Are your math centers in need of a refresh? Are you looking for ways to make your math block run efficiently and effectively? I am so excited to share some tips for managing math centers!

I absolutely love math centers in my first grade classroom! I want to paint a picture for you. Imagine you’re sitting at your small group table during math center time working with students and you look around your classroom. There is a quiet buzz of students working and learning. Everyone is immersed in their current station activity and working hard. Students are reviewing and practicing previously taught math skills and having FUN at the same time. No one is interrupting your table and you can focus on what you love-  working with your small group and seeing all of their light bulb moments as they begin to grasp new math concepts!

Does this sound like a dream? I have 4 tips for managing math centers in the elementary classroom that will make this dream come true! 

If you want to learn more about how I schedule and set up my math block, make sure you check out this blog post, Getting Started with Guided Math Workshop in First Grade

Why use math centers in the classroom?

When I first started teaching, I was super intimidated by math centers. So much to plan and so much to manage! I felt like I wouldn’t have enough time to get through my math lessons and teach all of my content, so I only did whole group instruction. This went okay, but I felt like I wasn’t able to get to know my students’ individual needs. I made the switch to guided math and math stations halfway through the year and it was the BEST instructional decision! It allowed me to support my learners at all levels and really get to know them as mathematicians. I saw so much growth with students after making this change and it made me super passionate about differentiation and small group instruction!

I believe that math center time is one of the MOST IMPORTANT times of the day in my first grade classroom. Here are a few reasons why:

• I am able to work with ALL of my students in a small group every single day! This allows me to really understand their strengths and their needs so that I can move them forward.
• Students have time to practice and review math skills. Spiraling back is SOO important so that skills aren’t forgotten.
• Students are ENGAGED and having fun! Many of my students say that math center time is their favorite time of day!

Challenges with Math Centers

There were MANY challenges I needed to figure out to make my math block run smoothly. It seemed like every day I had students interrupting my small group table, asking how to play math games or which station they were supposed to be working on. After a lot of trial and error, I finally figured out a routine that actually worked!

Tips for Managing Math Centers #1

Use 3 Center Rotations

Having a small number of groups and rotations is key because it allows you to stay consistent and not want to pull your hair out! I suggest 3 (MAYBE 4) groups. Even if your groups are bigger, that is okay! One year I had 8 students in each group. Instead of sitting at my teacher table for small group time, we just sat on the carpet together! It still worked! If your class is larger, then 4 groups might be better. Having only 3-4 groups gives you time to meet with every group every day!

The 3 Center Rotations I Use are:

• Teacher Table
• Math Tubs
• Technology

If you don’t have the devices to have a technology center, you could also have an independent work center!

Students will complete the rotations in the same order every single day. This helps them to be independent. They know exactly where they should be and what they should be doing (which does not include interrupting your small group!) We spend about 15 minutes on each station.

Tips for Managing Math Centers #2

Use a Digital Rotation Board

I would be lost without my center rotation slides that I display on my smart board each day. It keeps myself and my students organized and on track. The clipart visual makes it clear to students exactly what they should be working on and helps them to be independent. I love that I only need to display one slide each day for all rounds of my centers. A timer is also helpful for keeping students on track. One of my classroom jobs is the Timer Starter. This first grader gets to start the timer at the beginning of each round.

Find Digital Center Rotation Slides here!

Tips for Managing Math Centers #3

Make math tubs consistent

Math tubs are my students’ favorite part of math centers! They work with one math partner and complete one math tub each day. By the end of the week they will have completed all math tubs. For my math tubs I use a lot of the same activities and games each week, just change out the skill. 

For example, one math center my students go to every single week is Solve the Room. This is a math task card center (like Write the Room, but for math!) When students visit this math center, they grab clipboards and recording sheets from the math tub and walk around the classroom searching for task cards. They solve the problem on the card and write the answer on their recording sheet. 

You can grab a free week of Solve the Room to try out in your classroom here!

You can find a full year of Solve the Room to play every single week here!

Another center my students LOVE doing week after week is Solve and Cover! Find it here to make it one of your math center routines!

By keeping my math tubs consistent each week, students know exactly how to complete the activities. I don’t have to waste time teaching brand new games every single week!

To read more about how I streamline and simplify my math centers, check out this blog post!

Tips for Managing Math Centers #4

Model and practice expectations!

Before ever getting started with math centers, I model and we practice each element of our rotations. Students learn expectations for each of the 3 stations. They learn to play simple math games with partners. They practice logging onto devices and learn how to use them safely and appropriately. I also teach students where all math materials are so that they can find what they need independently. Finally, students learn my expectations for them when they are at the teacher table for small group instruction.

After practicing expectations, for each individual station, we try out rotating for the first time. The first couple weeks of math centers, I never sit down with my math group at my teacher table. Instead, I circulate the room and assist my first grade friends. I make sure everyone is where they need to be and knows what to do. I give students at my small group table math manipulatives to explore so that I can focus on teaching math center expectations. We practice cleaning up and moving to the next station quickly and quietly (and then we practice again!)

I use these posters to teach, review, and display classroom expectations! Grab them here!

I hope these tips were helpful for managing your math centers! I love chatting about Guided Math, so if you have any questions at all, leave me a comment, or you can send me a message here!

Want your Guided Math Plans done for you? Check out: HAPPY MATH!

An engaging math curriculum that includes no prep mini lesson slides, small group activities, centers, worksheets, anchor charts, assessment, and more! Check out Happy Math! Guided Math units for First Grade: Find them here!