I felt like I was looking at the paper in front of me and not the kid in front of me. Paper is correct, put it in your mailbox. Heaven forbid there were a few questions that needed fixing...there wasn't time to stop and help that child fix those mistakes. I hated teaching math this way and felt like I wasn't meeting the needs of any student.
Fast forward to math workshop. Teaching math this way is fun, not just for the kids, but for me as well! I get to talk to the kids about their math thinking and we get to engage in some meaningful math activities. During my daily math block we spend about an hour and 15 minutes each and every day working on math. It sounds like a ton of time and it is, but I can honestly say my kiddos have an unbelievable understanding of math this year because we are able to work on so many concepts in each math block.
Here's a breakdown of our math block each day.
This is an example of my plans for the rotations this week!
Every day we begin with a word problem on the classroom Promethean board. We read and discuss the problem and then I have my kids use their personal work mats (math problem solving work mat in a page protector) to solve the problem.
As the kids are solving the problem I am able to walk around to see who's got it and who may need some help. After the kids finish the problem we review it on the board and discuss different ways to solve the same problem.
Fluency Practice:
Each day we work on fluency. This does not only include working on math facts (addition and subtraction). Some days we work on filling in the missing part in a number bond, other days we work on skip counting forward and backward. What matters is that we are working on and reviewing these skills each day. I like doing the fluency practice second because the kids either are up moving on the carpet or they complete a task at their seats. This keeps them moving and not sitting on the carpet for any length of time.
Mini-lesson:
Similar to a writing mini-lesson we spend a few minutes whole group on the carpet learning a new skill or concept that will be developed further with me during our math rotations.
Math Rotations:
Math Tub Games- During this time my kids review old concepts and practice newer concepts using various games and activities. If you have a few extra dollars do yourself a favor and but these great tubs at Walmart. They are deep enough to start math tools for the different games at each tub and they have a top that is easily manipulated by the kids. I swear by these tubs. I use them for everything!
Math Journal- Here my kids practice new concepts as well as review old concepts that have previously been introduced.
Math with Me: Here each group works on the new concept of the day. This allows me to meet the needs of all my kids because I may approach the new skill a bit differently based upon the needs of each group.
Now I am able to "talk math" with the kids and I am able to see their math thinking as they solve each problem. I am blown away by what I have seen from my firsties. After the third rotation we'll come back to the carpet for a quick share/debrief of the day and then we'll finish up with solving a word problem.
Problem Solving:
Each day I have my students solve a word problem on their own. I have them read and solve the problem at their seats. This allows me to see where everyone stands and who may or may not need help.
Here is an example of some problem solving printables I have made and used in my classroom.
It's a ton to do during the math block time but the kids enjoy it and I can see what a difference it makes in their understanding and love for math.
Click on any of the pictures to go to my store to download these freebies.
Happy Sunday night... we're getting ready for a BIG snowstorm here!
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