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Showing posts with label math centers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label math centers. Show all posts

Organizing Math Centers

I typically start my math block with a whole group mini-lesson. Then we break into groups during the rest of the math time.

How do we organize our math groups?


Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

Most of our students need small group guidance on their math development daily. This can be a juggling act! Not only is it a challenge deciding what to do with these small math groups, but also, what do the rest of the students do while the teacher is occupied?

Here are some suggestions:
Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

I use magnets to display these cards on my board. The names have magnets as well. (I change my groups frequently, depending on the topic I'm teaching and the needs of my students.) 

The above board represents how I might assign groups at the beginning of the school year. I would spend the first block of time teaching a game or two, and expectations for each center. The groups follow the cards vertically. Tanner's group would explore manipulatives first, while Bailey's group uses computers or tablets. Ethan's group has independent practice while Brian's group will play math games. Partners are usually assigned and are listed side by side. In the case of an odd amount of students, there will be a group of three.

At the beginning of the year, there is no "work with teacher" station. I use that time to circulate among my students, making sure they understand expectations and staying quietly focused on their assignments.

Once they've got the routine down,  the board might look more like this:

Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

I'll be meeting with three of the four groups today. I'll find time to check in with the fourth group, but this is the group that needs less guidance. I'll only meet with them 2-3 times a week. I make sure to meet with my lowest group daily. I typically teach my groups a warm-up they can do without me, so I'll have a chance to make sure the other students settle into their centers.

As the year goes on, there are times when I need to assess individuals. 

Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

My daily schedule might look something like this. I kept the one math group that really needed the guidance, but during the other 2 stations, I would pull individuals for assessment as needed. (You can see I used one of the blank cards for the group that needed time on that STEM project.)

If you're interested in these cards, just see the image below!


Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

See the image below for information about organizing literacy centers.

Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.

How do you organize your math centers?


Organizing Math Centers: Here are some classroom management ideas for keeping students engaged and learning while you work with small groups.




5 Minutes a Day to Math Fact Fluency

After many years in the primary classroom, I've finally developed a sure proof system for math fact fluency. 

 

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


Math fact fluency is all about memorization. 
Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

Before this can happen, the children need to have a basic understanding of what it means. A child can't memorize 5+2=7 Unless they understand they are joining a set of 5 items to a set of 2 items and will end up with 7 items. Once they have that understanding, they can start the memorization process. Once the facts are fluent, the related math concepts will flow far more easily!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


Yes, rote memorization is NOT the most fun part of learning.

Yes, it takes work, and some students really struggle, but we know they're all different and can help them be successful at their own levels.

Here are some suggestions for math fact fluency!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

There are 200 Addition and Subtraction facts to be memorized. There are also 200 Multiplication and Division facts to be memorized. Children can be easily overwhelmed if given that many facts all at once! 

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

Give them a pattern of facts to learn at a time. Research tells us children learn best by fact families. 

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

Each child should have a group of facts they are working on, but also a group of facts they know, and don't want to forget! Make sure they spend time reviewing the old facts as well as learning the new bunch! 

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

 

Be right up front with the students. Talk about what memorization is, and how they need to do the work to memorize the facts. Share the differences between automaticity and "counting on fingers," or "figuring it out in your head." (I don't believe counting on fingers or mental math to be bad, as they are part of the process! However, we hope to get the kiddos to full automaticity eventually!) 

Talk to them about what has helped you when you had to memorize something, and encourage them to share their own memorization experiences. We're all different, but sharing ideas will help everyone! (Isn't that our goal? Teaching children to help each other so we are all successful?)

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!



Or as I call it in my classroom, "out soft." That means, loud enough to hear yourself, but not loud enough to disturb your classmates. Verbalizing the whole equation, not just the answer, makes an enormous difference in the learning process!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!
 

Practice with friends: children are social. Practicing with a classmate makes practice more fun. Some tend to be a little competitive: let that work for them, as long as everyone is happy about it. Plus, children learn little tricks from each other. (Yes, I've learned a lot of little tricks from listening to my students!)

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

 Timed tests can be motivating for many, but there are others that "choke" with that stress. You know your students better than anyone. I give timed tests once a week, but if I see any signs of stress, I'll pull that child aside and work with them. I make it fun, but when one-on-one, I can clearly see if a child is counting on fingers, pausing to figure it out in their head, or truly has the facts memorized. No matter what, I make sure it is a positive experience with lots of praise for the things the child is doing correctly!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


When I feel a child is ready to move to the next level, before school starts, I'll put the next level of practice cards on their desk, to be cut out and sorted. You'd better believe there are shreiks of delight when they are found! I'm sure you know plenty of other ways to celebrate their successes as well!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


I spend time at the beginning of the school year setting routines. There are several ways the facts can be practiced: everyone practice on their own, practicing as part of math rotations, small group games, practicing on computers or devices, practicing with a teacher or adult helper, and so on! I usually teach the routines using "easy facts" before we get to the tougher ones. Once the routines are set, they're good to go!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


Once a student has proved mastery of all the levels, of addition and subtraction, I might have that child review all the levels again. Another option is to move onto multiplication and division. Although mastery of these facts isn't necessary for first or second graders, those students who master addition and subtraction quickly are usually quite ready for the upper levels. (Just make sure they understand what it all means!)

Another option: have them work with others. Perhaps it's because my dad was a football coach, but I've always felt it's our job to look out for the whole "team," and that concept is well instilled in my students. We have not succeeded until we have all succeeded!

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!


These are my foolproof systems for both levels. I swear by these materials! I've used them for years and found them to be successful (and loved) by both students and teachers. 

Addition and Subtraction Facts: 

Fact Fluency System for Addition and Subtraction: The Bundle 

Multiplication and Division Facts: 

Fact Fluency System for Multiplication and Division: The Bundle

or get them both in this bundle: 

 Math Fact Fluency System: the Bundle

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

Try the first level of each system for free!


Math Fact Fluency Practice Activities and Assessments: Level One +1 Fact Families

Math Fact Fluency Practice Activities and Assessments: Level One X1 Fact Families

Math fact fluency is essential for success in math. This post gives several suggestions on making it part of the daily routine to make it stick!

Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!

There are so many reasons to use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!


Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

In fact, here are twelve!

#1
They can be used on any device!
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
Seriously, any device! Desktops, laptops, iPads, tablets, iPhones, androids, you name it! It's easy!

#2
They're paperless! 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

Unless you want to print out a report, there's no paper involved, ever! There's plenty of practice and assessments for the children, and you can even read all sorts of reports, but no paper!
 
#3
Kids love them!

Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
They really do!

#4
Teachers love them!
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
What's not to love? Easy to use, plenty of feedback, the kids love them... and read on!

#5
They can easily be assigned for homework or remote learning!
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
Parents do love seeing what their children are doing, don't they? It's so easy to send an assignment to the children. (It can be sent through Google Classroom and other platforms, too!)

#6
They can be used while the teacher is with with a group!
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
Boom cards make great centers! They definitely keep the students engaged while the teacher is working with others!
 
#7
They can be used with partners for rich conversations!
 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
When you get a couple of kids together, they have amazing conversations! These conversations help the children understand what they're learning.

#8
It's easy to differentiate!
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
It's amazingly easy to assign different levels of practice to different students. The teacher can look at the data and determine if the child is ready to move on to the next level.

#9
It's easy to explore and download valuable data!

Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
It's amazingly easy to find information about what the children are doing. I've been known to share this information with students, especially if they're not doing their best on their assignments. (Yes, they've been known to "click through" just to be done) Once I show them their data, we have a little conversation and I always see improvements! (Especially on those math fact fluency systems mentioned above!)


#10
It's interactive and gives immediate feedback!
 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

Brain research tells us that immediate feedback is essential in order for learning to happen. Each card of a Boom Learning deck tells the child immediately if they answered correctly or not. Even if they miss the answer, learning is happening. When they've finished the deck, they are rewarded with badges and "gems" depending on how successful they are. (These are very motivating!)

#11
It's easy to use!!
 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!


Boom Cards are incredibly easy for the teachers as well as the students. See THIS POST to learn more about how to use them!
Boom Learning Digital Task Cards Are Fun and Easy to Use.


#12
There are plenty of decks available!

These are some of the Boom Learning Decks I have... math skills...
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!
 
...literacy skills... 

Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

 ...social studies...
 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

... science...
 
Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!

 
Boom Bundles are close to 50% off!

... and save money with bundles!
 
These and many other Boom Decks can be found HERE.
 

So Freebies and Dollar Deals for you to try!

Level 1 Boom Learning Fact Fluency Addition and Subtraction

 

Level 1 Boom Cards Math Fact Fluency Multiplication and Division

 

Weather Word, Plant Word, or Dessert?

 

Boom Learning Does it Float?

July General Knowledge and Trivia (I have one of these for every month, but this one is free. It's not necessary to match this trivia practice to the calendar, they can be done any time of year!)
General Knowledge Trivia for July!

There you go, twelve reasons to use Boom! Plus, a few freebies to try it now! 
 

So now, there's no excuse not to try Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!



Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards: Do you want to make teaching easier for you and fun for the students? Here are 12 ways!




 

 
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