All About Math Stations

Okay guys, so I promised I'd talk a little about how I run my math stations and what that time looks like in my classroom!  Get ready for a lot of photos!

I have done math stations since I started teaching.  I loves using the Debbie Diller term "Math Work Stations" because it actually means they have to work.  It's not just "center" time.  They know I expect only "math talk" during this time and they do a very good job at staying on task.  

If you haven't read Debbie Diller's Math Work Stations , that is step one! This book has it all!  It explains how to start out, how to organize your stations and how important it is to work in partners.  I absolutely LOVE this book.  My copy is totally worn, with writing and notes on the inside; it definitely helped me through my first year of stations.

Okay, now that you know that is first and foremost, here's how I organize my stations.

Reminder:  This system works for me, it may not be exactly what will work for you and your class.  I do change it up yearly to the needs of my students but for now this is what I do! :)

I organize my math math work stations in tubs.  I got this great shelf at Ikea and I love it!!  It fits perfectly under a table in my class and I love that the bins are big enough to fit all of my necessary math tools in each.  Please excuse the decoration I added, I think I posted this on Instagram before and this was the only picture I can find. :/

Here's what the actual shelf looks like.

Now, I have to let you know one thing.  This year I have twenty students.  So if you do the math and each student has a partner I would need 10 work stations.  Since only 9 fit on my shelf, my tenth one is computer/ipad work.  I'll get to that in a bit...

The way I organize myself (and my students) is by keeping a list/chart of my groups per month.  I like to do this per month for multiple reasons.  The first is that I like making/purchasing my stations by theme. So this month is all about spring time, last month was leprechauns and shamrocks and so on.  I also only have math work station time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  This allows more time on Mondays for introducing new concepts or math projects/crafts and Friday for reteach and review. I also like that I can change up my partners frequently if I see it's necessary. 

Are ya still with me?...

Okay, so I print one of these out with my students names by partner.  You can click the picture to pick one up.  Or you can just create a table to match how many groups you have.

So each day I just call out what station they go to and by mid-week they know where they are next.  With my kinders I used a visual poster so they saw where their stick was but my second graders don't need that so I just keep this hung up on the board for me to look at when we need to reference it.

My math tubs are labeled by number and I have the same matching number around the room spread out.  So my students get their tub with their partner and find that number on the wall around the room.

I strategically place the numbers around a specific station.  For instance, I use station 4 for all number line or number chart problems and that station is right by my giant poster and number line.  Station 6 is usually money and it's right next to my money poster so they can reference it if necessary.

You can click here to download these number cards.  

And once they get started they know exactly what to do!  

Here's what my room looks like during math work station time.

This gives me the perfect opportunity to work with a group that is struggling or differentiate by passing by a group that "gets it" and make it more challenging.

When the students are done (building, creating, working) with their cards at their station I have them come to my desk and get my iphone or ipad.  They have to take a picture of their work so I can check it throughout the day, whenever I get a chance.  I've only tried this a few times but boy do I love it!  Not only do my kids looooooove taking pictures of their work, but it gives them ownership of it and accountability.  It also doesn't distract me if I'm working with a student, they just get my phone or ipad take ONE picture (with their name card or their paper right by it) and get right back to work.  I got this FABULOUS idea from Cara, who got it from Deedee, who are two of the most brilliant ladies I've ever met... well met through their blog. :) 

My tenth station right now is computer work. They get to go to any math website that we have learned about.  The most popular ones right now are FasttMath, Cool Math & Sum Dog. 

Most of my math stations are games that they can play multiple times but if, for some reason, they finish with more time they automatically know what to do.  There is a game station bucket next to my math shelf and it has mutliple games from past work stations.  They can choose a game in that bucket to work with their partner until time is called.  

So I don't have the good ol'... Mrs. Moore, I'm done." Um... no you're not. :) 

There's never 'I'm done' during math time!

One of the favorites is "It's War" by Amy Lemons.  And ZAP!  I can not remember where I got the idea.. Pinterest, I'm sure.  But if you know please email me so I can give credit where credit's due.

 But I made these sticks when I taught Kindergarten to teach coin recogntition and now with my second graders they have to add up the coins they pick. All I did was cover a beef jerky can with a cute label and hot glued plastic coins to the end of posicle sticks and on a few sticks I wrote ZAP in red.  If they chose a ZAP stick they have to put all their sticks back! They love it! And it's easy peesy!

You can pretty much do this game with anything, math facts, sight words, parts of speech, you name it!

This month my students are working on one of my newest math station packets called Springtime Math Stations.  

Here are some of the activities in action.

Add It Up- Double Digit Addition

Double Digit Subtraction 

Fraction Match

 

Place Value 1-999

 Money Make & Take

And here's the kicker!  My math stations will be one sale until Saturday (4/12/14).  So please click here to check out my math stations that are all on sale! Stock up now!

And you know what's even better!!!  I'm giving one away!!  All you have to do to enter is PIN IT to WIN IT!  Pin one of these math stations and leave a comment with the link and if you get chosen you can choose one of these math stations from my shop for FREEEEE!!  Easy peesy, lemon squeezy.  

Just scroll over one of the photos on this post and when you see the big pink P- click it and pin it to one of your boards.  Then click "See it now" copy the link and paste it in a comment with your email and I will choose one (or two Sunday night, 4/13/14) and announce the winners Monday morning.

Thanks for being such fabulous followers.  Hope you got a little info for your math station system!

And just for sticking through to the end of this post... grab this little place value freebie!

Happy teaching!