Hi friend! Today, I have a super quick tip (and a freebie!) for you to help save time during your guided math centers! I love incorporating a Grading Station into my math center routine. It helps to hold students accountable while also saving me time!

If you’re new, make sure to check out how I run my math block using a Guided Math structure! It has been the biggest game changer in my classroom!

Want to learn more about how I run our Guided Math Block in 1st grade? Check out my Guided Math Blog Series:

• Part 1: Getting Started with Guided Math
• Part 2: Launching Guided Math Step-by-Step
• Part 3: Planning Mini Lessons using Weekly Routines
• Part 4: Everything you Need to Know about Small Group Math Instruction
• Part 5: Guided Math Rotations and Centers

What is a Grading Station?

Each day, one of the math stations that students visit is a Math Tub. Students work with their math partner to complete one hands-on game or activity to review important math skills! My two rules for choosing math center activities are:

• The activities are easy to plan, prep, and manage
• Students can complete the activities independently

To help students to be more independent, I started incorporating a grading station into our math routine! When students complete a math center with a recording page, they can take their finished work to the grading station. This is a tub that I have set up next to our math shelf in our classroom. They get to be the “teacher” and check their own work!

How to Prep Your Grading Station

In my Grading Station tub I keep:

• A folder with any math center answer keys students will need that week
• A small pouch of special “Teacher Pens” (I love using Flair Pens)
• Simple Student Directions

Students are allowed to choose 1 pen and use the answer key to check their answers. I teach students to make a small check next to correct answers and circle any that are incorrect. They can then go back to their center and fix any that were incorrect!

Assessing Math Centers

I view math centers as an opportunity for students to review and practice math skills. I don’t take their work as a formal grade. However, I do like to look at it to see which students have mastered the skills and which students need extra help. I usually have students turn their work in to a basket after checking it. This allows me to quickly go through the papers and see at a glance how students are doing!

Favorite Math Centers to Use with the Grading Station

I don’t have students visit the Grading Station for every math center activity! Many of our math tubs are hands-on games OR activities that use dry erase pouches (like these Addition Math Mat Freebies!) BUT, there are a few centers that students frequently visit that incorporate Recording Sheets!

1. Solve the Room

Each week I tape a new set of math task cards around the classroom. When students visit this center, they grab a clipboard and a recording sheet and walk around the classroom solving the math problems. After they finish, they visit the Grading Station and check their work! 

Find Solve the Room to use all year long here!

2. Math Memory Match

My first graders love playing Memory Match during center time! We play it with so many different math skills! Students play just like memory. They arrange the cards in rows and take turns looking for matches! When they find a match, they record it on their recording sheet. After finishing the recording sheet, they take it to the Grading Station to check their work!

Find Math Memory Match to use All Year long here!

Grading Station Math Center Freebie

Want to create your own Grading Station in your classroom? You can grab this Grading Station Freebie to get you started!

It includes:

• Tub Label
• Folder Cover
• Student Directions

You can grab it for free here!