math groups

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math groups
By Julianne

I taught math last year in groups because my first grade class had students who couldn't count to ten, identify any numbers or do one on one matching. We also had kids who were ready for addition and subtraction. So I broke
the group into three math groups and gave it a try. Getting it set into action was the hardest part. With an aide it should be easier. I would call the entire class together and do a simple activity they could all relate to. In your case you could do a review or a "problem of the day" type activity. At the end of that activity I would distribute worksheets to the two higher groups

and they would go to their seats to work independently. Since I didn't have an aide, they had to hold any questions until I was done with group 3. Usually that worked ok. I would spend about 10 minutes working with group 3 on a specific math skill, then assign them their work for the day. Then group 2 would come back for their 10 minutes of direct instruction. They would go back to their half-finished math work while I met with group 1. That group would usually be finished with their assignment by the time we met and I would explain tomorrow's assignment before I let them go. The next day it was easy to give them a word or two to remind them of what they should be doing before letting the whole group go. I kept the class in three groups for about 3 months. By that time I only needed 2 groups and by the end of the year we had moved back into a single math group. I was pleased with the way this worked as it supported lower learners while still giving top kids a chance to move on. The end of year math concepts were things that didn't directly hinge on earlier learning which is why we could bring the class back together to learn them (time telling, measurement, etc.). Also, by dividing up the lower group got the extra help they needed and they were able to catch up.