KindergartenWorks: the practice zone

Lots of teachers use math centers which is a great way to differentiate math game and materials within the classroom. When I decided to start guided math, I wanted to include math games as it's own, single zone. No other reasoning behind it. It just made sense to me to do it that way. I like offering choice when students visit a literacy center, and I wanted to apply the same concept here.

We keep our items that feel like games and are manipulative kept in our practice zone. To organize these items, I use three-drawer units. Students take the entire drawer with them to the place they are working in the room. When we started, I had them taking the items out. No. Did not work.

Well... it didn't work for the part of me that likes to see everything returned to its place.

We updated our procedures, and I modeled how to take the drawers out. Now they work just like a "bin" and function very smoothly for everything to get returned 1) to the right drawer 2) in a somewhat orderly fashion. Students have the natural tendency to see all the space a drawer has when its by itself, rather than when its half tucked into the unit and can better place items in it. Is that too detailed to write about? Well, if it saves someone else using the same tool a few headaches, then I think its worth it.

The drawer labels show either the manipulatives or the activities (with pictures). I also mark them as an individual activity or show that they can work with a partner or multiple partners using the silhouette icons. I change out the labels as needed, but I generally have only a few of the manipulatives that get changed out. The activities with the materials change as we grow, but most of the materials stay the same.

Some of the items I've created to match our Common Core Standards this past year that my students used in this zone:

Hurry Up Reindeer Game
Number Puzzles / Dot Maker Activities , Playdough Number Mats
Memory
Picture Directions for games found online
Magnetic Board Cards
Teddy Bear Game
Hide-a-Shape Game
Sorting Mats

And to differentiate items within a drawer, I use the preprinted star labels and stick them onto our baggies, pockets if needed.

I hope these ideas can help offer you some tips as you get manipulatives and games into the hands of your kinders whether you use each one as its own center or combined zone. Here is my last tip... because there is always a piece left over at the end of the day or found days later. If the materials are still in a drawer, they put it away.

If I've already put away a set of materials, and the students can't go into the closet to return it, they put it into our lost basket. We have a small blue bin just for that! It matches the rest of our lost supply classroom labels, but is in a central location in the room to encourage pick up.

{lost math pieces labels}

> Get more "lost" labels

More Guided Math

Guided Math Before and After
Setting Up a Guided Math Space
Planning for Guided Math

More on Guided Math Zones

Teacher Zone
Practice Zone
Technology Zone
Recording Zone

What tips help your kinders keep all of the pieces together?

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