Math Time {The Breakdown}

Last year, we had our Math block first thing in the morning.  I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE Math in the morning!  First thing’s first…the kids arrive around 7:55…announcements usually roll about 8:00…and then we’re on to Calendar/Number of the Day/Whole Group Lesson/Math Tubs.  I’m gonna try and break it down for ya as best I can!

Around 8(ish) I bring the kids to my carpet/white board area.  All of our calendar activities are done on the SmartBoard.  Several of y’all asked if I would mind sharing my SmartBoard calendar, but let me be clear…I did NOT create this!!!  I still have NO clue how to create activities in Smart Notebook, so it’s still a work in progress.  I got this calendar activity off the Smart Exchange.  You can find it HERE.

We go through the Calendar relatively quickly…anywhere between 15-30 minutes depending on the time of the year…especially once the kids get the hang of the routine.  I have the kids bring their binders to the carpet…along with a pencil…and they fill in the info as we go…that way EVERYONE has a job to do!  While some kids are helping me with the SmartBoard, the others are writing in their binders. At the beginning of the year, this takes quite a while because we’re still trying to establish a routine and they’re still trying to learn my expectations. As the year progresses, it goes faster and faster!  I just kind of adjust as needed :) 

After Calendar…around 8:30ish {give or take a few minutes}…the kids head back to their desks {where they store their binders} and then we start on the whole group lesson of the day.  I usually try to have a 15-20 minute lesson and then a 10-15 minute reinforcement type activity…maybe a graph, math journaling, extension sheet, etc…just depends on the activity.  Sometimes my kids even use this time to work in small groups based on the objective that was taught.  Whatever I can plan & implement that reinforces the lesson.

On Mondays, I introduce the math tubs for the week during our whole group time.  This really turns out to be a lesson in and of itself.  I typically have 4-5 math tubs {computer included as one of the “tubs”}…enough to last a week.  As I’m introducing the week’s activities, we go through objectives, rules, expectations, and then we role play and practice.  That usually takes a good 30 minutes, but it sets us up for the rest of the week and I rarely have anyone who doesn’t know what to do at their tubs {y’know, except for that one sweetie who just can’t pay attention to save his/her life.  Bless.their.hearts :)}

From about 9-9:30, my babies are independently working at their math tubs and I’m doing a lot of informal observation/conferencing/one-on-one intervention.  I don’t have a math teacher table and y’all…I love it.  The freedom of time really allows me to meet with those babies who desperately need me and it gives me time to make observations I wouldn’t normally be able to otherwise. 

So here’s how the time works out…

8:00-8:30 {give or take a few minutes} – Calendar/Number of the Day {Calendar Companion activities}

8:30-9:00 – Whole Group Lesson & Activity {Mondays…introduce math tubs for the week}

9:00-9:30 – Math Tubs for the kids;  conferencing/informal observations/assessments/one-on-one intervention for me

I’ll be back tomorrow with a detailed explanation of my math tubs and some printables :)