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.

Rev Up Your Grey Matter!

I am getting sad at the reality that my summer only has one more week.  Yes, it's true - I go back to work on July 29th.  Not to mention I have to go in for two days this week for data training and interviews But hey...they count toward the week off at Thanksgiving....I will take it, thank you very much. 

So...before our CAMT presentation, Reagan (@ Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits) and I met at Starbucks to plan out what we were going to say, we were both nervous.  Like most times teachers get together, we talked more about our plans for the upcoming year than our presentation.  Reagan mentioned that she had created an interactive notebook to use as her kids arrived in the morning.  You know...that time when kids are slowly trickling in and you can't really teach anything because you have a million things to do...attendance, lunch count, announcements, checking take-home folders, and breakfast (We do breakfast in the classroom) I had seen this notebook on her blog and thought it was brilliant and the kids would love it.  The best part was it was self-paced so kids could be working while the teacher is finishing up all those morning duties maybe even get a sip of coffee (kidding).  During our conversation, Reagan mentioned that some friends were asking her if she could modify this interactive notebook for the upper grades we call them upper classmen.  I told her that it was a great idea!  The upper grades need to be engaged in hands-on activities as much as the primary grades.  Reagan is aware that my background was in math grades 3-8 (I was the district math specialist when we met a few years ago).  I taught fifth and six grade for six years prior to becoming the specialist.  While teaching upper-classmen (as we call them), I realized many of my students had yet to master some basic math skills that are taught in the intermediate grades.  Thus began Reagan and my venture to bring her Rise And Shine Interactive Notebook to the upper-classmen.  We spent a few days and evenings texting and sending pictures to be sure we were on the same page about both notebooks.  Without further delay....

 

When I began creating our notebook, I thought about how I would implement it.  I am pretty organized some call it anal.  I organized mine by color-coding the days don't laugh now 

(Monday = Pink, Tuesday = Yellow, Wednesday = Orange, Thursday = Green, and Friday = White). 

 

 

 

I put the skills that I know kids continue to struggle with well into middle school

(Place Value, Patterns, Fractions, Coins, Input/Output, Time, Graphing, etc.). 

 

 



 

I always hate having to try to draw fractions with equal parts and I am a pretty good artist 

Therefore, I included many various graphics for fractions (pizzas, candy bars, and citrus fruit)

 

 

There are numerous cards included, which makes tailoring the binder to fit student needs is a cinch. 

 

Since we team in the upper grades, this would be my daily warm up for the first 15 minutes of each math class.  Students will come in and grab a binder, take their seat, and begin their activities.  We would go over that day's activities after the fifteen are up. 
The best part is that I don't have to run off weekly copies.  Once the binders are made, students use expo markers and we can use them all year.  I can change out any skills that my kids have mastered and continue to review those tricky ones. 

To get your Rev Up Your Grey Matter, click on the preview. 

If you have any questions, or want to see more pics....leave me a comment

Shannon



Everyone Loves a Deal!!!!

Since I’m a newbie, let’s try this linky party thing!  I have a few freebies to contribute.  Most of my freebies are fun math games to get students to enjoy the math (while secretly learning...wink, wink).  My first freebie is called Four Square Math Game

It helps build number sense.  it includes two game boards for both primary and intermediate grades!

Here's a picture of the game board!

 

I recently posted about my other two freebies. but here they are for new followers.  Let's Play Pig!  It's a great brain break or transition activity. 

Last Freebie is my newest creation, which is Place Value Circus Game!  This will become a daily activity and the kids will beg you to play.  It helps build their understanding of place value and greater than/less than.  Want more freebies

 

~Shannon~

Flying Pigs & Circus animals…What?

Flying Pigs & Circus animals…What?

 

So this weekend started off a little crazy.  I thought I’d spend Friday (Fair day) working on some goodies for my math teachers.  Well, daughter #2 ran fever from shots, so Friday ended up being a mommy-daughter shopping day.  Btw…grandma came too.  Fun for all the girls! 

I have a few teachers who ask me for the games we play in my room, so I’ve been working on them.  Here’s the first one that my kids beg me to play on a daily basis.  We call it – Let’s play pig!

I have the game boards laminated so that every student has one.  we use expo markers to keep track of our score.  This is a whole class game, which I use as a brain break or those last five minutes that no one (including myself) wants to do anything.  You'll need to 6-sided dice, and I roll under a document camera (keeps us all honest :) The entire class stands up.  Each round the students choose when to sit (which signifies that they are taking those points).  Did I mention this is great to get the wiggles out???

 

So now (Round one) I roll both dice.  If the dice are different, we add the digits.  If the dice are the same, we multiply.  For Example, let's say I roll 3 and 4.  Different so the score is 7.  If I rolled 4 and 4, the score is 16.  Ok...so the kids sit and write their score or they can choose to stand and try to more points (hints the name...being piggy!)  So...what signifies the end of the round you ask?  If I roll a 1, whomever is standing gets zero points for that round.  That round is over.  Yes..this can happen to everyone on the first roll of the round.  Here's the doozy, whomever is standing and i roll snake eyes (double ones), they lose all the points from every previous round.  Yikes!  I make my kids keep a running total (as to not take Forever at the end).  The student with the highest score wins (they usually get to roll the next time we play).  This is a great freebie! 

 

Place value Circus

The kids always love this game too.  I say it looks like a circus because it's fun and everyone has a different strategy to win.  we play this one before math warm up daily!  Yes...I said daily, did I mention they love it??? You'll need a ten-sided die for this one.  it's a great way to review place value and probability.  So, like Pig, I laminate the game boards and use expo markers.  I roll the die and the first roll (round one) must be placed in the ones place at the top of the game board.  See

 

Then on to round two.  I roll again (let's say 8).  Now each student has to decide whether to put the 8 in the ones or tens place.  The goal is to make the largest number.  this is a great opprotunity to bring in some probability.  i roll again (let's say 9)...hehehehe.  Most kids put that 8 in the tens.  Discuss what would be the largest/smallest number we could have made?  I make my students put a star by the round/row if they made the largest possible number.  After the five rounds, they total all the rounds (this can take awhile since there will be regrouping).  I ask the kids to raise their hands if they believe they have the largest sum.  we write their sums on the board and discuss why they do or do not have the largest sum using our place value knowledge. 

Both these games are freebies so go grab them.....here !

have a great week!  more games to come!
~shannon~