The Magic of Math Stations

 Do you believe in magic?!
      

Abracadabra!  HA!  If only it were that easy, right?!  We do believe that math stations are magical, but do not be fooled - it's not as easy as it sounds.

So, why do we think math stations are superior to traditional whole group math instruction?  The better question is:  WHY NOT?  We noticed that we innately envisioned our first grade classrooms as incorporating small group reading instruction.  However, teaching math in small groups seemed daunting and impossible.  How would we know what to teach?  Where do we get meaningful data?  Those things are naturally embedded in our understanding of developing young readers.  And you know what?  Our kids were KILLING IT in reading.  But math seemed stagnant.  We kept having the same conversations:  What are we doing differently in reading?  Why aren't we meeting our kids' needs in math?  Where are the gaps?  

Enter:  Diving in head first.  Holy Moly - were we overwhelmed?!  New questions popped up, like:  How do we keep the kids from interrupting?  What should we be teaching?  What math activities can they do independently?  What can I give up in my day to make sure I have time for math stations?  Do we stick to our canned curriculum, or should we let some of it go?  It was never-ending questions that led to amazing PLC meetings.

Your why may be different than ours, but these are reasons why math stations became a necessity for us:

1. Students were bored during whole group instruction.  Some weren't ready at all, so they tuned us out and did everything to avoid learning.  Others were bored because they were already proficient.
2. Differentiation is built-in.  We knew we would be able to meet various ability levels AND capitalize on preferred learning styles.
3. Soft skills are embedded.  Soft skills are a big push at our school, and cooperative learning, problem solving, and social skills development are all vital aspects of successful math stations.
4. Like we mentioned before, data proved a need.  Classroom data, benchmark data, standardized data - they were all telling the same story.

After a few years of trial and error, we have found a system that works for us.  We still have days where we are frustrated, but those are few and far between.  

We have approximately 45 minutes each day for stations, so we have four 10-minute stations. 

• M - Math Practice on Technology
• A - At Your Seat
• T - Math with the Teacher
• H - Hands on Math Games

Math Practice on Technology - Students in our classrooms have access to Chromebooks.  We use websites like:  Prodigy(free), Study Island, Moby Max, and Zearn (free).

At Your Seat - Students work independently on paper/pencil work.  This is a great time for students to demonstrate understanding of new concepts and show retention of previous learning.  We created a daily independent practice sheet, with just enough work to keep them busy during the allotted time.  

Math with the Teacher - This is the heart of the lesson, and your time with these small groups should be sacred.  We use this time to individualize instruction based on student needs (both individually and as a group).  We base our instruction around the critical skills we have developed alongside stations.  This is also a good time to give students common assessments, allowing them to be more focused and for us to observe their problem solving in action.  (If you're interested in learning more about critical skills and common assessment, check out our 3 part series on IGTV @flockstarteachers).

          

Hands on Games - If we're being honest, this is the hardest to manage, but it is always a favorite for the students.  At this station students play games that are rooted in number sense skills.  Most games are appropriate for 2-3 players, so it provides time for developmentally appropriate [and needed] social interaction with peers.  In order for students to be able to independently run this station, we oftentimes introduce and practice the games during our Math with the Teacher station.  We try to switch games out often to keep students engaged and challenged.

We can't wait to hear about how you incorporate math stations in your classroom.  

Keep Flockin' It!

-Kaysin & Robyn

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