guided math - updates and thoughts

Since beginning guided math this year in my classroom I have some reflections to share on how the process is going. Timing, value, prep and activities...

Let me start off by sharing that guided math is proving to stretch me - but in good ways! I love being able to really get to know my kinders and their skills like I usually know in language arts, but now in their mathematical and strategical thinking. It took four weeks to get up and running and while I was teaching math during those four weeks, we were also focusing heavily on procedures and how to manage all of the "stuff" (manipulatives, journals) too. Our first week being in a rotation style was rough, and the second week was better once I understood what my role looked like.

I began with only 20 mins. per group and felt pressed for time on a daily basis. The other kinder teacher in my building who is treading with me shared the same feelings. It can be done in guided reading, but why not in math? When I added 10 mins. to each group, all the world became magical and we found our groove! We also have about three minutes in between to transition. Now mind you this full hour is just our group time, we also have a mini-lesson right before we split for the day and we also wrap up with discussion. Add in some math during our calendar, and our total math time adds up to about an hour and half.

Why did I feel like I need more time? Some students really just get into thinking and problem solving and then it seemed like I was pulling them out of it due to time constraints and fitting in a wrap-up activity. Is a warm up or wrap up activity absolutely necessary? Could it be done without? That'll be your call, because I may be wrong. This is just what has worked for me in my classroom. I feel that we need a few minutes prior and after the main activity to incorporate other standards or else I can't fit them all in with enough repetition.

But, honestly, I feel good and without doubt that I am reaching the needs of all my kinders - not just the midline group (which our current adopted program reaches) and watching my high kids bored and feeling frustrated with my lower ones for not catching on so quick. That was been super rewarding to feel within the first two days, I was like, "YES!"

Are there any downsides? It is a lot of planning and prep and materials, but so far... I'm not backing down! Perhaps I'll learn a ton that will make rolling it out next year easier on me and the kiddos.

Along with having fun because I'm invigorated by the value I've found in this whole process, I'm am making materials to meet their needs. Here is a set of sorting mats that I just used in small groups recently. We first only used pattern block shapes and sorted by shape and talked about the concept of organizing. Then we moved into sorting other objects in pairs and choosing how we sort before trying it independently. I sing while they are working to help them learn to label how they are sorting and they are picking up on these labels quicker than I thought. Why didn't I ever use picture labels before for these categories? I've always just relied on the oral "size, color, shape" before. Um, hello!

{Sorting Mats and Graphing Mat}

Like I mentioned how excited I was about meeting the needs of all students, here is a picture from working with my highest group - we transferred our sorting to a graph to help us analyze our sorts. Those are the ones that can complete the sorts super quickly or take so long because they are measuring by size to the minute detail, or the ones who are sorting by mulptiple categories at once... They really enjoyed this extension and it gave them a sense of purpose to be able to organize and compare their sort. 

This activity helps us practice and master Common Core Standards:

• K.MD.3.a - Classify objects into given categories such as size, shape, color, thickness.
• K.MD.3.b - Count the number of objects (10 or less) in each category.

Hope this update can give any of you trying something new some encouragement, hope or let you know that I can relate! Kudos to each of you trying something new to better your teaching!

More Math Tools

Tools for Beginning Number Sense - How to Draw a Ten Frame

creating ten frame manipulatives

subtraction - am I the last one?

free measurement booklets and rulers

free math songs and chants

More on Guided Math

Sample Math Prompts
Guided Math Overview from our Classroom
What are the other students doing? Technology Zone
What are the other students doing? Practice Zone
What are the other students doing? Recording Zone
Creating a Guided Math Binder
Guided Math - Before and After

More On Math

Read about calendar binders
Read about planning/aligning to Common Core
Read about creating a planning binder
Read about adapting in the moment

If you're trying some type of differentiation this year, won't you tell me how its going?

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.
- Leslie

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tidying up the house

With a title like, "Tidying Up the House," I should be talking about my own house... but I'm referring to one of my literacy centers. With a request from Shona this summer, I am finally getting around to sharing this center with you! She read learningplaying and wanted to know more! If you haven't read that post (or other literacy center posts) yet, I'd recommend it as a place to start.

Our house center is represented by this simple icon:

Read more »

monster stamping

I hope you have a fantastic long weekend and if you are just starting school - a very restful weekend. Gathering inspiration from others and paying it forward, I am sharing a freebie that I created to extend what I used from Fran @Kindergarten Crayons. Her awesome ideas for using the stamps from Target's dollar spot, were my starting point. If you haven't downloaded hers yet, be sure to! These I created to extend matching the numbers, handwriting the numerals and also the second set of pages features counting objects in a ten frame configuration. 

It helps us practice Common Core Mathematical Standards:

• K.CC.3.a. Recognize numbers from 0-10.
• K.CC.3.b. Print numbers from 0-9 when prompted. (Number formation)
• K.CC.4.a. Count objects by touching them singularly while saying the number name.
• K.CC.4.b-1. Recognize that the last number named tells the number of objects counted.

While ordering numbers isn't an important Common Core Standard to focus on right now, I did include it to see what my kinders are capable of and leave it more open ended. It is helping me determine my guided math groups that I am going to start next week. Week 4, here we come!