Math Workshop: How to Set Up Your Stations

If you’ve ever wanted to start Math Workshop with math stations but didn’t know where to start…you’re in luck! I hope this blog post will help you gain the confidence, organization and tools to help you succeed!

Are You Ready to Get Started?

Here are some questions that you need to ask yourself about starting Math Workshop:

These are some things that I think are relevant to what Math Workshop is and isn’t:

Here’s a run-down of my math block:

Calendar 5-10 minutes

Whole Group 20 minutes

Rotations: 10 minutes each

Independent Practice

Teacher Table

Math Tubs

Journal

Technology

My whole math block is 90 minutes long.

Math Manipulatives

Do you have your favorite math manipulatives? I sure do! My favorites are the holiday erasers from Target! You can use them with TONS of math games and switch them out for each holiday! The kids LOVE them!

Math Tool Boxes

If you haven’t used math tool boxes before…I highly recommend having them for fast finishers! They can count, add, subtract, sort, compare, measure and more!

Calendar Time- Warm Up for Math Lesson

I always begin my math block with my Calendar. Here’s my routine:

Today is…

Yesterday Was…

Tomorrow will be…

Weather Poems

Counting Coins

Money Poems

How Many Days of School

Continents Song

50 Nifty States Song

Telling Time

Rekenrek- Unknown Numbers

If you’re interested in my weather poems, click here.

Math Literature:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE using Math Literature during my math lesson! There are a TON of great math books out there to read to your students! We always touch our schema and ask: Why is the story about math?

They have to infer what makes the story about math- who knew you could add inferencing in math?

Math Anchor Charts:

I also love using interactive anchor charts like these. We use post-it notes so the kids can take ownership of the anchor chart as well.

If you’re interested in checking out my math anchor charts click here.

Launching the Workshop: Day 1-5

I always start with manipulatives. I use bear counters, pattern blocks, legos, snap cubes or erasers. We practice how to take care of them and how to put them away. This will help them with math tubs and independent practice. They stay at their desk and I rotate the manipulatives 5 times- so they know there are 5 rotations. I set the timer for 5 minutes- and then add minutes from there. I also have a doorbell that I ring before I rotate the tubs. That way they know to listen for the doorbell to rotate.

Add in Interactive Notebook, Technology and Math Tubs

Day 5-10

After you feel like your students have a handle on your manipulatives, then you can add in the next three math stations. Don’t add these in unless your class is following the rules and procedures that you have set.

If you’re interested in checking out my math interactive notebooks, click here.

Last: Teacher Table

I always wait until the last math station to add in teacher table. That way I can walk around and monitor what they kids are doing and how they are following the rules. We also work on voice level during this time. When I feel like they are ready, I add in teacher table.

Here are some of my favorite activities for teacher table. I always teach these games before I put them into my math tubs.

BUMP

If you’re interested in checking out this game, click here.

In and Out

If you’re interested in checking out this game, click here.

Building Block Graphing

If you’re interested in checking out my Building Block Game, click here.

If you’re interested in checking out my Gumball Machine Graphing, click here.

If you’d like to differentiate your math tubs- here’s an idea! You can have three different colors with numbers on them. Green is Below Level, Red is On Level and Yellow is Above Level. You can put colored dot stickers on your students’ desks and tell them they can only play inside the tub where their sticker is. You can use your math assessments to decide who needs what reinforcement or extension. This works great! You goal can be for the green kids to move to the red tub and the red tub kids to move to the yellow tub.

And there you have it! Now you know how to organize your math stations and which games and activities to start with! You will love doing math this way and your students will too!

Please leave me a comment if you have any questions!

If you’re interested in more of my blog posts- click here.