Running math centers can be completely overwhelming, add kindergarteners to the equation and you’re talking a new level of overwhelming. Let me help you streamline math centers and give you multiple math center ideas for kindergarten! If you are a first grade teacher, you’ll love this blog post too!
There are 6 things I want you to think about when running math centers in a primary classroom. No matter what primary grade you teach, these 6 steps are helpful. For kindergarteners we take these steps sllllow and steady.
1. Structure
Thinking about structure should happen before the school year begins. Structure to me is how I want my math block to look. You need to know the big picture before diving into your center rotations. For some this structure comes from your district, admin, building or grade. If you are like me, you have guidelines that you need to follow but how you follow them is up to you. For example, every day I am required to fit in a math review, math whole group lesson and math independent work over a 90 minute math block. These 3 things can look however I want. I am going to list how this 90 minute block looks for me below. In the infographic you can find an idea how to break up your math block, no matter how long you have! Then once you have your block broken up, you can choose what each piece will look like!
- Math Warm Up (Review) – 15 minutes
- Math Whole Group Lesson – 15 minutes
- Math Independent Work (Centers) – 60 minutes
- Wrap Up – 2-5 minutes (not counted in 90 minute block)
2. Routines
This is HUGE. This is another thing you will want to think about before the school year starts. What will your routines look like surrounding math centers. Will students read a chart every day for their centers? Will you announce centers each day? Do they have a partner or a group? Etc. Each year I list out all of the routines I need (for every chunk of my day, not just math centers) and I answer each question to get me started. This helps me intentionally plan center spaces, activities and how I will introduce centers. Use the infographic below to get you started.
3. Systems
If you are a Type A king or queen like me, this is where you will thrive. Each of those routines you thought of in step 2 now become systems. Where will students turn in their center work? How do they get help if needed? How should they get supplies? Where are supplies? Etc. Below I have listed my math center specific routines and you can use the infographic to get you started.
- Finding their center
- Center Work
- Help
- Groups
- Turning in Work
- Supplies
- Center Spaces
- Clean Up
These systems should be hashed out in classroom set up so that they are ready to roll when it comes time to introduce centers. It is also nice to have students see these things in their first few days as they acclimate to your classroom.
4. Introduce Math Centers
Fast forward to the beginning of school and how you are actually going to introduce these math centers. With Kindergarten, I always suggest introducing one center at a time with something easy and familiar to your students. Kindergarteners need A LOT of easing into “school.” For example, you could introduce a hands on math center with blocks, unifex cubes, or another manipulative. Your students have likely seen something like this before and the goal here is to just practice “working” during a set amount of time, working with others, being in a group, working at a set location, etc. Your goal with introducing a center is to start practicing all of those routines and systems that you came up with before, not actually working.
- Let me give you an example: In my classroom I have a “Hands On” Math Center, this is where my students usually will be doing a math game with manipulatives, math fluency practice, math fact jenga, etc. When it comes time to introduce this center, I use building blocks. Each table in my classroom gets a bucket of blocks. We talk about our expectations, one day at a time. On Monday, we may talk about voice level and then practice building using a voice level 1. On Tuesday, we may practice building with a partner. On Wednesday, we may practice getting our block bucket ourselves. On Thursday, we practice cleaning up. On Friday, we practice building for a full 5 minutes. This pattern continues until I have introduced every expectation I want them to know. As they learn a new expectation they add it to the day before. So Monday we practiced voice level 1. On Tuesday we learn how to play with a partner AND using a level 1 voice. This routine is going to look different depending on your class and the year. Last year, I could do one expectation a day. The year before we spent a week practicing just voice level 1. After the COVID closure, I had to spend 2 weeks on partner play, sharing, being kind, etc. Remember: slow down to speed up.
Once you have introduced all of your expectations, you can begin to introduce actual center activities one at a time. Let me repeat: ONE AT A TIME. Again, remember we slow down to speed up. The more time you spend introducing and practicing centers the quicker your students will do this independently.
5. Practice, Practice, and then Practice Again
Next comes the most important part in my opinion. Step 4 and 5 are partnered together. Once you have introduced something, anything take A LOT of time to practice. I’m talking days or weeks. The more practice your students have with your explicit directions and help, the quicker they will be able to run centers independently. In Kindergarten, you should be practicing everything. I’m talking where to get a pencil, how to get a pencil quietly, what to do if your pencil breaks, how do you ask to go to the bathroom during centers, where you work at, what does your body look like when you are working. Every. Single. Detail.
Here was the hardest lesson I learned my first year… if your students are not meeting your expectations stop them right then and there and practice. The longer you let behavior happen that you don’t want the harder it will be to fix later. Come in knowing what you expect and enforce it, kindly of course. Practicing doesn’t have to be mean or harsh. I love saying “uh oh, I think we forgot where to find new pencils during center time. Do I have a student who can show us how we can find a pencil during centers?” Then, I will choose a student who I know can be a role model for that expectation, and from there we practice. They also love when you have someone show what not to do and then have someone show the correct way. Solves my problem as the teacher, lets students lead and gives everyone a chance to reset and practice. I do this at the beginning of the year and anytime throughout that we need a refresher. Practicing expectations shouldn’t just be in the beginning of the year, it should be anytime you need something fixed. I promise you, your kinders will rise to meet your expectations, just not on day
6. Launch Math Centers
Finally, it is time to launch math centers. You may be thinking that these steps seem time consuming and they are. But, I promise you the “slow down to speed up” is true in primary grades. Even when it doesn’t feel like the “speed up” is in sight. When you feel like every routine, system and expectation has been taught, practiced and mastered. It is time to launch math centers in total. What do I mean by this? I mean students start running the centers on their own. They find their center, get started, complete their work, and rotate when needed. For the first week (or two) of running centers do not expect to pull small groups, instead monitor the room, stop students and practice when needed, answer questions, etc. When you are happy with how your students are running centers, it’s time for you to start small groups and watch your students flourish in math this school year!
Let’s Talk Math Center Ideas for Kindergarten
Now that you have ideas for how to run centers in kindergarten, let’s look at what you can actually have your students doing at centers. Below are some ideas for center names and what could be included in that center. I have included any helpful links like products you could use, or Amazon links if relevant.
- Hands On Center
- Math Fact Center
- Fact Fluency Center
- Skill Center
- Today’s Skill
- Today We Learned Center
- Review Center
- Daily Math Review
- Technology
- Tech Time
- Tactile
- STEM
- Math Journal
- Math Notebook
- Independent Work
Do you have a center that you don’t see listed? Leave it in the comment section for other teachers to see!
I know centers can be overwhelming, especially in August but I promise they are worth it. Once they are up and running, it is such a good interactive way for your kinders to practice independent work skills, time management, fine and gross motor skills and more! If you want an in depth dive into first grade math centers, you’ll love this blog post!
