Math Learning Centers

Math learning centers, sometimes called stations, are an excellent resource for teachers. Math learning centers break up the normal routine by allowing students to rotate through different stations. They also make the best of limited resources, allowing more students access to those resources. Math learning centers can also be used to help meet diverse needs of students in the classroom through careful planning of which students visit each type of station.

Benefits of Math Learning Centers

Math learning centers carry several benefits, including:

• Ability display – With math learning centers, students are able to display all of their abilities, not just their speed or accuracy. Students may be able to complete tasks accurately, but not with speed, or they may know the steps of the task without always getting the correct answer. The student is able to take pride in their unique abilities, while the teacher is able to spot problems that may not otherwise be noticeable.
• Motivation – Students are more motivated to complete math tasks because learning centers break up the routine and make it interesting. In addition, students are able to grasp that math is a process, not something that is merely memorized.
• Purpose – With math learning centers, students are able to see math in action. They can begin to understand how math applies in the real world and why it is important to learn the concepts being taught.

Math Center Ideas

The following are some ideas for math learning centers:

• Teaching station – At a teaching station, students receive direct instruction from the teacher. They can do board work, flash cards, or any other practice activity that provides for teacher involvement. At this station, students can work as a group, in pairs or individually.
• Computer station – A computer station can easily be incorporated into math learning centers, and this is especially helpful in classrooms where there is only one or two computers for all of the students. The computer station can have math games that allow students to work on the areas currently being covered in the classroom. A computer learning center can be not only educational, but also a fun option for students.
• Shopping station – A shopping station can be one math learning center or it can be the overall theme for a group of learning centers. Students can practice counting money, adding and subtracting while shopping on a budget, and multiplying using percentages and decimals for multiple items and sales tax.
• Perimeter and area station – Creating shapes on the floor using masking tape is a great way for students to practice finding perimeter and area. Students can use a measuring tape or ruler to measure the perimeter. If the floor is tiled, they can easily find the area in tiles by counting how many tiles are inside the masking tape edges.
• Cooking station – A cooking station, using play food, is a great way for students to practice fractions. The station can have recipes for which students are required to measure ingredients. For practice using fractions in math operations, students can be asked to double or triple the recipe or to halve or third the recipe.

Math learning centers are an excellent option for developing math skills, and they work even when resources for the classroom are limited. They break up the classroom routine, and they make the educational process easier for both the students and the teacher.

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