Do you feel like there’s never enough time to fit everything into your math block? Between reviewing, introducing new concepts, and meeting individual student needs, it can be overwhelming! It also can be disheartening when you follow the traditional I Do/We Do/You Do approach and, instead of results, you get glazed over looks from your students.
A long time ago, I decided to switch up the I Do/We Do/You Do approach to give students more time to explore math concepts. If you want to put student thinking and exploration front and center, this math block structure might be just what you need! It balances spiral review, hands-on exploration, scaffolding through guided notes, small group instruction, and independent centers. Keep reading to learn how you can change your math block!
1. Start with Spiral Review (10 minutes)
Spiral review is a must in every math lesson I teach. It helps students keep previously taught skills fresh and gives you a built-in warm-up that transitions students into “math mode”. To make spiral review easy, I like to use slides that cover a mix of skills aligned to grade-level standards.
While I always have students complete their spiral review independently, I always go over it as a class. This helps to clear up any misconceptions students have.
Want a ready-to-use spiral review for your math block? Check out my “Problem of the Day” spiral review slides for 4th and 5th grade! They’re designed to be quick, engaging, and no-prep—perfect for daily warm-ups or bell ringers.
2. Exploration Using Tasks and Manipulatives (20–30 minutes)
This is where the magic happens! Use open-ended problems or tasks that allow students to use manipulatives and try out different strategies. For example, a task might ask students to find all the ways to partition a shape or solve a problem using different operations. The goal is to have students engage in productive struggle, share their ideas, and discover math concepts on their own.
Once students have had a chance to complete the task on their own, I like for them to discuss their strategy with a partner. I facilitate discussion by asking probing questions like:
- “What do you notice about this strategy?”
- “Can you explain why that works?”
- “How is your method similar or different from your partner’s?”
Once students have discussed their strategies in partners, have a class discussion. During the discussion, have students share different strategies. Try to resist jumping in with answers. Instead, guide students’ thinking and help them connect different strategies to build conceptual understanding.
3. Guided Notes (10 minutes)
After exploration, use guided notes to help students formalize their thinking around one or two key strategies they discovered during the task. This scaffolds their understanding by providing structure without taking away the ownership of their learning.
Guided notes serve as a bridge from concrete, hands-on exploration to more abstract representations. Encourage students to annotate, write reflections, or summarize the strategy that made the most sense to them.
If you want to save planning time, my guided math notes for 4th and 5th grade align with this approach and come in both printable and digital formats, making integration seamless!
4. Small Groups and Centers (15–30 minutes)
Use small groups to provide targeted, explicit instruction for students who need more support with the strategies introduced during exploration. This allows you to differentiate your teaching based on students’ readiness and understanding.
While you work with small groups, the rest of the class can rotate through math centers like:
- Online games (IXL, Freckle, Blooket)
- Math games
- Fact fluency practice
- Independent practice
Speaking of independent work, my interactive worksheets are a great choice for centers or homework! Each page includes video links that explain concepts and strategies, supporting students who need extra help or review.
5. Closing and Debrief (5 minutes)
Wrap up your math block with a quick debrief. This is a great time for students to share the strategies they used, reflect on what they learned, or turn and talk to a partner. You can also use this time to complete an exit ticket or preview the next day’s lesson.
A short, focused closing helps reinforce learning and builds math discourse, giving you insight into student understanding before moving on.
Resources to Make Your Math Block Easy
- Spiral Review Slides for Grades 4 & 5
- Guided Math Notes for Grades 4 & 5
- Interactive Worksheets with Video Support for Grades 4 & 5
Love these ideas and want more? Check out these posts:
