Math Work Stations Set Up

I worked in our classroom for a few hours on Sunday.  My main focus was setting up a system for the students to find their math work station.  Taking what I learned from Debbie Diller, I decided to use the same pocket chart we use for literacy work stations and just turn the pockets over and add a label for math work stations.  Below is a picture of what it looks like during our reading block and the literacy stations that the students rotate through.

Tanya glued the icons for each literacy station to a library book pocket.  At the bottom of the pocket chart, are the craft sticks with the student's pictures on them that we use to place in the pockets so the students will know which station they are supposed to work in.  We will use the same method for math work stations and it will look like this:

I turned the same pockets over and attached a label that has a 1-5 in a different color with  "Math" written in multi-color under it.  For example, there are 2 pockets that have the number 1 on them but one of the pockets has a red 1 on it and the other pocket has a blue 1 on it.  The same goes for the numbers 2-5.  This is the "Stations" chart behind my small group table.  The "Stations" chart behind Tanya's small group table has the same labels but the colors on her pockets are yellow and green.  This will make sense when you see the next picture.  We put 2 student's pictures in each pocket.  The students will take a look at the "Stations" chart and see what color and number is on their pocket.  Then they will go to this shelf:

We are fortunate that Tanya's very sweet father in-law built this fabulous cubby/shelf for Tanya several years ago.  She used to use it as a binder holder and cubby space for her students but it has been quite a while since she only had 20 students in her class. So, we found a new fabulous use for it!  Here is a closer picture so that you can see how the tubs are labeled to match the pockets in our "Stations" charts:

The students match the color of the number on their pocket in the "Stations" chart to the color of the number on the tub.  They will use the materials in the tub to do their math task.  Thank you, Debbie Diller!  Later when we have math work stations at the computer, pocket charts, or other areas of the room, I will label those areas the same way I labeled the tubs and the students will go there to do their math tasks. Right now, we aren't meeting with small math groups yet and we are still working on the procedures so the students are only going to one station a day.  We will teach them how to clean up and rotate to another station soon.  

The number 1 tubs have pattern blocks in them.  Last week the students got to freely explore the pattern blocks.  This week, I added  pattern cards that I found on www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com   If you haven't been to this awesome website and checked out the "my printables" tab, you really should!!  The tubs labeled 4 have the play dough I made and shape cards for play dough that I also got from that great website.  She shares lots of free printables!  

The students also freely explored unifix cubes and counting bears last week.  This week the unifix cubes are in the tubs labeled with the number 2 with some pattern cards I made a few years ago.  Counting bears are in the tubs labeled with the number 3 with 1 to 1 math mats that I got from mrswilliamsonskinders.blogspot.com.  

The math mats help with one to one correspondence.  The students have not freely explored our geoblocks yet, so that it what is in the tubs labeled with the number 5.  

The students loved the math tasks they did today!  We will tweak a few things tomorrow and keep on keeping on!!  Hope at least some of this made sense!  HAHA!  And, that someone got something out of it that they might like to try.  Today was our 13th day of school.  Only 7 more days until another visit from Zero the Hero!  Our students can't wait.  I am so pleased with how math is going so far.  Hope it continues!