Kindergarten Guided Math Centers

It is my first year teaching kindergarten.  I wanted to have a way to teach math at the student's level and with the tools/manipulatives they personally needed.  This made me think of guided reading and how well that works that maybe I could make guided math work.

I decided I was going to use my math curriculum Math Expressions with the small groups and the other students would do their centers while we are doing this.  I was doing math tubs and guided math following our math journals, but I found the calendar journals to take to much time.  I teach calendar and then I make that one of the centers they need to rotate to.

Here is what a math lesson looks like:
1. Students come in the room, and get out their math binders.
2. Students erase the page protector holding their Calendar Journals (by: Erin Eberhart) **I use a page protector so they can use dry erase markers and reuse the paper every day.**

3. Students put materials down and we cover the calendar, days of school, tally marks, 120 chart, and place value chart.

4. Students open to the newest Math Journal page from Primary Possiblilites.  I read the directions, they complete the activity and leave at their spot.

5. Students then turn to the board for "job assignments"  I got their "job charts" from Reagan Tunstall's blog: Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits.  I printed one for each student and laminated it so they could write on them with a dry erase marker each day.

•  I declare the group that I am giving jobs to (right now I have 5 students total so this is two groups of two and one friend on his own, but if I have a larger class, I would have them be in groups noted by a shape or color and tell that shape or color which one we are working on)
• For example: Group RP here are your job assignments today. 1. Teacher Table, 2. Math Tub #6, 3. Math Journal. Group SG 1. Math Journal, 2. Teacher Table, 3. Math Tub #4 J 1. Math Tub #6, 2. Math Journal, 3. Teacher Table.
• Ready, Go!

6. Once they go to their assignment they work through their assigned area/tub.  To show evidence of

learning, they take a picture with their pre-made (laminated) name cards.

7. When I am done working with my first group, I state, "it is clean up time, I need you to move to number 2 on your job list."

8. When all the centers are done, they leave all their binders out and go to their specials.  While students are in specials, I read their Math Journal page and note understanding of that common core standard.  I then read their Calendar journal and draw a fun picture in dry erase to let them know I saw it and I note their progress.

If you have more math time, you can do more than one center, maybe two tubs and a technology or one tub, and one math technology.  Students are doing GREAT with this process. As I said, rather than initials, students can be put into groups and giving that group a name.

I hope this was helpful and please comment or email me (contact information at right) and I can help you out! Good Luck!!