Math Center 1

RUNNING HEAD: MATH CENTER

Math Center

Name

Course

Instructor

Institution

Math Center Description

The Math Center is a multidisciplinary and cross-curricular work station that will expose students to the use of math for a multitude of uses. It will consist on 10 mini-stations, at 15 minutes per task, which the students can self-select by also learning to take turns in the process. The personal rationale chosen behind the total of 10 tasks is that a student can at least complete 2 per day for the 5 days they attend school.

The center is part of a regular classroom, and can be used at any time that the teacher feels it would help to put the skills into practice.The target age group for this center can range from ages 4 to 5 and it goes hand in hand with the CCSM Common Core Standards for Mathematics proposed by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (2010).

The Math Center tasks are not intended to be completed all in one day. The teacher can assign a station throughout the day, at any given time, when it is needed to enhance instruction. The teacher will leave the same 10 tasks up for up to a week until there is evidence of mastery in at least 90% of the classroom. After that, the teacher can change the tasks or utilize the task mastery data to determine which skills should be put to practice in the next round of centers.

Each task has its own exemplar to follow as a way to model instruction, so that the students can see what the final product of their task should or could look like. However, a teacher, aid, or parent, is expected to be there at the center to help whatever children need aid in doing basic things, such as holding their writing tools correctly, or even completing the task if it is too difficult. The adults are not there to guide, though. They are there to aid the students that cannot do self-guidance. Still, self-sufficiency and self-guidance are at the core of the Math Center for the student to learn the basics of initiative and self-regulation.

Enhancement of Children’s Development

The Math Center is primarily designed to apply Math skills in a variety of tasks within a diversity of disciplines. The Math Center will expose all users to tasks that involve Math calculation and problem solving skills. However, it will also require students to complete written tasks by following a model exemplar, and use their listening skills to follow directions.

The center will propel self-guidance. Students will have every tool they need to complete the math tasks on their own, without the help of an adult. They also have ways to reward themselves, which include getting popcorn from the teacher, getting a sticker, or simply grading themselves as “completed.” The idea behind this is to bring a sense of independence and achievement that they could not get if they are directed to do everything by an adult. Most importantly, the Math Center will teach students to remain on tasks until the activity is completed. The way that this is done is by making the goal of the task sensible, measurable, attainable, relevant/realistic and time-limited (S.M.A.R.T.)(Doran, Miller, Cunningham, 1981).

Completing tasks and being rewarded for it is imperative, particularly at the Eriksonian stage where children are during ages 3-5, which is the conflict of Initiative versus Guilt, with the key concept being “purpose.” (Erikson, 1969) The ability to complete tasks, and the process of becoming rewarded for a job well done instill a sense of industry and initiative in children that helps to build their self-esteem as well as it creates a sense of awareness. (Maslow, 1966)

Although the center is designed with 10 centers in mind to allow students 2 centers per day, for 5 days, here is the detailed the description of 3 of those centers to comply with the requirement of this assignment, which are to:

  1. Describe three (3) ways that the math center will enhance children’s development.
  2. Describe three (3) attributes of the center that will make it an effective math center.

Tasks, Objectives, and Materials

The tasks within the math center include the following.

1. K.CC.B.5.- Counting and Cardinality “Count to tell the number of objects”

  • Objectives- Students will be able to count as many as 20 different objects, whether arranged or in disarray, identifying the numbers properly as they count.
  • Enhanced development- Students will have the opportunity to apply counting skills with a variety of objects, allowing them to see how, no matter how different the objects may be, when one counts, the amounts will always remain the same.
  • Why this is an effective center- Students will use counting skills perhaps for the rest of their natural life. Having as solid foundation of number order and counting will only strengthen their ability to acquire more complicated versions of the same skill.

II. Materials:

a) 20 of each, placed in their respective buckets, labeled: colored pompoms, colored diced, plastic animal counters, crayons, pencils, erasers, Duplo pieces, flat counters.

b) up to 5 dry-erase markers and dry erase boards

c) Sand timer

d) a number line with large numbers, from 0-20

III. Task:

  • Students assigned to this center will put the sand timer to mark one minute, or however time lapse the timer is designed to mark.
  • While the timer runs, the kids will select one of the buckets and count the contents until the sand timer stops. The children will not know ahead of time that there are 20 objects in there.
  • Student will record the sentence: I counted ______objects. Student is required to copy the sentence from a modeled sentence that will be at the center already placed in full view.

IV. Feedback

  • Upon completing the task, the student can mark his or her own paper with a green dot, which means “completed” and then go show the teacher or the adult helping in the center. This green dot grants the student a cup of popcorn from the teacher, a sticker, or a one-on-one conversation with the adult in charge on how the task was completed, followed by a hand-shake and a stamp on the paper.
  • Ultimately, all kids will have at least one chance to have that one-on-one conversation depending on the task they complete.

1. K.G.A.2.-Geometry “Identify and Describe Shapes”

  • Objectives- Students will be able to identify and describe 2D and 3D shapes (two-dimensional and three-dimensional)
  • Enhanced development- Students will be able to differentiate the different attributes of objects, noticing their similarities and differences. They will also be exposed, through direct instruction, to the names of the different parts of 2D and 3D objects.
  • Why this is an effective center: This center will be help students establish the criteria for classification and organization based on these attribute, and hopefully will get the foundation of grouping objects by characteristics. All of these are math skills that can be applicable to everyday life.

II. Materials:

  1. 2D and 3D plastic shapes
  2. Laminated mats showing the picture and name of each of the shapes
  3. Laminated mats showing shapes made by putting shapes together
  4. Laminated mats with blanks to fill out to name the part of the object (i.e., corner, side, face, vertices)
  5. A list with large print of the names of each part of the shape, in a poster that points at each part.
  6. Exemplar of objects made with different 2D/3D shapes.
  7. A blank “make your own” mat for kids to make their own shape
  8. up to 5 dry-erase markers and dry erase boards
  9. Sand timer

III. Task:

  • Students assigned to this center will put the sand timer to mark 15 minutes to begin.
  • The adult in charge of the session will ask the kids to select the laminated mat that names the parts of the 2D/ 3D shapes illustrated on them.
  • Helper will point at the poster showing the parts and their names, and ask the kids to write the first word together with her. They are to write 2 more to start.
  • After this activity, the kids can continue with the next, selected mat to keep classifying and categorizing shapes by attributes.

IV. Feedback

  • Upon completing the task, the student can mark his or her own paper with a green dot, which means “completed” and then go show the teacher or the adult helping in the center. This green dot grants the student a cup of popcorn from the teacher, a sticker, or a one-on-one conversation with the adult in charge on how the task was completed, followed by a hand-shake and a stamp on the paper.
  • Ultimately, all kids will have at least one chance to have that one-on-one conversation depending on the task they complete.

1. K.MD.A- Measurement and Data “Describe and compare measurable attributes”

  • Objectives- Students will compare side by side two objects and determine which of the objects has “more of” or “less off” while describing the differences that they find.
  • Enhanced development- Students will have a chance to compare heights, widths, lengths, girths and other measurable attributes of objects that can be found anywhere in the environment. This not only will help them to pay attention when they observe characteristics, but they can also start verbalizing similarities and differences.
  • Why this is an effective center-Comparing attributes is another lifelong skill that helps people to differentiate things. It is a great way to make kids stop and observe in aims of analyzing differences. It does not grant instant gratification, because students need to discuss their findings with an adult. As it is, they will be able to summarize findings and show evidence of their finding.

II. Materials:

a) 10 objects with comparable size, girth, length, width. For example, a stress ball versus a small basketball (the basketball has more girth and is bigger than the stresball)

Other items can include:

  • a marble versus a baseball
  • a Duplo versus a Lego
  • a cotton ball versus a ball of yarn

c) Sand timer

d) the cards labeled “more of” and “less of”

III. Task:

  • Students assigned to this center will put the sand timer to mark 15minutes for the duration of the task.
  • Teacher in charge will ask students to choose two objects that have comparable attributes. Here, the teacher can tell if they can see similarities between two comparable objects or if the kids are deviating too much from them.
  • Teacher will ask guiding questions: Which has more width? Which has more length? As the teacher explains the words, she will do a mnemonic showing which measurable attribute it is (for example, making a wide circle with her hands, would be “girth”)
  • Teacher will record the students’ answers and determine whether the child understood.

IV. Feedback

  • Upon completing the task, the teacher can mark the center task on paper with a green dot, which means “completed” and then give the student a cup of popcorn, a sticker, or a one-on-one conversation expanding upon the task if it was not understood.

Conclusion

All three tasks were sensible to the age of the child, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. They were also rewarded and the potential to apply the math skills to daily life is evident. In all, all centers are effective and can be repeated for further expansion of the skill, even at a more complex level.

References

Doran, G. T. (1981)There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and

objectives. Management Review 70.11 (Nov. 1981): 35. Business Source

Corporate.

Retrieved from:

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School

Officers(2010)Common Core State Standards Washington D.C. :National

Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School

Officers

Retrieved from:

Maslow, A (1966) The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance.New York: Harper &

Row.