A much requested post....Math Stations and FREEBIES!

The most requested PD that teachers and districts have asked me to do is Math Stations.  My current school had a book study over the summer.  Ok...we had three but Daily 5 was by far the best of the three.  Many teachers were excited to get their five stations into action.  After they established their expectations and procedures, many asked how to incorporate a system like the Daily 5 for Math.  Let's do this!

Station 1 - Word Work (Vocabulary)
Math is it's own language and many students can compute but struggle when presented with a word problem that contains vocabulary.  This station was always focused on current unit vocabulary.

I tried not to put too many words in the station so my students were not overwhelmed and confused.  For example, if a unit covered 15 words and lasted for 3 weeks - I divide up the words into 5 per week (sometimes it would be 6 and 4 depending on what words were related to one another).  I use many different ways to do vocabulary to keep kids interested.  I often use my vocabulary package, since it contains most third through five grade vocabulary.  I do need to add a few words to it, but it contains 138 words.   The set is color-coded (word and definition) and has an example.  I like the color coordination to help my struggling students narrow down their options.

 I always want to have an accountability component to my stations, this helps my students stay on task.  Once they have matched the word, definition, and example, We add it to our math journal.  The kids love the spring definitions.

Click here to get the spring template.

Sometimes I use this graphic organizer.

Typically, I give the kids choice in which one they prefer.  I don't usually run them off on paper after I teach them how to make them.  I will give them copy paper and they fold or cut the paper depending on which method they choose.

I do spiral in terms throughout the year.  Sometimes, to bring up the level of thinking - we start with word and definition.

 Then, the challenge comes when we take out the definition and they have to connect the word and the example.

 This is the set of all the vocabulary cards (138 total).  Click on the picture to go to TpT.

You do not have to use these sorts of cards, you can use plan index cards and use the same strategy.  

Station 2 - Math Fluency (Basic Math Facts)

This station is such a necessity.  For lower grades (2-3), I used addition and subtraction facts.  Upper grades (3-6), multiplication and division facts. I typically brainstorm four to eight different activities for this station and rotate them through monthly or every two months.  This was from our PD session

• Flash cards
• Knock it Off 
• Speed Math
• Multiplication Game
• Multiplication Table
• Multiplication Sweets

I have numerous games I use but still need to upload them to TpT.  I am constantly changing up activities to get me students to practice these facts.  I do also include some division activity but I usually do that in the spring.  I really want them to have a good grasp on their multiplication facts.

Station 3 - Math with Someone (game/activity)
Typically, this is my station where I use games or engaging activities that would review skills I have previously taught.  I do incorporate ipad games/apps in this station too.

We recently did long division in fourth grade, so this is What's Left? Remainder Game. The first picture is of our staff development session

I work in a new school with furniture that is designed to be written on, so we write on our desks often (and the windows)

If you are interested in this game, click on the picture below

Typically, my accountability piece at this station is at the end of the week (once all kids have been to that station at least once) we discuss game strategies

Does it matter who goes first?
Did you pick certain dividends for your opponent?
Was there a certain number that was best/lucky to roll?
Is it better/advantageous to start in the middle of the game board?
Are there certain remainders that appear more often?
Were there any remainders that were not on the game board?

Station 4 - Math by myself (Progress monitoring/Evaluate)
This station is how I monitor student understanding or assess them.  The pieces for this station are usually paper/pencil, performance assessment, test, or etc.  If the activity is a performance assessment, I ask the kids to take a picture of their work with the ipad and chirp it to me.  This is a way to not disrupt my small group and I can still monitor if my kids are on track.
This picture is from PD.  The activity is small hundreds charts that require certain multiples to be colored a designated color.  Teachers were asking for another way for students to connect multiplication to patterns.  I do not have it in my store yet (it's on my work computer) but I'll add it to my store soon and it'll be free.

Station 5 - Math with my teacher (small group guided instruction)
This station is where I typically do my direct instruction and remediation.  I typically group my kids into four heterogeneous groups and based on personality (some kids cannot get along).  I then call the students I need from each group.  My station group is very fluid and changes based on the concept, but the groups that go to stations together typically stay the same for an extended period of time.  I spend a decent amount of time thinking about who works well with one another and who can help those in their group.  My struggling students may stay in my small group for three or four rotations if I want them to see/hear the lesson multiple times.  It all depends on their needs.  I don't use a designated time to rotate.  I constantly monitor student engagement and rotate when needed.  My group stays with me until I dismiss each student individually based on their understanding.  I do have some students who may be at my table for three or four rotations.  They need to see the skill/concept more.

My goal for my stations is that each student (most students - not my struggling ones) get to every station at least once by the end of the week.

I do have some stations I rotate in during the spring semester to keep my kids loving station time.  I will do another blog post on those.  The stations involve word problems, puzzles, and target math.

If you are eager to start your stations, click on the picture below to get your free station signs

Leave me some feedback.  Ask me anything.

Bulletin Boards....What the heck will I put up this year? (You don't have to brainstorm....Here's a giveaway)

I have to say that I have seriously slacked on my blog writing this last year.  I was at a new job in a new district and opened a new school.  Can you say stress?  This summer has been flying by and I am trying to get my mind wrapped around going back to the classroom.  Those friends who know me in real life, know that I have been in administration for the last eight years.  I am returning to my beloved elementary level this year and will be a Collaborative Learning Leader.  I get to interact with students (not about discipline....YES!!!!) and help teachers with their instructional craft.  I cannot be more excited.  I truly feel that this is where I am supposed to be and utilizing my strengths.  With that being said, we are selling our house and moving about an hour south of our current house.  I am sad to leave the closeness to my parents but excited for a fresh start and hoping that moving to a small town will benefit my family and bring a slower pace to our lives.  So....we are currently selling our house and hoping to move soon, but it looks like it'll be the end of August when moving occurs.....Did I mention that I am a magnet for stress?  Gotta laugh about it, or I might cry. 

I will be going to work tomorrow to set up my new room.  I always get excited to think about what I will put on my bulletin boards.  I know most teachers think of that last, but that's my first thought.  I think I try to avoid the rest of the work. ;)

So....I am going to use my Key Words Math Sort to use as a bulletin board.  I later use it for a station activity to review math vocabulary.

 

When I decide to change up my bulletin board, I use the words in a station sort activity.  I don't use all the words at once since it can be overwhelming with so many. 

I always start with the easier words in the station and work our way to the words that can be used for two operations

Afterward, I use it as part of my word wall during the year

There are 58 total cards with two doubles.  For example, the key word - Total is double since I really want my kids to realize that total can mean both sum and product.  I am always amazed by the complex and deep conversations that this activity creates for the groups of students during stations.  Sometimes, I have the groups write their answers on butcher paper and hang them up for a few days.  I did include a cut, sort, and glue evaluate piece if you needed that. 

Math Journal
I use math journals in my classroom.  My goal for their journal is to be a resource they use throughout the year, and it must have just as much (if not more) of their writing in it as print out/notes I give them.  Key words, like context clues, help us to make sense of these tricky word problems.  We add these words to our journals and we continue to add words we encounter later in the year as well. 

This is just a starting list.   We add to it throughout the year, and I see my students use it often to help when they get stuck. 

Here's a preview.  It'll be on sale through Friday.  Click the preview to go directly to the item. 

Or enter the giveaway, five winners will be selected on Saturday morning. 

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Sharpen Up Your Vocabulary Skills!

Ok...so I have been in a few classrooms and I've watched students copy words from the glossary of the book. Success in Math depends on if the natives speak the language. You know math is its own language. Well, let's not kid ourselves

So my goal was to make vocabulary more engaging and to make something I could use throughout the year to spiral back in my stations.  I also realized that many vocabulary words are covered repeatedly.  I also wanted to incorporate how I utilize my math journal to help with vocabulary.  Ok...so here's the skinny

I created sets of 3 cards, which include the word, definition, and visual example.  I color-coded them to help kids narrow down the choices and to help my ELL kids.  There are 138 words in the file, which covers vocabulary from 2-5 grade.  Included are odd/even, prime/composite, sum/difference/product/quotient, divisor/dividend/quotient/remainder, graphs, geometry, measurement, etc.  If there are words you can think of that are not included, let me know and I'll add it to the file, but I think I have thought of almost ever word.  Here's an example of a set of three

This is how I recently utilized them.  I print out the cards that currently go with my curriculum.  Right now, place value is the big idea.  I cut and laminate them.  I give every student one card for this set.  They then have to find their partners (word, definition, and visual picture)

Sorry it's so blurry.  Then we add these to our math journals.  First we fold blank paper into four long strips.

Then we cut them and fold them in a tri-fold or z.

We then add the word to the first section

Then the definition behind the word and example on the facing side to the definition

Glue is last

Here is what a page in our math journal looks like

The kids love these.  I do have some already printed, which I give to my sped and dyslexic students who have trouble with transfer. 

As the year goes on, I spiral back to the vocabulary.  I put the previously learned vocabulary in my stations.  First, I do matching the word and definition

Then to increase their application skills, we match word and visual example

I thought I might put them on a ring by my door and also use them as a question out the door. 

Here's a preview, but it's so big you can't really see all 138 words.  Click on the preview to get your copy today, it's on sale!

Since I am so excited about this newest addition to my store, I am doing a giveaway!  Friday is Fair Day (I'm off!!!! Woohoo!!!), the giveaway will end on Friday!

Good Luck!

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Currently Movember!

Thank goodness Shocktober is OVER!  Not sure I was going to be able to survive any longer.  This week was packed full of training, inventory, full moon (behavior sucks at this time), and oh yes...Halloween.  My personal life....my hubby normally wears facial hair (looks a little like Edward Norton).  Well, it's Movember, therefore clean shaven now and started to grow a stashe that his teachers pick.  I'm a little nervous about this.  My girls weren't real sure who he was without his facial hair until he spoke up.  lol.  Here he is now. 

I'm currently working on Math Wizards for my upper grades.  These lil gems are math riddles in which kiddos use their vocabulary knowledge and apply it to a riddle to come up with correct solution.  Here's a preview...

I'm making a checklist for my kiddos to test their answers too. 

I'll upload it tonight for those interested!  I LOVE these riddles. 

Something fun (my first time to participate - I hope I do it right)

~Shannon~