Math Groups- Weekly Centers

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Weekly Math Rotations Grouping
  • I put students into 5 homogenous groups. I group students by using a unit's pretest scores, exit tickets or quick quizzes throughout the course of a unit, STAR tests (these are tests that predict / track end of year SBA scores), and what I notice as a teacher. 
  • There are about 5-6 students per group.
  • I color code student's names with their group- this makes it easier for students to look at the smart-board and know what group they are in. 
  • This year I have more boys than girls, but I do try to have both boys and girls in each group. I put students who are quiet with students who are chatty and try to make sure that kids have someone they like in their group.  
    Weekly Math Rotations



What Rotations Look Like & Materials 
  • I have students go to one rotation per day. 
  • Teacher Time: During teacher time I meet with each group and do review on whiteboard or differentiated practice problems. I love "Teaching To Inspire" and her differentiated math sheets (link). I print out levels 1 & 2 for groups 1 -2 and then do levels 2 &3 for groups 3-5. I also create questions for students to do on whiteboards and go over classwork problems students are struggling with. My school's curriculum (Math Expressions) has level RTI workbooks that I also use with students. 
  • Games: I mostly use Teaching To Inspire's math games for 5th grade during my games rotation (link). I spent one winter break printing/laminating games and then organized the materials into binders by Common Core strand/idea. Each week I choose several games that students can play and put them into a bin. The games are usually based on a skill we have already gone over as a class so students can feel confident independently playing the game. 
  • Computers: In my classroom I have lucky enough to have 6 desktops that students can use. My district has a subscription to Dreambox (an online math game) and so this is an option for students to play. Students can also play on Prodigy (a free online math game). I like both websites because it assess student's math skills as they play and math is practiced on a game like format. 
  • HW/Classwork Catch Up: During this rotation students can work on HW assignments that are due each Monday or finish unfinished classwork. 
  • Independent Practice: I have students work on a worksheet, math brochure, math puzzle,  or interactive notebook during independent practice. The worksheets are based on a skill that our class has covered and I use K5 for free practice pages. The Curriculum Cornerhas practice pages, math brochures (these give students examples, list out steps to solve, and questions), and activities. I bough my interactive notebook from Create, Teach, Share. 
  • Other Activities I do during weekly rotations:

Students playing a math game for fact fluency 
Students working on task cards & checking their answers



Students working at teacher time on an extension activity

Weekly Rotations

Center materials are organized in binder with sheet protectors. I put the games in larger dry erase pages for students to play with.

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