It's Math Workshop Time!

Many of your students may have come home this week discussing how math in our class is now structured a little bit differently in our room.   I'm now incorporating Unit 8 (Fractions) of Everyday Math with a new model called "Math Workshop".   Some of you may have heard the term "Guided Math".   It is structured very similarly to the concept of Guided Reading that I utilize during literacy time.

Before a unit starts, your student is given a pre-test over the upcoming unit to determine concepts that your child already has mastered and ones that I need to reinforce with them.   Based off of the pre-test, I place your child in an appropriate guided math group with similar students working at their same ability level.   

The beginning of our math time starts off with a whole group "mini-lesson" that focuses on the math concepts for the day.   Afterwards, your student is placed with their guided math groups for more in-depth practice of the whole group skills.    Depending upon the group your child has been placed in, some students work on reinforcement skills if I felt they could use more practice in an area, while others work on enrichment skills if I believe that they could use an additional challenge in a particular area.

The groups rotate through stations utilizing the following stations:
1.  Meet With Teacher: Students work on journal pages with teacher involving reinforcement or enrichment skills.
2.  Math Fact Practice: Students work with a partner to practice their multi./div. facts and take a time test.
3.  Technology: Each individual students works in Khanacademy.org or other online game focusing on the topic at hand.
4.  Supplemental Activity: Students are given group reinforcement or enrichment supplemental activities.

After each station, students are asked to reflect upon their time at each station.  Each day I look at their reflections and progress with their journal, Khan Academy, and supplemental activity to determine additional reinforcement or enrichment activities for the next session.    

Homework will still remain the same with the students having a Homelink page to complete.   Those students that qualified for the enrichment groups are given supplemental challenge Homelinks.       

Over the past few days the kids have been loving the new model and cannot wait for math time!   From a teacher standpoint, this new model allows me to work more individually with students that are struggling with a particular concept.  While at the same time, it also provides more of a challenge for students that need enrichment activities in a particular area.   Hopefully this success will continue and we can utilize this model with upcoming units throughout the rest of the year!  :)