Math Workshop: How does it work?

Math workshop might be my favorite time of the day.  I love to see the enthusiasm with which kids approach math.  Throw in some math tub games and its a recipe for a heck of a good time!   As I begin prepping my Back to School materials, I wanted to share some information about my math block and how it works in my classroom.  While this is what worked last year I'm sure I'll be changing some things just a bit this year to meet the needs of my new kiddos... I'm always tweaking to make things better!

Why Math Workshop?

I first decided to teach math in a small group setting about two and a half years ago.  I was frustrated, my kiddos were frustrated, and I felt like no one was getting what they needed.  I remember reading blog post after blog post from other teachers that loved teaching math.  I was jealous because I was just not feeling this way at all.  

My motto for math time each day was "just get through it".  I  felt as though I was running around my room trying to check papers rather than stopping to "talk math" with each of my kiddos or reteach a concept that a student just didn't get.

Math workshop allows me to work with small groups to better meet the needs of all my kids.  Using assessments throughout the year, I'm able to group the kids based on the abilities and needs and this has worked wonders.  Much like guided reading, the lessons are differentiated to meet the needs of the students in each group.  

But math workshop isn't all about being able to work with kids in small groups.  It's about the same structured block of time each day (about 75 minutes) that allows for spiraled review and practicing important math skills like fact fluency and problem solving.  My math workshop block has several components and I'd love to share with you what each component entails.  I have included a short outline of my math workshop block should you want to download it for reference.  

One: Application Problem

We begin every math workshop with an application problem.  The kids are gathered on the carpet and I typically display the word problem on our Promethean Board.  We always read the problem two times and during the second time we circle what we know and underline the question.  This is what I teach my kids to do early in the year and I expect them to do it on all the work they complete throughout the year. (Sorry for the pictures... I don't have any pictures of application problems displayed on my Promethean Board!)

The word problems I include during this time typically lead into the mini-lesson I'll teach in a few minutes.  I also make an effort to include all three types of word problems; result unknown, change unknown, and start unknown.  I want my kiddos to be able to solve any word problem I give them!  I also typically use my kiddos names in these problems... there's no better way to motivate kids than using heir names in word problems!  Sometimes I even use my two dogs as problem solving inspiration... the kids love this too!

After reading the word problem twice we use a model to draw it out, using either a tape diagram or a number bond.  Some days I decide what model we'll use, other days I let the kids decide. But the critical part here is the use of the model... this transforms problem solving because once the kids fill in the model, they know how to solve the problem.

When solving the word problems we have a few options.  Some days we solve it together on the board.  Other days the kids solve it on their own work mat and this allows me to do some assessing and note taking during this time.  I also have the kids work with a buddy to solve the problem on their work mat and then have a team come up to the board to explain their answer.  This is a great chance to include some "math talk" during our workshop block.  

If the kids are solving the problem independently on their work mats I circulate around the carpet to get a sense of who may need some problem solving reteaching or may need additional help during the mini-lesson and small group rotations. 

Two: Fluency Checks

We all know fact fluency is a huge part of the Common Core in first grade.  We also know how hard it can be for some kids to truly master these facts.  That's why every day I do some sort of fluency check.   

Fluency checks can be anything from a counting game, a number song on you tube, mad minute/bubblegum addition and subtraction pages, or sprints.  Sprints stress the use of mental math and/or strategies to solve problems.  Sprint pages include number bonds, number patterns, friends of ten, addition and subtraction, and missing addends.  As you can see there are a ton of options.  I typically collect any pencil/paper activities we do to analyze them and take notes.  If we're playing a game or using a video/song, I also take some notes in a math folder I have to help me group students and understand their strengths and weaknesses.  

Three: Mini-Lesson

My mini-lesson for the day does not last more than 8-10 minutes.  I use this time more as the "I Do" phase of the workshop block and I really don't want me kids listening to my talk for longer than this.  And honestly, they don't want to hear me talk for longer than this... they want to get up and use the math tools I've set out for the day! 

I typically use our Promethean Board to introduce the lesson and often times refer back to the word problem we solved at the beginning.  Using the board is great because it's large enough for all the kids to see it and there are so many options to keep the kids engaged.     

Four: Rotations

We do three rotations each day and I use a page on the Promethean Board so the kids always know where they need to be and what they will be doing.  The three rotations include math with the teacher, math tubs, and math journals.  I have three groups rotating during each of the three rotations and it really works well.  Each rotation lasts about 10-12 minutes, but I'm flexible if a group needs a few more minutes.  No names on this flipchart means I've already prepared it for the upcoming school year!  

I ring a bell when it's time to switch and the kids know to meet me on the carpet.  When meeting on the carpet I try to squeeze in a few more fluency activities.  Sometimes we spend 3-4 minutes skip counting, practicing doubles facts or playing a quick game before the next rotation begins.  

This also allows for bathroom/water breaks and gives a few minutes for clean up before the next rotation.  It also gives kids a few extra minutes to finish any work from their journal or math tub game.  

Math with Teacher: during this time I work with small groups to continue the mini-lesson I began a few minutes earlier.  This is where the "We do" and "You do" come in.  Using manipulatives we do a few problems together.  Then I have the kids work independently to complete a worksheet or solve a problem using the manipulatives.  While I did differentiate these lessons last year based on student needs, I'd love to do even more differentiating this year to really hit what each group needs out of that days lesson.

Math Tubs: This is probably the favorite part of rotations.  I have three math tub games going each day and usually two kids are at each tub.  Kids learn from others and I think it's important to have the kids work in pairs here. This is another opportunity for differentiation.  I label tubs using numbers and each pair knows what numbered tub they need to complete.  This allows me to make different tubs or harder tubs for different learners.   

Math Journals: We use our math explorer journals almost every day.  However, some days instead of having the kids glue an activity into the journal I'll have them complete a worksheet or finish the independent work they didn't finish during small groups either that day or the day before.  The work varies from day to day and week to week but I try to include practice with the current skills we're working on as well as spiraled review.  The important thing here is that the kids are working independently.  This really gives me a sense of where they are and what they may need help with.   

Five: Share
After our three rotations we have a quick 4-5 minute share each day.  Some days we review that days lesson with an exit ticket completed independently or together on the Promethean Board.  Other days we reflect on our work and learning from that day.  Either way it's a nice way to end the lesson.  

Six: Independent Problem Solving Practice
During this time each day I use problem solving printables to give my kiddos some more problem solving practice.  While the application problem at the beginning of the session is a bit more guided, this part of our day is used more for independent practice.  I use themed printables and print them double sided so we do one question each day.  The routines are the same from the application problem and I collect the pages each day to assess and take notes. 

As you can see our math workshop block is jam packed with math work each day.  I can honestly say it's the best decision I've made for my classroom.  The kids LOVE math and they have a much deeper understanding of math concepts because of all the work we do during this time.  I hope this will help you create a meaningful and productive math block in you classroom during the upcoming school year!