Krazy for Kindergarten Goes to 3rd!: Math Stations

Math Stations - or small group math - is directly related to Math Their Way. After seeing Kim Adsit's math workshop at the Georgia Kindergarten Conference many years ago I immediately began "tweeking" my own math time. We all know that math skills build on each other, but we also know that K's need lots of "revisiting" for the concept to become part of their thinking. These are just some ideas of mine to build those extremely important concepts.

Taller? Shorter? The Same?

The main focus of these lessons was math vocabulary - same, longer, shorter, more, less, top, middle, bottom, in, out.... Vocabulary gives children the tools to be able to discuss their answers/findings like good scientists!

This child was the same as the bear. Each child paired up to measure each other. Moving around the classroom engages the brain and promotes "quick paths" to the skill being practiced. Each time these "paths" are used the faster the thinking!

Maria G. was taller than the bear. We always try to record our findings.

Top? Middle? Bottom?

These guys are building a bear using the positional terms top, middle, and bottom. They had to choose a piece from the grab bag and tell its place on their paper. There was lots of discussion about the size of circles and comparing size to the example.

If you already had the shape you lost your turn. What a good sport!

In or Out?

This is an adaption of a Mailbox game using spiders and a web. Since this skill is an early one, and we learn about Spiders later, I revamped it to go along with my Teddy Bear theme.

The goal is to get all 5 teddy bears into the cave (blue bowl). Once a child wins everyone gets to eat their bears. FUN!
There are always lots of skills being practiced - counting objects to 5 (one to one counting is incorporated into most every activity we do throughout the year), combinations of 5, adding/subtracting, taking turns, following directions, good sportsmanship, vocabulary, and fine motor development. You cannot imagine how hard it is for some children to spin the spinner!
Cover Up!

This is the infamous Cover-Up game. The children roll a set die (with as many dots/numbers as your children are ready), cover that many with their choice of colored Unifix cubes, etc. The game continues until all objects are covered. Next, the children build a tower using the cubes on game board.

They compare their towers...taller? shorter? the same? more? less?

Then, we spin the more/less spinner (Math Their Way) to determine the winner. This keeps down the idea that the most always wins.

Math Station Behavior Management Rubric

As you can imagine, young children need lots of guidance in learning how to behave during independent activities. I developed this Math Stations Rubric to help the children remember expectations and monitor themselves. There is a card in each group's folder to remind them of the expectations. I also use one during Center Time. Its always fun to listen to the children correct or praise each other for following the rubric! From time to time I will copy these and send them home to parents or save them for conferences.

"Company's Coming"
- a math station inspired by the book Miss Spider's Tea Party

I love math games that require the children to MOVE and THINK! This game was so much fun that I shared it with most everyone that would listen. It is SO wonderful when the Lord gives you a good idea!

I reworked the spinner several times before I was satisfied. As you can see I settled on a number spinner with a key of matching sets. Each number told the children what part they could add next. Since my children have such varying abilities (some cannot count at all - if you can imagine, while others know their numbers to 100) I wanted the game to provide practice for several skills:

one to one counting

number set match

equal sets (this was met by spinning until each child had a cup, saucer, spoon and napkin)

She spun 7 so they are counting to find what part they get to add for the Tea Party!

No tea party is complete without a centerpiece! Once the table was set I had "tea cakes" (one little flower cookie with a hole in the middle) for everyone. We LOVED this game so much the kiddos are begging to play it again next week.

Other "Spider" games:

"How Many Spiders"

Roll the dot die, add that many to your web, record your number. The game continues until one child has added all their spiders.

"Cover the Web"

Roll the dot die, cover that many dots on your web. Play until all the dots are covered with "spiders" (dots). This is more practice with one to one, set matching, instant recognition of sets, strategy, more/less, one more/one less/how many more, etc.

"Cover Up"

I LOVE this game because it covers SO many math skills at once - counting one to one, combining two sets, various combinations of a number (1+3=4 is the same as 2+2=4, etc.), matching sets to numbers (1-10), number order, and identifying numbers by name (1-10).

He is counting the combination of the dots and will discover that he has already covered his 6.

This game promotes many of the same skills covered in the previous game: instant recognition of sets, counting one to one, numeral recognition, and matching numbers to sets.

We investigated 4 pumpkins of various sizes. I lead this activity to introduce the scales and measurement vocabulary. Later, the children will do more this on their own.

He chooses a pumpkin and weighs it in our "baby scale" - that I found at a local thrift store for $2.00.

He then records the pounds on the matching pumpkin. Did he choose the biggest pumpkin of the 4? the smallest? 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th?

This game required the children to plant the pumpkins until all the pumpkins were in the fields.

Scarecrow Measurement. We used the bigger squares to keep the number manageable.

This is the "Build the Crow" game - just like the "Build the Pumpkin" game.

This game also teaches steps to a project, spatial relationships, and page orientation.

Is she taller, shorter, or the same height as the scarecrow?

She answers the question.

Then, records her findings on the paper.

I'm really into "building" things! lol The kiddos love it and get LOTS of needed counting practice.

We talk about the "key" - it unlocks the secret to the game just like a real key unlocks the door.

So close!

One of our "warm ups" during the month of October is an activity using the book, Ten Timid Ghosts. This is a great rhyming story about 10 ghosts who are scared away, one by one, by a wicked witch. Eventually, the last ghost catches on to her antics, and organizes a "take back" of their house! The kids love it and it is a great way to kick off our stations for the month of Halloween.
Each child has a "haunted house" made of black construction paper and 10 lima bean "ghosts". During the second reading of the story, the children retell the story along with me using their beans and house. This activity is a great way to cover combinations of 10, more/less, counting backwards, counting one to one, etc.
Extensions from the story include a flannel version I made for our Storytelling Center, which is always a big hit and a take-home version to play with parents. The take-home version includes goodie-bags I found at the Dollar Tree, 10 packing peanuts and note explaining the story and how to "retell" the story. This is always a favorite!