Chapter 1: What is a Math Work Station?

At the conclusion of the chapter, Debbie Diller offered a section for reflections and dialogue to share interpretations with faculty, staff, and colleagues. I used these questions to guide my discussion and inserted a few pictures throughout. The last resource is printable work station cards with graphics from Thistlegirl Designs.

Do you know the difference between math work stations and math center?

Math work stations are strategically designed areas set up around the room where students discuss their mathematical thinking. Unlike math centers which rotate each week with a new topic, math work stations often remain for multiple weeks as students reinforce or extend prior instruction and develop their understanding through problem solving.

How are math work stations introduced?

Concepts are often introduced whole group and modeled multiple times. Working with concepts during small group instruction helps reinforce practice. Once a concept has been reinforced with the teacher facilitating, the materials can be placed in work stations allowing the teacher to observe and interact with students working on mathematical topics.

How do students remain engaged?

Allowing students a choice is an important component to ensure success during math work stations. As topics are developed during instruction, adding the new activity to the station will provide a “controlled choice”. Providing a limited number of resources will keep the students from becoming overwhelmed.

What are the similarities of Math and Literacy work stations?

I currently use Debbie Diller’s Literacy Work stations in my class. I purchased both the work station and task cards from Lakeshore Learning.

There are several similarities between the two programs. Both work stations are designed for partners to collaborate and work on skills and concepts previously introduced with a variety of choice options. Literacy stations are designed with specific spots arranged in the classroom. Students work at computer stations, writing stations, and pocket chart stations and understand where to find these centers due to the activity. Designing math work stations to have the same concrete location is often identified with a number. This number is represented in the pocket chart, station location, and on the materials box.

How are my students engaged in math?

Through anecdotal notes, student work, informal assessments, and small group instruction, I have gained a stronger understanding of what levels of engagement my student perform depending upon their understanding of a math topic.

Most recently, I have added a new component to my workshop that allows for students to have a choice during the explore period of their work time. I observed this option during a professional development workshop and became fascinated. Students are given a specific problem to work on from the mini lesson. Depending on their level of instruction, students are assigned specific colors. I offer three charts for students to select their specific numbers to insert into their work. Each poster offers 4 or 5 options.

I can see similarities between this concept and providing the same differentiated choice during work stations. During the time of independent work stations, students are given a concept: place value, addition or subtraction, measurement, etc. While at a specific work station, students can choose between several options. With color coded dots, students will choose appropriate options for their performance level.

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Chapter 2: Organizing and Managing Your Math Materials

Which ideas from this chapter on organization did you find useful?

I have a fair share of purchased and packaged math products along with class curriculum and self made activities. Some products purchased are boxed in containers with other math concepts, while others are packaged in boxes too large and take up too much space. I love the idea of splitting up a box and placing contents in appropriate math containers.

I currently have the kids break apart the cubes and separate by color. I received a few chuckles about the containers being separated by color and the time spent breaking them apart. When the kids are exposed to this ritual and routine at the start of the year, there isn’t a second wasted during our clean up. I find handing colors bins out eliminates the overwhelming choice mentioned in this chapter. I use the Circa Shelves from Target pictured below. When my cubes are stored in the containers broken apart, they often tumble to the ground. I like the thought of storing the cubes in rows of ten. This is tidy and a space saver but also reinforces place value.

I like to make better use of space!

Create a plan for organizing math materials. Where will you begin? What’s your goal?

With post planning in 7 days, I would like to begin in my cabinets. My goal will be to set up math concepts at each team with note cards. I can easily identify the space and keep myself from walking away from my project. I’m very organized but after reading this chapter, I realize that I waste too much space and spend too much time gathering materials. I plan on creating concept bins to store all my stuff for easy access.

Which categories of math do you have too many of? Not enough?

When viewing the pictures of purging math materials and identifying all the variety of clocks, plastic, overhead, Judy, dry erase, I realize that I am “THAT PERSON”. I have all the above!! I see the function for each clock but the reality is… I don’t use half of them, YIKES! I can certainly use fraction manipulatives (I have none). At the present, I wouldn’t have space to add fraction manipulatives due to the balance and scales taking up two shelves. I’m aware it’s time to purge the old and acquire the new.

Make a plan for your math corner.

I currently have two spots with math supplies for the kids to use. Manipulatives are located in one spot with a table for exploration and centers are housed on a shelf with the literacy centers. I love the idea of creating a work space by adding a shelving unit to square off a corner of the room. Bringing the supplies together will provide the kids with more function and less movement.