Math Centers and a Thanksgiving Freebie!

What a week!  I was SO glad to see dismissal time roll around and my four-day weekend begin!  We have a non-paid "furlough" day attached to our Veteran's Day weekend.  Then, next week I have just 4 days to get in all of the last-minute assessments before doing report cards.  Maybe I over-think my grades, but I just want parents to know exactly how their child is doing and I want to know how best to help my struggling students. 

I finally have my math centers/math tubs going!  Yay!  They are allowing me to work with a small group of students that need extra help while they practice math in a fun, engaging way.  The first time the kids got to use them, they worked for AN HOUR without any problems!  I couldn't believe it!  Of course, by the time my centers were all prepared and ready to go, we only had about a week left of October.  But, the kids are ready to try out the November math centers next week.    Here is what I did for our Halloween Math Work Stations.  I made a chart listing the options, with a little screen shot of the games.   This allows my beginning readers to find the correct game more easily.

Does this format look familiar to you?
The district adopted Bridges a million years ago and the only part I liked was the Work Stations recording sheets.
 So, I made my own sheets with FUN math games made by great bloggers!!!

The kids have to play all of the games once, then after that they may revisit some favorite stations.  They have to keep track of which stations they've been to by coloring in a symbol on the sheet (pumpkins, Pilgrim hats, Christmas trees, etc...).  I staple the chart to the front of a pocket-folder.  When kids play a game that has a recording sheet, they put the sheet inside of the folder.  At the end of the week (or however long we use the math tubs), I staple the chart to all of the recording sheets so that I may do a quick check of how the kids did and parents can see what we're doing for math.  The kids are loving this and so am I!  I have to give some shout-outs to some of my favorite bloggers who have fabulous TpT items that I use for my work stations.  I LOVE Anna Brantley and all of her centers!  I used her "Fall is Here" and "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble" centers for our upcoming November math stations!  Her products are so good (I've already purchased her "Holly Jolly" and "Wnter Wonderland" centers)!   For my Halloween math stations, I used Leslie Hope's "Halloween Math Centers--BOO!"  Leslie is The Groovy Teacher blogger, so go and check her out.  She is one of my FAVORITES.  Her style is exactly how I'd want to make things, but I don't have to because she already did!  Teach With Laughter'shttp://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teach-With-Laughter "Halloween Math {10 Work Stations}" is WONDERFUL!  The directions are so clear for the kids and they love the games!  I have a lot of her products on my wishlist.  I could go on and on, but I want to share a freebie with you!

Here is a quick and easy literacy center activity for November: Thanksgiving ABC Order Center!  Click on the picture to download it for yourself!  Let me know how you like it.  If you are a new follower, leave me your contact info so I can visit you, too!

 

Have a lovely week!

Corinna

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