Launching Math Centers

After we’ve mastered Race to 120, I introduce our 120s puzzles. This is the simplest center but one my friends LOVE. I mean, they’re puzzles! I cut 6-8 120s charts into many different pieces. Some I cut into stripes, others zig-zap, some number blocks. Then, I set one puzzle at each table. Students work together to put together their puzzle. Then, when they have a 120s chart, they count 1-120 to ensure all the pieces are in their just-right places. As a scaffold, some groups will use an actual 120s chart as a mat for their puzzles, while more confident groups will lay their puzzles directly on the table.
SPLAT is a free, online 100s board that we love using to identify numbers, talk about more/less, and identify patterns. Students find great patterns as we explore on our SMART Board!

A partner-version of SPLAT, 4-in-a-Row offers students practice in saying and identifying numbers on the 120s chart. Students take turns pulling a number, saying it out loud, and finding the number on the 120s chart. Students ‘win’ the game by pulling 4 numbers in a row (horizontally, vertically, diagonally).

We also love this 100s board from Learning Resources (Unfortunately they don’t make a 120s board). On one side it is blank (see below) and on the other it has the numbers 1-100. Students draw a number from the bag (or dump them on the table…boo!) and take turns reading it out load and placing in its home. At this point in the year, 17 of my 22 are using the numbered side of the board and 5 friends are using the blank board.

As we learn our numbers within 120, students also need to know how to represent these numbers in different ways. Students need real and concrete experiences with number representations. Subitizing is such an important number-sense skill and one we practice a lot throughout the year. In our Subitizing Center, students draw a card, say the number out loud, write the 9, and then, show it in 4 more ways (of their choosing).

In this center, students are exposed to a variety of dot patterns and have the chance to explore numbers from several different fronts – tallies, ten frames, unfix cubes, number words, etc. How students represent the numbers tells me a lot about their math background and confidence.

We have our first 5 basic centers ‘down’, we’ve practiced rotating, and we have played the When-do-I-interrupt-teacher-table What-If Game…so tomorrow we will attempted guided math rotations in which I am teaching a small-group of students. I’ll be using this free editable rotation board and will keep my fingers crossed. If it doesn’t work tomorrow, that’s okay! We’ll reteach and try again on Tuesday. But for now friends, wish me luck!