Lower elementary math centers
Introduction
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As a lower elementary teacher, centers have become an academic asset to developing independence, critical thinking skills, and real world application strategies in math. Math instruction has changed very little from it's traditional roots reaching back to the formative days of education; however, the use of centers in a classroom disrupts that customary form of instruction (a teacher transmitting new knowledge to students within a whole group lesson), and replaces it with an innovative approach that calls for students to learn from a more practical and active method. My students have benefited enormously from the introduction of centers into the curriculum and I have found that it has better prepared them for using the knowledge they acquire in math in real world applications. Below you will find resources that have proven useful to me in the creation of my math centers and insights into how you may run your centers to best maximize your student's learning.
Organization of Math centers
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Description of centers
Above you will find the general flow chart that I use for my math centers. At the beginning of the school year, I suggest that you find a comprehensive math assessment that you may distribute to your students to receive an accurate evaluation of where your student stand mathematically. After I followed the aforementioned procedure, I divided my students into several groups depending on their acquired skills in math. Therefore, every group is working on different objectives depending on where they are in the curriculum and the knowledge they possess in the subject based upon the assessment given. I suggest that you try to limit the members of the group to be approximately four students each. The website that I have provided offers a comprehensive kindergarten evaluation that I used at the beginning of the year to properly divide my students (link to website).
When you have divided your students up depending on mastered objectives you may begin begin by selecting a target that the members of a specific group have, collectively failed to master. The objective will be taught by you in the mini lesson center (I instruct mine on the back carpet) . The mini lesson will encompass a teacher directed, student guided, and individual components to ensure that the student receives enough information about the skill. I often limit my mini group lesson to last for approximately 30 minutes. While this is occurring, other students will be working at the other centers featured in the above diagram. The website below offers an amazing website that gives great mini lesson for my grade (kindergarten) that may be worth signing up for.
After the mini lesson center, I have my students rotate to the listening center. In the listening center, I have often provided my students worksheets and recorded my voice (because my students are 5 and cannot read). In this center, I ask that my students to select the correct cd (cds are colored different colors depending on their group) press the play button and complete the worksheet with the direction of my voice. I have found this center very successful as my are able to work independently without my actual direction and rather just the instruction of my prerecorded voice. I try to make the audio clip last for 30 minutes as well to ensure that while I am working with my small mini group, I will not be disturbed by students who finish early.
Following the listening center, I have my students work at the computer center. At the computer center, I often provide my students a link to a webquest which they must complete. My students are able to work independently and select different games that they may wish to play to practice the skill that will address the target that they are currently working on. Here is one of the webquests that introduced money to my students that allowed them to work independently on their money identifying skills.
When you have divided your students up depending on mastered objectives you may begin begin by selecting a target that the members of a specific group have, collectively failed to master. The objective will be taught by you in the mini lesson center (I instruct mine on the back carpet) . The mini lesson will encompass a teacher directed, student guided, and individual components to ensure that the student receives enough information about the skill. I often limit my mini group lesson to last for approximately 30 minutes. While this is occurring, other students will be working at the other centers featured in the above diagram. The website below offers an amazing website that gives great mini lesson for my grade (kindergarten) that may be worth signing up for.
After the mini lesson center, I have my students rotate to the listening center. In the listening center, I have often provided my students worksheets and recorded my voice (because my students are 5 and cannot read). In this center, I ask that my students to select the correct cd (cds are colored different colors depending on their group) press the play button and complete the worksheet with the direction of my voice. I have found this center very successful as my are able to work independently without my actual direction and rather just the instruction of my prerecorded voice. I try to make the audio clip last for 30 minutes as well to ensure that while I am working with my small mini group, I will not be disturbed by students who finish early.
Following the listening center, I have my students work at the computer center. At the computer center, I often provide my students a link to a webquest which they must complete. My students are able to work independently and select different games that they may wish to play to practice the skill that will address the target that they are currently working on. Here is one of the webquests that introduced money to my students that allowed them to work independently on their money identifying skills.
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/9/1/20917724/9867471.jpg)
Group work center offers that opportunity for my students to work together on solving some problems that requires the use of the skill that we have be working on. I often try to provide fun, interactive projects that will maintain my student's interests and offer the chance to develop a deeper understanding of the task at hand. I really encourage that you offer this center for your students so that they may develop their communication skills and group work. To the left is a picture of my students working together to develop a pyramid looking shape through the use of three marshmallows and six pretzel rods. To further the learning, I asked that my students tell me how many corners, faces, and sides the figure possesses.
At the assessment center, I ask the students to complete a similar worksheet that I directed them to completely through the use of audio direction at the listening center. At the assessment center, I have my students erect folder dividers to ensure that their is not temptation to cheat and ask that they completely an assignment in a timely fashion. The assessment center allows me to gather an accurate understanding if the students understood my teaching and if I need to revamp the lesson on re-examine a particular facet of the instruction to assist my students to better understand the material. Below is an image of one of my assessments that I asked my students to complete.
At the assessment center, I ask the students to complete a similar worksheet that I directed them to completely through the use of audio direction at the listening center. At the assessment center, I have my students erect folder dividers to ensure that their is not temptation to cheat and ask that they completely an assignment in a timely fashion. The assessment center allows me to gather an accurate understanding if the students understood my teaching and if I need to revamp the lesson on re-examine a particular facet of the instruction to assist my students to better understand the material. Below is an image of one of my assessments that I asked my students to complete.
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Real world application center allows my students to contextualize how the given information is an important skills in real life. This center permits _my students to experience how to apply their newly given information in an actual situation. For instance, for identifying 3D shapes, I asked my students to take a tour of our classroom, playground, and school with the assistance of an aid and record different shapes that they discovered on their gallery walk. The gallery walk permitted my students a unique approach to viewing these shapes in their context. Here is the website that provides a closer image of the picture to the left.