1. Implementing Math Work Stations: K-2
Week 2
PES Spring 2016

2. January 25 Agenda Questions & Concerns Commonalities
First things First
Decisions, Decisions

3. Establish a Math Corner in your room by Feb. 1st.
First things First
Make sure math manipulatives are organized…think SPACE
Sort your stuff
Purge things you don’t use for teaching
Assign a home and containerize: Put what you’ll keep in containers.
Equalize every day. (Maintain your storage system.)
Don’t forget manipulative labels.
Establish a Math Corner in your room by Feb. 1st.
Review math corner established by Feb. 1st.
Students needs hands on access to manips…concrete before abstract.
Math corners are where math manipulatives being used for current standards being taught as well as where math stations CAN (not required) be stored.
Ask me for labels
I can help with setting up math corners.

4. Decisions, Decisions
Pgs address many frequently asked questions.
Use handout to think through the following questions.
Remember there are/ can be many similarities literacy and math work stations.
** What you do one year may differ the next depending on your students, schedule, etc.**
-Today will be decision day…necessary so rest of meetings can be make and takes.
-The handout will help guide decisions vital for successful math station implementation.

5. When will work stations occur in my room?
When will work stations occur during my math block?
How long will work stations last during my math block?
K ~ min.
1st/ 2nd ~ min.
Will I be a station?
Sample Schedule
Math Block: 10:00-11:10
10:00-10:25 mini lesson
10:25-10:40 indep practice
10:40-11:00 station(s)
11:00-11:10 closure/ share
** See handout for more schedules.**
When will work stations occur during block?
Is your math block separated, how long do you usually spend on minilesson, i.p., etc.
How long will work stations last?
Based on how much time you have for math block will determine whether students complete 1 or 2 math work stations.
You have to decide if you are going to be a station in the rotation. This is not what Debbie Diller does, but it is a commonly used practice. Do what works best for you.
Share sample schedules handout

6. When will work stations begin in my room?
When will I begin introducing math work stations to my class?
Looks different in K than 1st and 2nd grade
Looks different if beginning BOY vs. MOY
Realistically think about when you want to begin introducing the routines and procedures. If you have already done this then when do you want to introduce the actual work stations?
Routines, procedures, and expectations are key for successful work stations.

7. How will students be grouped?
Amount of students
Partners or small groups?
2 vs. 3?
Ability level
Homogeneous or heterogeneous?
Determine how you want your students grouped. If using partners then there will be more stations and they won’t rotate through them weekly, more like every 2 weeks. If using small groups generally stations will be changed weekly.
Will partners or groups be homogeneous or heterogeneous.
If you are a station then your groups will more than likely be homogeneous.

8. How will students be grouped?
Share different examples of management systems.

9. How many stations will occur?
Based on whether you’re grouping students in partners or small groups.
Think about how many “groups” you’ll have.
Will stations repeat?
Will stations have permanent names or be flexible?
Remind teachers if having partners more stations will be needed but won’t be changed weekly. Diller does suggest having some stations “repeat” throughout the cycle to provide extra practice. Caution: don’t let students lose engagement because they are seeing a station again.
You can have station numbers where the tasks are totally flexible or you can have your stations named. Example: MATH and BUILD
M: math facts A: at your seat T: teacher or technology H: hands on
B: buddy math U I: Indep L: D:

10. Where/ how will stations be stored?
Easy student access is necessary.
Well organized
Tubs, buckets, bags, etc.
Visibly labeled
Do you have a math corner?
All the stations together or spread throughout room?
Not all math maniuplatives have to be out in your math corner. Have the manips that are necessary for station completion and manips that are necessary for students understanding the current math topics.
Having an established storage area is great but isn’t required. You can have established spots in your room where tubs/ totes, etc. are permanently located and students complete the station there.

11. Where will students complete stations in my room?
Symbol System
Numbers, shapes, words
Set Spot System
Station materials already located at spot
Explain difference between the systems.

12. What will students do at each station?
“Controlled Choice”
Enough choices to maintain engagement!
Complete stations they’ve seen before and know how to complete.
Previous whole group lesson application time
Ask Yourself…
What is my procedure for if they finish early?
What is my procedure for if they have a question?
What is my procedure for arguing students?
Reiterate importance of procedures and routines.
Reiterate the difference between math work stations and traditional math centers. Refer to chart during week 1.
Early finishers: Diller says enough tasks in tub so there aren’t early finishers. Accelerated math, flash cards can be option at seat.
Question: ask a buddy, raise hand at station
Arguing students: work it out or go to seat, refer to anchor charts, classroom environment will be important for successful stations.

13. What am I doing during math work stations?
Am I a station rotation?
What am I recording?
Improved 1:1 correspondence
Added on fingers
Using straw for place value is helping
Wrote 7 and 2 backwards
Confusing minute and hour hand
Used geometry vocab correctly
Used cubes for nonstandard measurement correctly
If teacher is a station then groups will have differentiated mini lessons and practice
If teacher is not a station then teacher is flexible to observe stations and meet with students and groups as needed.

14. How will I introduce math work stations?
Mini-lessons for expectations
Anchor charts!!!
Looks like, sounds like, feels like
I can…
Routines, procedures, expectations!
Debbie Diller recommends I can charts for each station to remind students of what they can and are to do at each station.
Pictures of anchor charts could be put in tubs as reminders.

15. Jan.26-Jan. 31 Next Meeting: Virtual View Week 3 PPT (on my website)
For Feb. 1 Meeting:
Ensure math corner in room is established
Bring a hard copy of a number sense game that is appropriate for your grade level that you think would be easy to use in math work stations