This post is the fourth part of a series on using math workshop in your classroom. To read how to get started with math workshop, click here. In this post, we will learn how to use guided math groups and center rotations to support students in math workshop.

Creating Math Groups

The goal of pulling small math groups is to help students better understand what was taught in the mini lesson.

When creating your small groups (3-6 students), there are two ways to plan which students you will work with that day:

1. Design predetermined small groups, based on pre assessment data from the beginning of a unit. Pull each group based on a daily or weekly schedule, depending on how much time you have in your math block.
2. Create small groups based on students’ understanding of the mini lesson. To determine which students to work with, give students a quick formative assessment at the end of the mini lesson, such as an exit ticket.

Small Group Instruction

Now that you’ve created your groups, it’s time to plan what you will do in them. If you are working with predetermined groups, it is easier to plan exactly what to work on in each group. If you are working with a group based on the mini lesson, you will want to work through issues you observed during the lesson.

Some examples of activities that you can do in your small math groups are:

• Working through the mini lesson concept with math manipulatives
• Practicing problems on individual whiteboards
• Using task cards to practice word problems
• Giving enrichment tasks to students who have mastered the concept

Math Centers

While you are working with your math group, the other students in the class should be working on individual or group math centers. This is the part of the math workshop that has the most flexibility!

You may choose to have a set schedule that students follow, in order to go through each station. Or you may give students the option to choose the center they would like to complete.

Some ideas for types of centers you can use in your math workshop are:

• Escape rooms
• Math riddles
• Task cards
• STEM activities
• Math websites (such as Prodigy, Zearn, etc.)

Math Workshop Closure

After you have spent 30-45 minutes pulling math groups and allowing other students to practice in centers, it’s time to wrap things up!

During the closure step of math workshop, it is important to take 2-3 minutes to allow students to reflect on their learning from the day. Some quick tasks I like to use for closure are:

• Think, Pair, Share
• Exit tickets (if you did not use one in the mini lesson)
• Have students rate their learning on a scale

Once you have completed the closure, you are done with your math workshop! Got questions? Leave them in the comments below!

For other posts in this series, visit these links:

1. Getting Started
2. Spiral Review
3. Warmups and Mini Lessons
4. Small Groups and Centers