math centers

Home

Chat

Blogs

Directory

Archive : 2005 : February : 7

math centers
By mina

I love having math centers in my room, but it has taken me a while to catch on that there needs to be actual "work" going on. I used to just put out the materials and let them make patterns, play with pattern blocks, finish
number sentences, etc., but they really need to have an assignment. I have 5 centers a week, one for each day. When you complete one, you can have free centers. One math center is always a journal. I have a math question or problem typed up that they glue into their journal, date it, then answer it...showing me how they solved the problem. Those who don't write very well still have

to draw a picture and be able to explain it to me. Another center will be related to our current unit...for example, time and money. They may have to stamp clock faces on a sheet and write specific times on them. Then I would have them write a sentence such as, " At 2:00, we go home on the bus." I want them to be able to relate the time to real life. For money, I may put toys out with price tags. They use real money (I provide a jar of change) and put the coins they need with the toy. To record the work, I have them write, " I need ___cents to buy the puzzle (or whatever.) I can have ___ dimes, ___ nickels, and ___ pennies. This lets me see if they truly understand. Another center would review the unit just finished, for example, tens and ones. Another would review math facts...this is a weekly center because our grade level goal is that they all exit 1st knowing their facts. I manage centers by putting half the class in centers while I work with the other half. Then we switch. Everyone knows they will get a turn.
Hope this helps.