tremendously!"

"great way to connect with some of the different types of kids"

"HUGE hit"

"My students absolutely love the doodle notes and they feel like they retain more information"

But, I've also had quite a few questions about the best ways to use them in the classroom, and requests for tips when trying them out. So I wanted to put together a post to help guide people who are getting started (but beware, you are very likely to become a doodle addict once you start!)
I'm going to kick it off with some of my top strategies for actually using doodle notes, but I would love if those who are enjoying them in your own classroom would jump in. Please leave a comment so I can add to the list!

If we can all share different ways they have worked, or tips we develop as we go, it would really benefit everyone! I'd love to hear from you all.

First of All...

There is no way to write a one-size-fits-all doodle manual. They are extremely flexible, and the best way to use them really depends on your own students and your classroom culture.

Using the same page can go completely differently in your 1st period class than in your 2nd period class. Some classes will take it and run with it, and some will walk through it right alongside you as you fill it in together like a whole class graphic organizer.

There are really no "right ways" or "wrong ways" to teach with doodle notes. Be flexible, because you'll be amazed how that one kid who has never been engaged in math class is suddenly focused, excited, and begging for more!

Brain Benefits

Be sure to keep the research in mind as you implement doodling in math class. Keep your focus on the brain benefits as you guide your students through these.

Of course, just by coloring or doodling, they will get some visual connections and will activate both sides of the brain, but to maximize the benefits, this should ideally occur while also getting verbal input.

Review the brain benefits of crossing the midline in these posts:
The study in which people listened to a boring phone conversation showed that the group who was doodling while listening was able to remember all the people that the little old lady was going to invite to her party, what was on her menu, etc. much better than those in the room without doodling supplies.

Scientists learned that the act of coloring or doodling requires just enough focus to keep you from zoning out, but not enough to actually distract you.

So, to maximize that effect, there should be focused, active teaching occurring during the doodle note lesson.

Use a Teacher Copy

The easiest way to do this is to project/display a blank copy of the same doodle page that you hand out. Then, complete your "teacher copy" as you give notes. You can expand past it and add notes on the board, talk through the lesson, and lecture as you normally would.

Even if you keep your note page "bare bones" and just fill in the blanks, your main job is to talk and model the concept and examples, just as you normally would.

Students will have plenty of time while you talk and explain to embellish their pages.

Your teacher copy can look as boring as this answer key. You won't need to model the doodling and coloring. That's where their own creativity comes in. All those little right brain hemispheres will automatically turn on and get excited to make the page their own as soon as you let them know they are allowed.

Show a Sample

However, some will need just a little guidance, or official permission to do whatever they want on their own page. You really do want to encourage and allow personalization and creativity.

So, the first few times you use a doodle note approach, show a student sample just briefly to give them the idea. I include a photo in each one that I create so that you can use it as an example until your students get the hang of it and develop their own styles.

Another Approach

Depending on your students, you may want to forget the lecture approach, and let your students complete these as a study guide or graphic organizer using a textbook as a reference.

If you choose to try this strategy, be sure to have students work in pairs, so that the conversation is still happening. This way, you can get a variety of input going into their brains while they complete the page and fill in the information.

They can work together to decide what key information should go where. This will work if you are comfortable with variation. They may not write exactly what you would have written on the board, but you can walk around and check that they have the concept, key ideas, vocabulary, and examples all correct.

This method allows a little more freedom for the students, but may not work for all classes.

Doodle Tools

The kids will finally be allowed to use all their gel pens, special glitter markers, etc. I would recommend letting them use whatever they want for these, even though I am generally a "pencil only" math teacher.

If you are looking for perfect doodle markers, I have found paper mate flair "Ultra Fines" to be the best. They are like the regular flair pens (those classic felt tip marker-pens we all love for grading), but with super thin tips. These are great for doodle noting.

When it is time to cut off the lecture or the lesson, be sure to stop. Just as you would have with regular notes. Move on. Students who want to add to it can do so later during free time or at home.

Do not add class time for just coloring. That is not the purpose. If students do want to color, embellish, add a million little doodle spirals, that's fine. But once the learning and teaching portion is over, the brain benefits start dwindling. Coloring the corners is not the valuable use of class time that completing the note sheet is.

Guide your class to doodle AS they fill the page, during the moments that they are still listening and learning. Let them do fancy lettering of a vocabulary word to help it stick in their minds. Let them color ideas that go together using the same pattern. Show them how to focus in on the visual triggers that will stick in their brain.

Even myself, I still notice that I can remember something better if I was doodling while I heard it. A few times recently, I've said something like "oh yeah, I do remember when you said that in our meeting. It was while I was drawing little triangles around the words "Singapore Math." Students create the same brain triggers by doing these pages. During a test, they'll think "oh, right, I remember making the "s" really small and the "t" really tall to fit the word "sector" inside the circle just right.

The Visuals & Graphics Will Work for Themselves

Really, you can't go wrong. The visual connections are built in. Doodle notes are like a twist on a graphic organizer. They have the benefits that a basic graphic organizer has, plus more, and those benefits will come automatically.

It's all about shapes, layout, and graphics. These act as brain triggers. Students will visualize the page, plus they will have formed connections in their minds that will help them retain the information.

Since math is usually left-brained, and any creativity that they put into the page (coloring, doodling, fancy lettering) is right-brained, the two hemispheres of the brain will be working together. By crossing the midline of their brains (the corpus callosum), they will automatically maximize their focus, learning, and retention of the content.

Working Document / Reference Sheet

One of the most unexpected benefits that comes along with this teaching strategy is how proud the students are of their note sheets!

They will pull it out over and over again to use as a reference. (Which they should be doing with a standard notebook as well, but often don't.) Instead of reminding them to pull out their notes when they get stuck, you'll see them jump to grab their doodle note sheet so they can show it off and add to it.

Encourage this! Let their note pages become working documents that are always on hand as graphic organizers or study guides.

They love to make these their own. So don't sweat it too much as you implement them. Just print it out. When you hand your kids these pages, the benefits will happen automatically. They will get excited and engage with the page in all the right ways.
If you are ready to give it a try, this post will lead you to two different sets of free doodle notes.

Advanced: For True Doodle Note Addicts

If you have already gotten into your doodle groove, first of all, please leave a comment below to share any experience you have had in your own classroom. We all need your tips! Tell us any little tricks, benefits you have noticed, or approaches you have tried.

Then, you may want to check out a little more on sketchnoting, hand lettering, icon drawing, and more to get your students (or yourself) some more doodle skills! I've got some links in my "Doodle Addict" pinterest board that you may enjoy! Check it out.
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how to actually use doodle notes: tips for implementation

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How to Actually Use Doodle Notes: Tips for Implementation (Math Giraffe - The Math Classroom: Blog)

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Not only are doodle notes based on brain research, but they are loved by students and teachers! After getting input from hundreds of teachers, I've seen lots of: "really liked how students responded!" they "retain more information" "keeps the students engaged" "students keep asking for more!"

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If you've ever taught multiplication, you know how hard it can be to help students build fluency with their facts. All of our students process the concept of multiplication differently, and therefore will build their fluency and understanding at different rates. For some students, you can never have enough worksheets because they are finished before you even have a moment to put out the next. For other students, one worksheet is overwhelming and their confidence plummets when they see their peers running up to the finished work bin with three sheets in hand.

ENOUGH! I needed my students to participate in more meaningful learning in a comparison-free environment, all while being differentiated enough to meet my wide range of learners. Can you say, "TALL ORDER?!?"

Well, I got right to work. A few ideas came right to mind, but it wasn't enough of a variety to engage all of my kiddos. I then thought back to my six years of teaching math centers in first grade. Were there any that I could possibly modify to use with multiplication? Even if I could, would my students turn their nose up at them because they were too babyish?

I stared sifting through all of my first grade binders (I know we all still have our lesson plans from our student teaching, so let's stop pretending to be surprised that I have my binders from last year! Haha!)
It turns out that there are LOADS of activities that were perfectly suited to my multiplication needs.

I put a bunch of them together and began introducing them to my students. We made a board that showed which centers were independent, those that required a small group, and those that could be played either way. We also created some references materials that students could bring with them to their center. For example, each student created their own book of multiples, where they colored in a hundreds chart to help them recognize patterns in skip counting {i.e. multiplication}.

As a class, we also made a list of Multiplication Strategies to help us remember when we were stuck. We posted the list on our math wall, but I also made a smaller version for students to take with them to their center if they want. Grab a copy for yourself for FREE below!

It has been really fun for me to watch students start to gain confidence in their skills and start to challenge themselves to not bring a reference with them.

In addition to several board games and computer games/apps that my students also have access to during centers, here are my TOP 10 MULTIPLICATION CENTER IDEAS. Hope ya like 'em!

1. Multiplication Activity- Array City

Making city skylines out of arrays... why not? This activity is easily modified by using different sized graph paper (1 inch squares vs. 1 centimeter squares). My struggling students who lack confidence in their multiplication facts LOVE this center because it gives them a visual model, and they enjoy creating something in the process. They take pride in seeing their pictures hanging in the classroom. My students who are comfortable with their multiplication facts love this center too because they can challenge themselves to create massive skyscrapers and discover new strategies to solve more complex multiplication problems.

2. MULTIPLICATION LEGO ARRAYS

Come on! What kid doesn't LOVE Legos? The simple act of putting Legos out at math time sells itself! Similar to Array Skylines, this center allows students to have a visual model, and has multiple access points to meet a range of learners. My struggling students stick to the smaller pieces and focus on arrays up to 6 x 6. However, I have other students who make massive arrays and show their ability to solve multi-digit multiplication problems by chunking it into smaller arrays.

This center is also great for students who have weak fine motor skills and may be frustrated by the cutting aspect of Array Skylines. I have students record their multiplication sentences on Post-It notes and place them next to their array. We take a picture of it at the end, sometimes printing them to add to their math portfolios

3. Multiplication Activity- Array Capture

This is a fun center that allows students to play with a friend. Again, it helps students by providing them with a visual model. This activity can be easily modified by providing students with different sets of dice. I let my students choose the dice they want to play with (it's amazing how students are really able to choose their just right level independently!) My students just learning multiplication usually select a set of dice that has only number 1-4, where other students may challenge themselves with numbers 5-10.

Here's how the game is played:

1. The first player rolls two dice. Those numbers are the dimensions of their array. (For example, if a player rolls a 4 and a 5, they will build an array measuring 4 by 5.)

2. The first player colors in their array with their color (player 2 will have a different color). Then, they write their multiplication sentence in the middle of their shaded array (For example, 4 x 5 = 20) On the first roll, players must place their array in the starting square. However, all future arrays only need to be touching an existing array on one side.

3. Player two rolls next and continues in the same fashion, but from their corner. If a player cannot create an array because there is no space left, they lose a turn.

4. The player to capture the most squares wins!

4. MULTIPLICATION INVESTIGATION: LOGIC PUZZLES

I made these puzzles to really challenge some of my students who felt they had "mastered" their multiplication facts. It's been a great way to combine their logical reasoning skills with their knowledge of math facts. Here's how we play in my class.

I have written the digits 0-9 on little square tiles. Since items get lost or misplaced OFTEN when students are responsible for clean-up, I have students place them in order on the top of their board. This way, they can tell right off the bat if they are missing any. Then it's time to get to work!

Students have to place ALL tiles down to make ALL of the multiplication sentences true. There are often multiple options for a single multiplication sentence (e.g. __ x 4 = __2 could be 3 x 4 =12 or 8 x 4 = 32). However, there is only one way to make all of them true! Their faces when they finally figure it out are PRICELESS!

Great news! These are also available in a DIGITAL version, designed to work with Google™ Slides, Google™ Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Seesaw!
This means you can assign the logic puzzles and have your students complete and submit the page digitally.

5. Multiplication Dominoes

This is one of those activities that I modified from first grade. My students used to love using dominoes, so I gave it a shot with third graders. What do you know? Third graders love them too! This is a great independent center for kids who really want some privacy as they practice their facts, as well as those who like selecting the facts they work with.

6. Multiplication Self-Checking Card Games

Games that have the ability to embed fact checking are high up on my list! This game is one of them. Every time a student answers the multiplication question on their card, the rest of the group has to check for that answer on their cards. The student with that answer on top of their card gets to go next and answer their multiplication question!

7. MULTIPLICATION FLIP/Roll & COMPARE

This popular card game can easily be turned into a multiplication center. What's better? It can be quickly modified by adding or removing larger numbers to/from the deck/dice. I like have students use this recording page because it supports the notation of multiplication sentences, as well as provides me with a record of what the students worked on that day (or in teacher terms, there is more accountability for actually playing the game!)

8. Multiplication Bump

Every single student in my class LOVES this game! It's simple, but awesome! Here's how you play:

1. Player 1 rolls 2 dice. Take the sum of the two numbers and multiply it by three.

2. Player 1 places their counter on that number on the game board.

3. Player 2 rolls.

4. If Player 2 rolls a number that Player 1 has taken, Player 2 may "bump" Player 1's counter off of the board and put their counter in its place.

5. If a player rolls a number that THEY have already taken, they may place a second counter on that number and "lock" that number. Their opponent can no longer "bump" them off.

6. If a player rolls a number and there are no open spaces, they lose their turn.

7. The first player to place all 10 counters on the board wins!

As if "bumping" your friend off their spot isn't the most enjoyable feeling in the world... nothing beats "locking your spot!"

I love how a simple tweak in the numbers can modify this game for every student in my classroom. I have some students who work with dice 1-4, so the numbers on the board range only from 1-16. However, I have students who have mastered their multiplication facts 1-7, and are now working on 8-12.

Students playing the board above are ONLY working on their times tables through 6 x 6. Other versions include number specific boards (e.g. 8's multiplication tables). Everything about this game is appealing, for both teachers and students, which is why it is one of my all time favorites!

9. Multiplication Kaboom!

I used Kaboom! in my first grade classroom in all subject areas. Whether we were studying short vowel sounds, sight words, addition facts, or vocabulary, Kaboom! fit the bill. It's quick and easy to make and can have a flexible number of players (Usually 2-5.) All you need are some popsicle sticks and a cup. I am partial to using Crystal Light canisters, because they become a cup and storage container in one!

The game is relatively simple. Write different multiplication sentences (4 x 5) at the bottom of each popsicle stick. For every 10-15 sentences you write, write the word KABOOM! on one popsicle stick. (I like to put between 30-40 sticks in, plus 3-4 Kaboom sticks.) You can easily tailor this game to any level, simply by varying the multiplication sentences. The set above is for working with factors 2-6. I also have sets that only work on 1-3, and others that focus on 7-9 and 10-12.

Put all of the popsicle sticks in face down so students can't see what is written on them. Here's how to play:

1. First student pulls out a popsicle stick.

2. If a multiplication sentence is written on it, they read the sentence and then provide their answer. If their answer is correct (determined either by a reference sheet or their peers) they get to keep the popsicle stuck. If they answer it incorrectly, the stick must go back in the cup.

3. The students continue around the circle, selecting one popsicle stick at a time and answering their question.

4. Any student who pulls a KABOOM! stick has to place all of popsicle sticks they have accumulated back into the cup, leaving them with zero. (It may sound harsh, but it happens OFTEN, so all students will at some point get "Kaboomed!"

5. The game NEVER ENDS because eventually someone will get a Kaboom! and their popsicle sticks will go back into the cup to keep the game going. Check out more about Kaboom: The Best Center Game Ever!

10. PLACE MAT ARRAYS

I picked these square place mats up for $1 each, and it has proven to be a great investment. For some of my kiddos who learn through movement, this activity has been a great help! I typically let one or two students work out in the hallway with these mats and let them create giant arrays. They are responsible for writing their multiplication sentences on white boards, and they love taking pictures of their work with an iPad or camera. It's a great intro to multiplication, as well as a great way for students to start recognizing multiple factors for a single product!

You can find many of these activities in my Multiplication Mega Pack and my Multiplication Logic Puzzles Pack over in my TpT Store, or by clicking on the images below.

I hope you enjoyed your tour through some of my favorite centers! Please feel free to share any of yours in the comments below 🙂 I'm always looking for new ideas. Thank you for stopping by!

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10 Multiplication Math Center Games & Activities

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If you've ever taught multiplication, you know how hard it can be to help students build fluency with their facts. All of our students process the concept of multiplication differently, and therefore will build their fluency and understanding at different rates.

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A recent study proved that doodling actually INCREASES focus and the ability to recall new information. With these color-it-in, doodle-friendly note methods, your students can use their colored pencils and the right side of their brains, and then remember key vocabulary, math examples, and new concepts more easily.

Students are so engaged with these, and they love this structure. It's so neat to see and hear the connections that stick in their brains. You can truly see the learning and memory benefits at work when students say, "Yeah! I remember when you said that as I was doing little dots around the word "midpoint" and I wrote that formula right in the corner with my orange pen! That's how I remembered it on the test!"

Added bonuses include:
- relaxation and decreased math anxiety
- super engaged students
- excitement about "customizing" the page (They LOVE doodle days!)
- an end result that they want to pull out, show off, and reference as a study tool as much as possible because they are so proud of it
- stronger retention, leading to higher test scores
- brain boosts in other areas, such as creativity & problem solving

I've got free downloads for you to try to see how amazing these are at keeping students focused and engaged. The right brain / left brain crossover is so important in math class!

The student brain processes text information separately from visual input. When we can combine the two, we activate the neural pathways that allow new information to more easily be transferred into long-term memory.

This principle is called Dual Coding Theory, and is one of the biggest reasons that the doodle note strategy leads to stronger retention of lesson material.

These additional articles and downloads will guide you through getting started with doodle notes! There are more free resources, tips for implementation, and more!

First, check out these two articles on Dual Coding theory, which supports this approach to teaching by blending text and images through visual note taking. It turns out that this is a more accurate theory than the popular "learning styles" philosophy.

Dive in to learn about why learning styles are not actually such a valid theory to teach from, and how to use dual coding, which brain research points to as a stronger model of how student brains process information:

Then, explore more articles, a free handbook for getting started with doodle notes in your own classroom. If you teach math, you can also shop for pre-made doodle note sets for math concepts.

​Click the images for links!

For more about the brain benefits and research, be sure to check out doodlenotes.org as well!

Want to hear from teacher who are using the doodle note strategy each day in their own classrooms? Head to the "in the classroom" page that I have compiled there to read firsthand testimonials, tips, and tricks for implementing this method successfully.

If you are hoping to dive right in, there are a lot of options. You can get pre-made math sets here in my printables shop, or you can learn to create your own with training, templates, and graphics provided for you in the Doodle Note Club. If you want to keep it simple, just try some templates or DIY sticker sets for a low-prep quick start.

Enter your email in the box below to receive the free doodle note set on quadrilaterals. Give it a try in your classroom. (Or, if you teach another subject, head to my TPT shop to check out the free DIY doodle note sticker set - they work for any lesson and allow students to convert any blank notebook page into a doodle note page easily!)

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A recent study proved that doodling actually INCREASES focus and the ability to recall new information. With these color-it-in, doodle-friendly note methods, your students can use their colored pencils and the right side of their brains, and then remember key vocabulary, math examples, and new concepts more easily.

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| | Filed Under: Math, Math Centers

Each year, I find that I have such a huge divide in my classroom as far as mastering 5th grade math skills: students who get it and could teach it, students who could get it from some quality (and sometimes additional) instruction, and students that need major intervention and cannot focus during whole group because of attention or because of gaps in knowledge and understanding. Doing small group instruction + guided math centers 2-3x a week has really helped me provide the kind of instruction that ALL of my students need. This post will share a peek into what my guided math rotations/centers look like in 5th grade with several free math centers. (Also, make sure you check out the huge lists of additional blog posts to check out at the end of this post).

Guided Math Mini-Lesson:

I start each Guided Math lesson with a 15-20 minute mini-lesson. This mini-lesson is typically reviewing or extending the skill(s) the students will be working on that day during all or some of their centers. After the mini-lesson, I quickly go over the center requirements for the day. I am able to quickly go over the requirements because I keep my math centers very consistent. I want the focus of our guided math time to be the math they are doing and not learning a new game or center each week.

Guided Math Centers:

1.) Teacher Time

For Teacher Time, the students come to my back table where I teach a very focused lesson on a new skill, reteach an old skill, or extend a skill. Here are some of the materials I use.

My Differentiated Math Skills Sheets allow me to focus on specific skills at different levels. I can work on the same skill with each of my groups but at their level. The best part about these sheet is that each level is 100% different from the previous and next level (three levels in all) so my lower group can progress through each level.
4th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets 5th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets
Click on your grade level to grab FREE samples of these guided math differentiated skills sheets to try out.

Teacher time is the perfect opportunity to focus on word problems and math tasks that are rigorous and on grade-level. You can provide the necessary scaffolding and support while the students are working with you. You can vary the support as needed, depending on your groups.

4th Grade Math Constructed Response Tasks 5th Grade Math Constructed Response Tasks
If you could like to purchase constructed response tasks aligned to the common core standards, click on your grade level below.

2.) Paper and Pencil Center

Just as the name of the center indicates, this center is all about putting that pencil to the paper and practicing math skills. I do try to make it more engaging than just regular worksheets by having my students complete Mini Math Review Booklets , Error Analysis Tasks or one of my "Of the Day Printables".

The mini-review booklets are a huge hit with my students. They love the novelty of them and I love how many skills they can review. Each page of the booklet focuses on a different skill and only has about 4-6 practice problems. This is the perfect amount to review without overdoing it. I can also use these math booklets to see who needs re-teaching on specific skills. The students bring their math booklets to the Teacher Time center as well. Sometimes I use the math booklets to complete individual math conferences with students during Teacher Time. Click here to see the Math Review Booklets in my TpT store.
To purchase full sets of Error Analysis Math Tasks, click here to see them in my store.
Error analysis math tasks have always been a huge hit with my students. These are also perfect to place in a paper and pencil center. I usually place 2-3 printables in the center and that is plenty to keep them busy during our 20 minute rotations. Click here to grab NINE free math error analysis tasks for 3rd-5th grade.

My "Of the Day" Printables are perfect for guided math centers (or math warm-ups) because of the consistent format of the printables. Since guided math centers are so short (20 minutes each), the focus of the students' work time really needs to be on the math. The consistent format of these allow for that- and believe it or not, the students really enjoy completing these. The consistency provides a scaffold and confidence boost for struggling students.
Click here to grab some FREE roll and answer games to try out!
3.) Game Center

This center is always one of my Roll and Answer Math Centers. The skill changes out weekly or even daily depending on the week. However, the directions are always the same. This allows the students to focus on the math involved and not learning a new game or trying to play a complicated game. To read moare about my roll and answer games click here. Because I have 3rd-5th grade games made, I can easily differentiate the games as needed. They are self checking, so the students are able to monitor their learning.

4.) Task Card Center

This center is where the students work on the skill I taught at teacher time or a previously learned skill via Math Task Cards. The task cards are also self checking, so the students can check their answers and correct them as needed. I have bundled sets available for 4th grade (click here) and 5th grade (click here) so you can have a task card set for each standard that you teach. This will allow you to keep your task card center consistent throughout the year.

5.) Technology Center:

For our technology center, we do one of the following:

1. Vmathlive (paid subscription from the school): The students work through math tasks I assign them and at their own pace.

2. Xtramth: The students practice their math facts, again at their own pace.

3. Ipad App: Splashmath (paid app): We have a few tablets also, so usually half of the students are at the desktop computers (we are not 1:1) and the others are on the tablets "playing" Splashmath, which they love!1.

6.) Wild Card Center

I do like to keep my centers very consistent but I like to add in a new engaging math center. I typically call this a wild card center but it could also be called Teacher Choice. For this math center, my students complete math centers that don't fit into the other math center types above. These typically come from my Standards Based Math Center Bundle. These can be math puzzles, spinner centers, mad lib style word problems, etc.

Click here to grab some FREE math choice boards to try out! Click here to see the full sets of math choice boards (available for grades 3-5).
What about Early Finishers?

I typically don't have to worry about this because the math centers and activities include more than enough work to keep them busy. However, I do use math choice boards for those occasional early finishers. The math choice boards allow the students to choose how they want to practice a skill/standard and they really respond well to that.

Random Guided Math Organization and Management:

Since I teach 5th grade, I don't use any kind of board or workstation chart. Instead, I organize the centers in clockwise fashion around the room to make it super easy to transition. The students learned the rotation after just two days.

We only do rotations twice a week (sometimes three - but that is usually choice centers), the students rotate through the six math centers in those two days. They do three one day and three the next.

I *always* meet with my two lower groups first, with my lowest group being the very first one I meet with. That way I can provide them immediate instruction before they begin working independently. Also, I sometimes will start the paper and pencil center with them to get them started. And I will 90% of the time give them a differentiated 4th grade roll and answer game. Click here to read more tips about how I support my students with math centers.
Getting Started with Math Centers How to Launch Guided Math Centers FREE Math Center Starter Packs for Launching Guided Math Centers FREE Guided Math Binder Guided Math Procedures to Teach Scheduling Your Math Block for Guided Math Centers Forming Guided Math Groups Organizing Math Centers Managing Math Centers My Top Tip for Making Math Centers Work for Me 7 Ways to Support Students with Math Centers Teaching Math with Small Groups Higher Level Math Centers for Upper Elementary
Other Helpful Guided Math Center Blog Posts

These posts are super helpful if you are just starting out and would like more detailed information. Just click on the title to be taken to the blog post:

I hope this gives you some useful information to help you plan your Guided Math Centers, and some new free math activities to try out! Click here if you want to grab even more FREE math centers! Save

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Guided Math in Upper Elementary (Free Math Centers Included!) - Teaching with Jennifer Findley

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Filed Under: Math, Math Centers Each year, I find that I have such a huge divide in my classroom as far as mastering 5th grade math skills: students who get it and could teach it, students who could get it from some quality (and sometimes additional) instruction, and students that need major intervention and cannot focus during whole group because of attention or because of gaps in knowledge and understanding.

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One of my favorite times of the day is math. I adore the concrete to abstract discovery that I see in my students year after year. The manipulatives oh the manipulatives. My first year as a teacher I received three large boxes and when I opened them, they were full of bright colorful math "toys". There's no denying my love for school supplies, containers, and other teachery things, but when I laid eyes on those math toys. It was done. Head over heels. {with a sprinkle of anxiety because I had no idea what they were for}

18 years later, those math manipulatives are still being used daily. Unconventional or seasonal items bring motivation and excitement to your lessons while making great learning tools too! {Thank you Target dollar spot}

Another big shift occurred in recent years which has teachers feeling more pressure in an already overwhelming subject area to teach. It's not just math anymore, it's guided math. There are many components happening at once. There's essentials and supplemental, readiness and priority. Then of course data and analysis. God bless the new teachers. It's a lot to take on.

Through the last few years I have been working to make life easier for myself (and hopefully you too) by creating units and components that I can turn to during the school year when there's absolutely no more time in the day for being creative! {or for making dinner, helping with homework, grading papers, doing laundry, or basic human functioning}

My most recent one, I just posted yesterday. I am not sure if I have ever felt more connected to a posted unit! I took my math lesson plans and transformed them into a teacher friendly plan book complete with games and activities.

To begin math, we gather on the rug for a warm-up!

I don't have time to come up with a fancy starter activity for 180 days of school, do you?
I learned this method of Alliteration years ago and I love it. I like to take it month by month rather than day by day. Here's our warm-up card for the first 20 lessons.

From warm up, we move into whole group time!
This is your mini-lesson. Time for direct instruction to everyone at once. Unfortunately I have little to no pictures of this time because I am usually the one running my mouth and knee deep in unifix cubes and dry erase boards...

I have written out lesson plans for guided math whole group in my newest unit! Guided Math Lessons! {It has a lot more than whole group!}

The Year's Bundle of Math Lessons
From whole group time we move into
Small Group Rotations
I have my guided math rotation system both in card form for the wall as well as projected. We only use the wall version during training in order to refer back when we are learning it. Our rotations are short and sweet and jam packed full of learning!

If you look at my screen behind the girls in this picture (it's a little hard to see) you can see that we are on round 2. A timer is keeping track and will make a noise when it is time to clean and rotate.

One rotation in my room that is heaven sent is our math journal rotation. I have blogged your ear off about math journals because I adore them!

I sell monthly sets of journal activities as well as bundled sets.

This summer I created some math tools for our journals. We will get into these as we learn the year's concepts. The first section of our math journals will be a reference section for the larger pieces to be placed. The smaller hands on pieces will go into the little math tool tub on the cover. The math tools cover a range of skills from K-5!

If we need our tools during independent work rotation, we can grab them to help us! No more wandering the room for a hundred's chart. {Can I get an amen!}

Another beloved rotation for math is our math tub rotation. It's an independent math game that students play alone or with group mates. {Did I just say group mates?} If at all possible make your groups EVEN numbers. You will thank yourself. Of course having a group of three happens due to absences and class needs, so teaching teamwork and expectations is high priority for a year worth of fun and learning.

To begin the year, we explore manipulatives without an academic goal. This is the time where we set expectations about moving in the room, noise level, math talk, cleaning up. It's a good week and a half to two weeks before I prep my first round of real math tubs.

To start I begin with these two math center units of mine. They are great for August and September.

Fundamentals and Friendships Math and Literacy & Back to School Math Centers
I bundled one set of math centers for each month too!

We have a technology rotation in our guided math block. To begin the year, my favorite apps are The Subitize Tree, Teach Me First Grade, and Ten Frame Math.

Then finally my favorite rotation of all, the teacher table!!! {cue the fireworks}
This is where we really get into the nitty gritty. I can see each student up close and personal. It's a time of talking, teaching, playing, explaining, modeling, and loving math!

My guided math unit from above goes from whole group lessons right into differentiated small group lessons! It's all there for you! The games and activities in the lesson plans are there too!

To keep everything all together in one spot. I created a guided math binder. This baby has all the planning, RTI, and student tracking pages I need for my small group table.

Guided Math Binder for First Grade Guided Math Binder for Any Grade I hope this post has helped inspire you to start getting excited about teaching math this year! If you are looking for anything you saw in this post just click the picture to see more about it on tpt.

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Guided Math Galore (Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits)

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One of my favorite times of the day is math. I adore the concrete to abstract discovery that I see in my students year after year. The manipulatives oh the manipulatives. My first year as a teacher I received three large boxes and when I opened them, they were full of bright colorful math "toys".

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Math Mondays: Quadratic Function Graphs Make Funny Faces

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I think math is fun (yes, even Calculus!). My students may not always agree. We work hard and play hard. Lots of "play" occu...