Guided Math and Math Centers in Kindergarten

Worksheets are a hot button topic in the world of education and i'm going to say it loud and clear before you read any further... I do not believe that worksheets teach. Can we use them to assess? Absolutely. Should we rely heavily on them? Absolutely not. So, i'm throwing it out there before you continue. We are in no way, shape, or form a worksheet driven classroom.

What do we use? We have Go Math at my school and it is great, but it is one of many tools that I use to help my students build a strong foundation in math. Engage NY has some fantastic resources for guided math that I peek at, and I also create lessons on my own based on my students needs. Whatever I use, I am all about hands on math. So what does my math block look like?


The mini lesson is exactly what it sounds like... mini. In this portion of our math block I cover what everyone needs to know.  When we spend long periods of time teaching math concepts we are reaching just one group of children and the rest are left behind or bored. Here are some examples of things we cover in a mini lesson:

• A math read aloud 
• Number formation 
• An interactive whiteboard activity that everyone needs to know (introducing vocabulary, brief introduction of a new concept)
• Introduce new vocabulary: for example, when we began comparing numbers we did the "alligator greater" song and talked about the symbol
• Group game- race to 10 with our giant ten frame, "find your match" with numbers represented different ways
• Rekenrek math chat (ex: showing a 5 group + 1 more is 6)
• Talking numbers-- have students solve a problem on whiteboards and talk about how they did it.

Whatever the topic, it is short and sweet. Our mini lesson is the pathway into what we will work on at the teacher table.

Guided Math

How many kids and how long? This probably the most frequently asked question. I am blessed with a small kindergarten class this year and have three math rotations. I meet with each group every day. I have 3-5 students in each group and we meet for 15 minutes. Last year my groups were much larger (I had a class of 24) and I had 5-6 in each group with four 15 minute rotations (I pulled time from elsewhere in my schedule to make it work.) 

These magnetic ten frames came from Oriental Trading. You can grab them by clicking the picture!

Those magnetic ten frames in the picture? They are a-w-e-s-o-m-e and we use them all the time! Check out Oriental Trading's Learn 365 website to grab other awesome learning manipulatives! 

What is guided math? Guided math is the heart of math instruction. It is intentionally planned and targeted instruction to meet the needs of each child in your group. Differentiation can be a scary word and when we are talking about breaking kids into small groups. Teachers can get overwhelmed with the idea of planning but sometimes differentiation can simply be how you scaffold students, your delivery, or even the manipulatives you use. What i'm getting at is that often times each one of my guided groups is learning the same concept just in different ways.

For example-- the group in the picture above solved the problem "Mason had 5 cupcakes and his friend gave him two more, how many does Mason have now?" Using our ten frames was much more concrete. Below, my friend is solving the same problem but drawing it on her own.

Guided math is one of my favorite times of the day because I truly get a full picture of each of my friends and I can meet them at their level. This is something that is nearly impossible impossible to do if you are teaching a whole group lesson for the majority of your math block.

Guided math should be hands on. You guys. Sometimes people think that kids should be working on workbook pages when they come to see you, or even learning a new math center. This is not what happens at the guided math table. True guided math is hands on-- our smallest friends need concrete experiences to build a strong math foundation. Giving a worksheet about a number is not the same as having a child build it with manipulatives and then explain their thinking. 

Here my friends built two numbers that we rolled and showed that they knew the two numbers are equal using hand signals.

Using Rekenreks to break numbers into smaller parts

Practicing making a counting path to count scattered groups of objects

These hands on experiences are everything when it comes to truly building number sense. Every new topic we introduce includes lots and lots of hands on activities during guided math-- once we have the concrete down, kids can move on to a combination of using manipulatives and things like pictorial examples. Catherine over at the Brown Bag Teacher has an incredible article about planning using the CSA continuum (concrete, semi-concrete, abstract). 

Comparing Numbers using snap cubes and our math balances

Something I really want to hit hard on is that during guided math instruction, it is REALLY important that the kids explain their thinking to you. It's not just build it, say the number, done. I want to know HOW and WHY they build the number the way that they did. During the comparing example above, we compared two numbers that were rolled using our balance and snap cubes. Each child explained their thought process-- this is really an important piece of the puzzle when we are getting to know our students math abilities better. It is also amazing to hear all the different ways they thought through math problems!

Math Centers

What is everyone else doing while groups meet at teacher table? Math centers! We have a total of three rotations this year because (as mentioned) I have a small class this year. Last year we had four.

Let's talk center tubs! The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE center tubs and it is by far their most favorite place to visit. At any given time I have between 5-8 center tubs to choose from. I do not assign tubs-- I am not a micromanager and the kids can choose whatever tub they want as long as it is not one they have visited repeatedly. They can also sit wherever they want in the room as long as they are not under a table or up against a door. 

We are currently working on numbers 1-10. This is a game called "roll and build" where my friends roll a 10-sided dice, find the number on their mat, and build it using snap cubes. The beauty of this center, just like most of the others, is that I can change these mats based on different concepts we learn. This way, changing out centers is not a big, dramatic event. For example, this game used to be only numbers 1-5. When we add they will roll two dice and build a number. Subtraction? Same idea. 

Here is our math balance again. We worked with our balance a lot at the teacher table so when the kids were ready, I included it as a center. This is something else that we will use for MANY different concepts (especially addition and balancing equations) so when we trade it out, we are not reinventing the wheel. 

One of the absolute all time favorite centers in our room is with our robot mouse, Jack. Because we are working on subitizing and number recognition 1-10, students roll the dice, and code Jack to find the number. This has been such an AWESOME way to combine STEM into our regular math block and it is the most engaging thing ever. We will be using this for every single concept we cover this year.

Hopscotch is a great activity for kinesthetic learners. When they toss the bean bag on a number, they hop to it and then write that number and represent it in a ten frame. When we move on to addition, they will complete a number bond to show how to break that number apart. Hopscotch is fantastic for getting kids moving AND doing math!

Math Through Technology

Technology is another rotation. Last year I used ABCYA and other free websites. I bookmarked the games I wanted my friends to play. This year I am using Boom Learning which is AMAZING because I get data about each one of my friends and I assign them games. Boom learning is interactive and self-checking-- I love that the kids are able to correct the answer and figure out why the one they originally selected was wrong. In addition to our robot mouse, it is one of the best things that has changed from last year to this year. 

To intentionally plan guided math instruction, it is SO important that we have data on kids. Boom Learning is such a simple way to do this. For each game I assign to my friends, I get data back that helps me group kids and plan. 

Data from my end! 

The kids get points on their end too and that is a huge incentive for them. They work so hard to earn all of their gems and I have seen them all go back into games to redo them in order to get all of their points.

This is what the kids see! They love earning points.

What the kids see from your classroom page

One of the best things about Boom is that the login is so easy. I bookmarked my classroom page on google chrome and the kids go right to it. They can find their usernames and I made their passwords super easy so that they can type them in on their own. This login system allows the kids to work completely independently-- so important because you are working with a small group at teacher table and cannot afford to go over to the computers to log kids in. It took me about 5 minutes to show a group of kindergarteners how to sign in. It is the perfect technology activity.


Here is an example of a Boom activity in action. Students drag and drop the correct number of animals into the barn.

 

If you want to try out Boom Cards in your classroom, you can head HERE to grab some. 

Some More Information

Management of centers- Let me let you in on something-- kids adore center time. They love that they get to choose their activity and they take pride and ownership. We make a big deal about how everything we do has to be done to help us get better at math. We spent basically all of September introducing centers and expectations so that they'd run smoothly. This doesn't mean you have to wait till next year to start. You can start tomorrow, next week, next month... just make sure you take the time to set clear cut expectations and practice them. You don't have to start pulling groups until all of your kids are ready to work independently. 

Math is not a worksheet; we need to create hands on experiences for kids and intentionally plan to meet their needs. I promise you that you will see amazing outcomes. So, take the plunge. No excuses. Tough class? Spend extra time teaching them routines and practices. Kids can't work independently? Yes they can, they'll surprise you. Cumbersome curriculum? Use it as a tool-- you are not a slave to it. Group of academically needy kids? Centers and guided math are perfect for them. You can do it, the kids can do it, and everyone will be better because of it. 

Flipping the Upper Elementary Classroom

Math in most upper elementary classrooms like this:

•  The teacher stands up in front of the class and teaches a lesson.
•  Students follow along in their notebooks or workbooks and volunteer to answer questions up on the board. 
• Then, students complete an activity independently or with a partner/ small group. The teacher walks around the room helping. 
• After, the class pulls back together to close out the lesson. 

So, what is the downside to this traditional method? Well, a lot of the time when teachers teach a lesson to the whole class, they are teaching to the "middle". Students who are lower get lost and left behind, and students who are more advanced get board. 

Now picture this classroom: 

Students rotate to centers where they work on higher-order thinking projects while the teacher pulls a small group of students  to review a concept, or perhaps push them with more difficult work. Twenty-four students in a classroom may, at any given time, be doing totally different things. This is the perfect picture of a differentiated classroom!

It sounds like a teacher dream-world, doesn't it? The idea of centers in an upper elementary classroom is wonderful, and most teachers WANT to incorporate it! But the reality is that sometimes there just isn't time! Because when you think about it, how can your teacher a lesson, AND have students work at centers, AND work with a small group, ALL IN ONE PERIOD!? (The madness!) 

There is a way, my friends! It is..... the Flipped Classroom! So, what is the flipped classroom? 

Instead of the traditional method, students come into class already having learned the lesson. 

• For homework students watch a 5-7 minute video of the lesson. This could be a video that you created yourself, using a iPad app like Doceri, or a pre-made video from Khan Academy or Learn Zillow. 
• When students come into class (or when your math period starts), you immediately start centers! (YAY!) 
• During centers, you pull small groups of students. I usually start pulling groups of kids who had trouble with the lesson, first.

One of the biggest questions that teachers ask when it comes to the flipped classroom is "how do I keep kids accountable?" Because, although it sounds really great, how do you know that your students actually WATCHED the video? We would hope that they would be honest, but this isn't always the case. Luckily, there is an awesome solution to that as well! 

At the beginning of the year one of the first things that I do is sign up my students for Edmodo. Edmodo is amazing because it is a social-media platform for students. I love that they're able to ask and answer each others homework questions, have book discussions, etc. But I also LOVE the apps that Edmodo has. And, conveniently, one of those apps called Educanon, keeps kids accountable for watching flipped videos. 

Simply post the YouTube link in Educanon, and BAM! You can see who watched the FULL video and who did not. Educanon also allows you to insert questions (YESSSS!!) into the video. This allows to "check for understanding"-- you can see who got the questions right and who got them wrong! I insert vocabulary questions, word problems, algorithms, etc. The students can even right in comments if they have a question, or want to share something with you! This way, when the kids come in, I know who needs the lesson re-taught. 

Commonly Asked Questions:

• Doesn't it take a lot of time to make the videos? If you are planning on making all of your own videos, it doesn't take some time (especially if you redo them a bunch of times like me!) However, you are set for the years to come once it's done! You can also team up with your co-workers and split up the work, or use some videos from Khan Academy and Learn Zillow.
• What it a student does not have a computer or the internet? OK so I had this problem. I had a student whose internet was down for a while, and they went to the library and a friends house. I also had a student without a computer, and they just watched the videos at the end of the day (before it was due). I always found time in the day for them to watch it in class!
• What do you do if students don't watch the videos? Let me tell you, there is nothing worse for the students than not getting to do centers right away! That means they have to play catch-up with their work, and they love the projects! If they don't watch the video for HW, they have to watch it in class before they start centers. 
• What types of projects  and do you pull in? The possibilities are ENDLESS! We did a year-round stock market project (I will write about that in another post), I also use Khan Academy and students complete printed-out projects (I love the projects from Teaching With a Mountain View!!) 

Trifolds to Organize Center Work: Part Two

I've spent the past few days soaking up the sun in Florida-- but I am also here to help my mom set up her fifth grade classroom! My parents just moved down here and my mom is switching from teaching third grade to teaching fifth-- my specialty! She decided that she is going to have a nautical theme this year, so I have been making her job charts, name tags, and working on center project boards for her! I bought adorable nautical themed clipart from Etsy that I LOVE, and I am having so much fun designing things for her! This is making me want to use a Nautical theme for my own classroom this year, but considering that I bought circus tents from Ikea for my library, I think I am going to stick with my owl-circus hybrid theme. ;) 

Designing the labels for Trifolds!

My mom is going to use two trifold boards for her math centers-- one is for task cards/ worksheets, and the other is going to house projects! The game area, small group center, and computer center won't need project boards. I made three different levels for each-- the task cards/worksheets will have: Anchors Away (review), Out to Sea (on level), and Shore Excursion (enrichment). The project trifold will have: Boarding the Ship (review), On Deck (on level), and Crows Nest (enrichment.) 

Putting It Together:

Trifolds to Organize Center Work

Okay so I am completely obsessed with a HUGE FAN of using trifolds as a way to hold center work! When I first started using the center method with my fifth graders, I found that they would leave a mess didn't know where to get/put back their work! Trifolds meant that Messy Margaret and Disorganized Danny knew exactly where everything belonged when they arrived at and left each center!

I created a trifold board for several centers(both math and language arts) and glued a few laminated and labeled file folders to each trifold. This allowed me to differentiate the work at each center AND keep it organized! My trifolds lasted me two years and are still going strong-- so it was totally worth the time it took to make them. Even better than that, it only cost me about $3.00-$4.00 per trifold-- many of the materials I purchased were used on multiple trifolds. (YES that includes the actual trifold-- the DOLLAR TREE had tons of them in stock!)

Materials (all purchased at the Dollar Tree)

• Trifold boards
• Bulletin board border
• File Folders (you can buy these in a pack of 12!)
• White Boards (I super glued them on and left directions on these)
• Bulletin board lettering
• Clear pocket folders (holds task cards or anything else you need!) 

Math Centers:
So the next question you might have is, what did students do at each center? Well, for math we had 5 different centers:

• "Workout Zone": Also affectionately known by students as "task card world"-- this center housed task cards for each concept we were working on in math. The "workout zone" trifold had three different folders-- extra review (for kids who needed a review), practice makes perfect (the middle group), and challenge accepted (the advanced group). 
• "Project Zone": I had a pretty good group of math students, so I only have two levels at this center. This is where projects were held. P.S.-- Teaching with a Mountain View has fabulous math projects for upper elementary. This is where I got most of my projects from!
• "Khan Academy": I used Khan in my room, so when students got to this center, they would log into their accounts and get to work! The trifold at this center had rules, the "playlist" (lessons and videos that had to follow), and reflection worksheets. 
• "Game Zone": the Game Zone trifold was home to playing cards, flash cards, and I had a basket full of math games as well. I gave 2-3 choices per day for this one, and they were typically a "spiral review"  or directly related to whatever concept we had been working on!
• "Small Group": this is where I met with students in leveled groups-- no trifold here, just colored bins to organize and each student had their own folder to keep work!

Language Arts:

I did my own version of the Daily Five in my room (I'll tackle that in another post!) 

The Word Work Trifold Board

• Word Work: This was my vocab center. I used two huge trifolds for this center with about 6-8 file folders on each. In each file folder was a different Word Work WS. I introduced one at a time in the beginning of the year, but by the end I left them all out. The kids were pretty responsible and enjoyed all of the options! For this center, I made my own Word Work Worksheets because I couldn't really find anything that met the needs of upper elementary students and kept them engaged-- If you would like to grab em', click on the image below.
  
• Passion Project: Students worked on whatever they were passionate about (some learned to code, some did a project on their favorite animal, etc.) Once again, I'll tackle Passion Projects later on, because that deserves a post of its own! Anyways, that trifold housed the rules for Passion Projects, suggested websites, forms to fill out, directions for how to complete, etc.
• Guided Reading: No tri-fold here, I had colored bins to house guided reading work and the kiddo's all had their own folders and notebooks
• Read to Self: At RTS all of kid's had to complete a menu project for the book they chose to read. The trifold was home to the menus, directions, and a "submission" folder. 
• Work on Writing: Two trifold's housed menu options for Work on Writing, a folder with some shared writing journals, rules, and "descriptive word" suggestions. I made my own Work on Writing, which you can check out at my store by clicking the picture below!

Organizational Ideas and Back to School Tips: A Blog Linky Party!

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