Have you used math stations or math centers in your classroom this year? If not, this is the perfect time to start! As you prepare for end-of-the-year tests, you need time to work with small groups of students on specific skills. But what are you supposed to do with the other kids? If you set up math stations, the rest of the class can work with a partner or alone on a math review game or activity. This photo shows two of my former students playing a matching math review game. Math stations make the end of the year so much fun!
I’ve experimented with several methods for using math stations. and I discovered that setting them up wasn’t nearly as difficult as I had imagined. Math centers can consist of nothing more than a deck of math cards and a set of directions. I generally used the Rotation Station model or Choice Stations with center menu options. You can learn more about both models on my Implementing Math Stations page on Teaching Resources. On that page, you’ll also find some great free math games to use in centers.
Math Stations for Middle Grades (3 – 8)
After years of using math stations successfully, I decided to write an ebook to share my strategies. Math Stations for Middle Grades includes management strategies, prepared math games, and a variety of templates so that you can create your own problems to go along with the games. The item shown here is for a single classroom; I now have a school site license available as well. You can preview everything online before you purchase to see if the materials are right for your classroom.
More recently, I’ve created loads of freebies and games to use in math centers, and many of them are aligned with the Common Core. Just take a look in my Math File Cabinet to see what you can find!
