There was so much great information in there, but I knew that, ultimately, it had to work with the room-size I had inherited and the number of kids-versus-adults that I would have using them. Basically, there was a 1:26 ratio that first year, but after thinking on it and tweaking it and shaping it, it has become a well oiled engine of learning and SO MUCH FUN.
So even though some of you have heard it all before from me, I am constantly tweaking my stations a bit here and there. This is the set-up I have used for the last several years, and it works great for me. (By the way, this year I’d like to tweak my set-up with a couple of those cutesy light blue pocket charts I’m seeing from Target. So if you’re there, leave a couple for me will ya. We don’t have a Target in my home town, so I can’t just run out and pick them up.)
I use a base of nine different stations that a student will rotate through twice before I change them. We go to two stations each day that we have math stations, and the stations last about 15-20 minutes. Now, depending on the schedule I’m dealt at the beginning of the year, students get to use stations a minimum of three times a week but ideally four to five.
Materials are, of course, housed in the nine drawers which are labeled 1-9. Above are the pocket charts that hold student names and the corresponding numbers that will move down as students move through the stations. This drawer system is neat and tidy, and I like that they aren’t stacked (no digging under or above) and that students are able to return them to their correct ‘spot’ when stations are completed. It also allows my stations to be very mobile which is an absolute must in my little room. Here’s another thing that helps with keeping your drawers neat. I designate a ‘materials handler’ from each group. That is the person responsible for taking out and putting away materials. When you have four sets of hands in a drawer, things tend to get spewed around.
The pocket charts hold name tags (When I have students there are names on them. I promise.) that are laminated so I can change them quickly if needed. The color of a student’s name tag represents the materials that they will use with in each drawer. You do not necessarily always have the same colored tags within the same group. I’ll show you why in a second.
So for instance:
Students with a green name tag would use the materials labeled with a green dot, or bit of green washi tape. Here’s the important thing to note, within a given drawer students all are completing the same activity, let’s say write the room, but the task is tiered so that it is geared to their readiness level. One group might be writing the room for addition 1-5, another for addition 1-10 and another 1-15. Their tier (1, 11 or III) is really unknown to them. They just know what color they are for those set of math stations. I’m constantly changing their colors so it’s pretty difficult for them to realize what tier they are.
Differentiating Them!!!
Is your head spinning yet? NO? Good. Well, then let’s move onto the next obvious question, HOW do I get to the differentiating part. Ok, so first of all, you can differentiate by addressing your students interests, learning profiles or readiness. Tiering is what addresses their readiness, and this is how I tier my activities:
Take a look at this flowchart . . .
It goes through the different steps I take when tiering an activity to response to my students’ readiness levels. And here’s an example of how an actual lesson would look if I wrote each of these flowcharts out.
Of course I don’t do that. That would be impractical, but I do have a lesson plan template that lets me indicate to my principal what each station activity is, what standard it addresses and how it is tiered, if it is tiered.
And now you’re thinking, ‘but Marsha, when they walk through the door in September (or August) they can’t possibly do this.’ So you want to know how to get them from here (fresh off the boat) to there (a fine tuned learning machine). Well quite honesty, it takes a couple of basic things:
- Establish predictable routines
- Have high expectations
- Don’t be afraid to stop and practice the procedures
- Model Model Model
Oh and the other thing…some of you have been asking me about number and color posters to match the ones I did for reading, so I whipped a few of those as well.
Just click on the link below to find out more:
If you have a great post about math stations and want to link up, please go ahead. If not, make sure you visit everyone else’s blogs to soak up all their good ideas too.
Marsha,
I can’t thank you enough for this post. I am always trying out different math center ideas and yours is wonderful. So wonderful! I went right to your store and added those centers to my cart! And your explanation of how you use them was a huge help. 🙂 THANK YOU!
Carolyn
Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together
Oh wow! Thanks so much for sharing that with me Carolyn.
I really appreciate it.
Marsha
Marsha, I want to come and spend time in your room so bad! You’re amazing. I’m planning on implementing my sensory table this year. One of my jobs this week is to empty out the old sand so I’ll use. What do you have in yours? Is it like easter egg grass?
Ms. Kerri and her Krazy Klass
Kerri, use something that is easy to clean up at the beginning of the year. I prefer colored pasta. It’s super easy to dye and the big pieces are easy to clean up after. Use the neon dye when you do it. The colors are so much brighter.
Thanks,
Marsha
OMG Thank u so much! This is just what I needed for my tiny room. The center thing was driving me crazy but this is going to make my life much, much, much easier. Ur Brilliant, thank u for explaining it so well. Looking forward to teaching Kinder again :-), thxs to u! P.S. it is in my wish list (hehe)I was hoping to move with my kiddies ;-(
Grace
Thanks Grace. I’m glad it will help.
Marsha
You are truly amazing! It’s all covered here, and what a great way to organize. Math centers have always been a bit of a challenge for me, so I say THANKS mils!!!
Thanks so much for your kind words. I just love math and somehow it just clicks for me.
Marsha
Hi! Love your ideas. I have a question about the grouping of your students. I noticed in the picture that every nametag/child has the same color within that group. Do you keep the same colors together so that they can play games together or are there times when kids in a group have different colors??
Nope. You don’t have to have all the same color in a group. I do like to have at least two the same however, in case there is a game so there are at least partners for everyone to play. Otherwise, because the names are colored and the folders or containers are colored, students in the same group can be working out of different poly envelopes but doing the same activity.
Great Question.
Marsha
Wow! This is amazingly detailed! I love how you have everthing so organized!
Amy
3 Teacher Chicks
It looks great right now when I don’t have any kiddos but in general it really does work well.
Thanks for your comments.
Marsha
Thank you for sharing! I’m going to a new school next year that wants to focus heavily on math stations. I’m adding your unit to my wishlist! Absolutely love it 🙂
Sarah
teachingiscolorful.blogspot.com
I’m glad it was helpful Sarah. Thanks for commenting.
Marsha
Thanks for the chance to link up! Love your ideas – I’m fairly new to math stations and can’t imagine why I haven’t done them before!
Sarah
Learning is for Superstars
Learning is for Superstars is on Facebook
If you set it up and it works you’ll never go back.
Marsha
Thanks for hosting! Wonderful ideas and super-inspiring!
Susanna
Whimsy Workshop
Thanks for commenting Susanna.
Marsha
I am so excited I finally found DD book at B&N today. But SUPER sad I am not going to get to use your FABULOUS actives as I just got moved up to 2nd. 🙁 I am drooling over your BTS set!
Don’t forget that 2nd is still early childhood. The kids are just 8 years old. They still need lots of movement, sensory activities and fun…enjoy your move and good luck.
Marsha
This comment has been removed by the author.
Love these!!!! I love all your stations!!!! I will be testing this for sure to intro math centers!!!!
Beth, Thanks a ton! I appreciate the kind words. I really do.
Marsha
Using…not testing!!!!! Lol
What a great post! I love all of your ideas, and can’t wait to incorporate some into my math routine this fall.
Linda
KinderDoodles
Glad I could offer something you found useful.
Marsha
OMG! You are truly amazing and thank you for sharing all of your wonderful ideas. I’m going to be starting my second year of teaching and have been trying to determine how to do math stations and have the students be independent with out a helper to guide the stations. You have just made it so easy and clear how I can do this. I’m so grateful! Thank you again! 🙂
Oh great!! I’m always happy to hear I can help. I appreciate your comments so much.
Thanks
Marsha
I’m confused because you said you go to two stations each day you do math stations but there is only one number beside each group of kids. Also, how do you switch math stations? Is there a set time and you tell students to clean up and switch stations or do they just go to the next station when they finish the first one?
Thank you for all your ideas and activities. I started doing math stations near the end of the year and want to start as soon as possible this year. Thanks for the number signs and name cards. Can you tell me what font you used for the big numbers?
Wow! What an amazing post! thanks for the great freebie! Much appreciated!
Amy 🙂
Where did you get those super cute numbers from??? I really love this but I need the numbers to be a lot smaller for other things around the room! They are perfect!
Thanks
Tonya
Tonya’s Treats for Teachers
tonyastreatsforteachers@gmail.com
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh this is my favorite math post ever!!! I think I have read it at least 3 times just this morning and forwarded to our curriculum coach! LOVE the center ideas. Now trying to figure out how to make stations in my room! Do you teach Daily 5 and CAFE as well?
Kim
love_shorthairs@yahoo.com
Wow! You are awesome. Your center ideas are super.
Once again, awesome post! I have one question, though. How do the kids know where to go once they get the bin? Are there tables with matching numbers? Does each number go to the same spot each time?
I do Math Workstations in my classroom and I am in love with your beginning of the year math stations. I am so glad I found you! You have such wonderful ideas and are so organized. Your differentiation is so easy yet thoughtful. I am your newest follower. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas! E cited to get my classroom ready!
Marsha,
You mentioned students rotate through the nine stations twice. If they are on the same level the first time completing each station, do they complete the same tier the second time through? If so, do the students mind doing the same thing twice?
Tracy
Marsha, A little off topic, but how do you organize and store the stations when they are not in use. I have been struggling over the best way to stay organized “behind the scenes”.
Thanks!
Allyson
Your blog is one of the most helpful that I have stumbled across 🙂 I especially appreciate your differentiation guidance. Differentiation has become a key phrase / goal in our school division & it is nice to have some very practical ideas on how to implement it in a real classroom. Thanks for sharing you experience with us. I have a few of your Math & Literacy Workshop packages from TPT on my wishlist. Looking forward to getting them ready for the beginning of the year.
Hi! What are the linking clips used for the backpack activity called and do you remember where you got them!?
Thanks!!
Courtney
petzold.courtney@gmail.com
Hi! Thanks so much for a great explanation of your math centers! I’m a first year kinder teacher and really want to introduce math and literacy centers. I’m just having trouble figuring out how! I think this will really help. 🙂
Hi! Thanks so much for a great explanation of your math centers! I’m a first year kinder teacher and really want to introduce math and literacy centers. I’m just having trouble figuring out how! I think this will really help. 🙂
Hi, I love all ready reading things and now I am trying this Math pack I just bought! 🙂 However, Is there anyway you could make a number “10” for the Math Station Cards? I am using this is my classroom next week. For it to work for me I really need 10 stations and I am using your cards and Back To Math Stations Galore.
This looks fantastic!! I just have one question. How do the students know where to go when they switch stations each day? Do they just go to the next one? If so, do you switch the numbers on the board accordingly? Also, how do they know where to go with the materials? Is there a bigger number on the corresponding tables? Thanks for all your hard work, I really appreciate it! 🙂
I am so amazed. Can you do this for 1st grade 😉
TeachMeWell – Online Math Help – education for children Aged 5 to 10 (Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5) – Math lessons click here math practice
This post has been the most amazing introduction to Math Stations! I’m a first year teacher who was just moved into the kindergarten classroom last week, in the middle of the year. Now I’m inspired and eager to delve into math with this station system! Thank you so much for blogging your fantastic systems and ideas! Big fan here! ~Janine
That hanks Janine! Glad I can help.
Marsha
Thank you so much for this post and resource.
After teaching high school for many years I now currently teach Kindergarten, your blog inspires me to try new things and I must say my class now loves Math stations!
I am going to try Literacy centers next.
Thanks,
Emma
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Amazing Organization! Do you ever do whole group instruction before centers to address a certain standard, or do you just meet with students individually to start gauging what tier they should be in? Do you have a teacher-led group during this time too?
Thank you so much for this post! You explain yourself so well and I really appreciate the free math station numbers and name cards!
I can’t get the name tag and the math station numbers you posted. Would you terribly mind emailing me? I’d love to try your differentiated math stations. mrspark16@gmail.com
WOW! Thank you so much!!!
I love your math centers! Would you consider bundling them for the whole year? I also love your write the rooms. Would you consider bundling those as well?
Keep it up!! You have done the nice job having provided the latest information. First Steps Kindergarten
Hi Marsha,
I love your centers as well as how you organized them! I was wondering though for the beginning of the year, how do you start setting up your routines with the little ones? I love that you said give them time to explore and model, model, model, which I agree is super important, but for each activity do you practice each one as a whole class before it goes into your center, or just put it in the center after modeling and hope they explore independently? I just finished my first year of teaching in May, and taught in a Kindergarten classroom with 25 kiddos, and struggled a bit at the beginning of the year to establish and set up those routines. I am looking for some tips on how to do that successfully. If you have any I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
That is just what I meant for my tiny room. The center factor was driving me crazy but this will make my life much, much, much simpler. Ur Brilliant, appreciate u for detailing it so nicely. Looking forward in order to teaching Kinder again: -), thxs in order to u! P. Ersus. it is in my wish list (hehe)I was hoping to relocate with my kiddies; -(. What Is Apple Pay?
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I love your math centers! Would you consider bundling them for the whole year? I also love your write the rooms. Would you consider bundling those as well? Watercolor real estate
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I really like the way you explained how you run and rotate your math centers. I like the idea that you include sensory and fine motor skills in your math centers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I am a new second grade teacher and I was having the hardest time trying to figure out how I can implement math stations that are differentiated. I LOVE your method!