Making The Most Of
Math Centers
Brenda Loyd NBCT, Park Forest Elementary
Chris Rollins NBCT, Woodlawn Elementary
Why Are you Here?
Shoulder Partner Activity
Rally Pair Share- 2 rounds
1.Share two things you think you know about
Math Centers.
2.Partner listens.
3.Change roles.
4. Then share 2 things you want to learn about
Math Centers.
5.Thank your partner for sharing.
When Its Time For Math Centers:
Do your kids look like this………..
Or like this?
When I Say Math Centers …..
Do you think of:
Chaos
Not enough time to make centers
Materials and students every w
h
Too many skills & Too much content to teach
e
r
Kids playing
e
Noise
Confusion
Is This Your Reaction?
Or these words?
Stations / Centers
Differentiation
Small group
Activities
Frequency Observation
Whole Group
Management
Groups
Standards
Materials
Organization
This is how you will look after our Presentation today!
Objectives:
To understand why we use Math Centers.
To define what Math Centers are and how to set them up.
To learn about the organization and management of Math Centers.
To examine how we can differentiate a Math Center.
To share ideas about how to use them.
Why Math Centers?
• For practice.
• Manipulating materials to
build understanding.
• For using the language of math
to build mathematical thinking.
• For allowing time for small group
instruction and reteaching.
• They are required in the curriculum.
Math Centers are…
Places where students can practice concepts.
For building Mathematical thinking beginning
with the use of concrete manipulatives.
 Students practicing basic math facts.
Varieties of leveled activities.
 For the use in observation and formative assessment .
Setting Up Centers
Create a classroom Math Center.
Label materials.
Muffin Counting Box
2. Set up a management / rotation chart for
centers.
Grouping
• Group students heterogeneously to be sure
there is someone who can help other
students.
• Change students within groups when conflicts
arise.
• Change students within groups at least 4
times during the year to provide opportunities
for students to work with and learn from
others.
Teach Your Students:
What Stations Should
Look Like
What Stations Should
Sound Like
Your turn
Create a group of three or four.
Round Table1.Share what you want Math Centers to look
like.
2.Go around your group- each person shares- no
discussion.
3.Share next what you want Math Stations to
sound like.
4.Thank each other for sharing.
First Steps- This Is The Key!
• Set rules and procedures for Math Centers.
• Establish that this is not play –they are doing
Mathematical work.
• Be very specific about how to use the
materials and what to do with them.
Teach: What to do if:
Materials are missing.
You don’t know how to do the center work.
You have a conflict with classmates.
Teach: How to:
Locate the materials.
Put them away.
When problems arise, stop the centers.
Think about why the problems arose and
discuss this with the students.
Then reteach the center with this new
information.
• Limit the number of different manipulatives.
Start with 1 or 2 different types.
• Allow the students free exploration time.
Formula: The younger the student, the more
free exploration time.
• Create an “I Can” list for each station, that
includes multiple activities students can do.
I Can…..
•
•
•
•
Roll the dice.
Put that many birds in a tree.
Talk with your partner.
Write and draw a story.
I Can…..
• Make arrays to show multiplication facts.
• Complete a chart for basic math facts.
• Play a game of Compare with a partner.
• Play a game of Double Compare with a
partner.
• Using a timer, time how many math facts I can
answer.
Differentiation
• Students begin working on skills that they
need to master, regardless of grade level
requirements.
• Requires that the teacher KNOWS what skills
each student needs.
• Each center has multiple activities as a choice
and the activities progress from easy to
difficult.
Math Strands
Stations can include these strands:
• Numbers and Number Relationships
• Algebra
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Data Analysis, Probability, and Discrete Math
• Patterns, Relations, and Functions
Frequency: Every day as part of Math block.
But at least 3 days a week.
Centers follow whole group instruction of a new concept
or reteaching from previous day.
Students are responsible for doing the work. Use
recording sheets , Math journals, and /or
constructed models as evidence that
students are doing the work.
Monitoring Centers
• The teacher keeps anecdotal records of center
observations.
• Several ways to keep track of student
understandings.
Skills
Checklist
Read, write, and
relate decimals
through
hundredths
Connect fractions
with
corresponding
decimal fractions
Model, read,
write, compare,
order, and
represent
fractions with
denominators
through
Give decimal
equivalents of
halves, fourths,
and tenths
Use common
equivalent
reference points
for percents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Class:
Date:
Activity:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
28
30
Class:
Date:
Activity:
Abrams, Amy
Anderson, Troy
Brown, Jill
Brown, Tony
Campbell, Nancy
Davidson, Eric
Davis, Joy
Easy, Big
Fellows, Odd
Hall, Study
Hallows, Deathly
Jackson, Zachary
Long, Earl
Mullins, Danielle
Geaux, Tigers
Johnson, Sidney
Johnson, Travis
Nelson, Anthony
Odds, Freddy
Tessler, Shawn
Packer, Green Bay
Sanders, Melissa
Class:
Date:
Activity:
1 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards from
____
2 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
3 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
4 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
5 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
6 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
7 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
8 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
9 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
10 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
11 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
12 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
13 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
14 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
15 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
16 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
17 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
18 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
19 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
20 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
21 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
22 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
23 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
24 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
25 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
26 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
27 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
28 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
28 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
30 System _____
1 to 1 _____
Rote Counting to ____
Counting Backwards
from ____
Class:
Date:
1
2
4&5
6
Facts for Multi
plication
3
4
5
6&7
7
1–5
10
11
Activity:
Practice Basic
4, 5, & 6
8
7, 8, & 9
12
13
17
6, 7, 8, & 9
21
22
26
27
1-5
Subtraction
15
19
23
+ and -
+ and –
To 10
11 & 12
Division
4&5
Subtraction
10
14
18
Review All
Division
6&7
11 & 12
Review All
9
4&5
10
1–5
10
16
7, 8, & 9
Review All
20
4, 5, & 6
24
25
1–5
10
28
Division
28
6, 7, & 8
30
Gallery Walk
Its now time to experience centers.
Take sticky notes, and move around the room
clockwise.
Make comments on sticky notes about other
ways to expand this center.
Discussion
Thoughts or comments about Gallery Walk.
Final Activity-
Complete KWL .
Complete evaluation.
Contact Us
Brenda Loyd- Bloyd@ebrschools.org
Math Coach
Chris Rollins- crollins@ebrschools.org
First Grade Teacher
Enjoy Math Centers!
Current Resources
• Math Work Stations,
Debbie Diller, Stenhouse, 2011;
ISBN 978 1 57110 7930
• Number Sense Routines,
Jessica Shumway, Stenhouse, 2011
ISBN 978 1 57110 790 9
• Mastering the Basic Math Facts,
Susan O’Connell, Heinemann, 2011
ISBN 13- 978-0-325-02963-4
• Guided Math, A Framework For Math Instruction,
Laney Sammons, Shell Education, 2010
ISBN978-1-4258-0534-0