Random Math Ideas

I have been so busy! 
Over the weekend I went to Dallas for a Rangers game and shopping. I am officially obsessed with Lakeshore Learning. I felt like a kid in a candy store.  I could have bought everything!!! Luckily, they were having their big back to school sale. 


Then, the past two days I went to my first teacher workshops on math stations. The presentations were good, but I really just enjoyed meeting other teachers and getting some new ideas. I am planning to use the Debbie Diller math work stations in my classroom. I want to share just a few of the (random) math ideas I got from the workshop and other teachers:

 Quiet Mats: Certain noises make me crazy. One of the noises that gives me a headache is the sound of twenty four little dice rolling across the desk (and floor ah!) If you give your kids a “quiet mat” to put on their desks it can help decrease the noise. Quiet mats can be a piece of squishy drawer liner or a foam sheet. Apparently, lots of teachers do this. I would have never thought of it, but how smart! By squishy drawer liner I mean this stuff:

Giant Math Journal: I feel like it’s going to be really challenging to find ways to hold kinderbabies accountable for what they do at math stations. It’s easy for this time to become play time. Many of the older level teachers have the kids write about what they did or turn in recording sheets, great. My kids can’t write. One of the ideas that I really liked is to have a classroom giant math journal. After math stations everyone can meet at the carpet and share some of the things that they learned while the teacher records it on a big journal.  It’s also an extra opportunity to throw in a little interactive writing! I just made this up to show you how it would look (I like visuals):

I just think that it’s a good way for student’s to share what they accomplished and for you to ask some questions and dig a little deeper.


Math Manipulatives: One of the easiest ways to change up a math station is to change out the manipulatives. Send a ziploc bag and a little note home with each kiddo asking them to gather small items around the house to keep at school as math manipulatives. What an easy (and FREE) way to get some new manipulatives. You can even send home some suggestions: marbles, buttons, water bottle caps, small erasers, army men, beads, legos...

Math Videos: A few teachers also mentioned a few good YouTube videos that they used in their classrooms.I love little songs. 

Well, I think I’m moving into my classroom this weekend. I am starting to panic. I can’t believe it’s already almost mid- July. I have been working really hard, but I still feel like I haven't made any progress noticeable to anyone but me! I just have to clean everything out and get it organized or I can't function.

Maybe I will post some pictures tomorrow : )

Let me know if you have any ideas or advice for using math work stations in a kindergarten classroom!