Are you ready to jump into guided math groups, but you are unsure how to get organized and started? Today, I am sharing how to form math groups in 5 minutes or less! Seriously, it is so simple!
What standards are you covering?
Decide which standard or skill that you are focusing on for the day’s lesson. From there, think of 3-4 different formats that you can have your students solve. For example, if you are working on addition, you could have a simple addition problem, a missing addend problem, and a part-part-whole with just the whole given so the students provide the parts.
Math Fairy
My math period was always after lunch or activity so I had a few minutes before the students returned to the room to be the “Math Fairy”. I wrote 3-4 problems on the desks with a dry erase marker on Monday or the start to a new unit or skill. As students returned to the classroom, they immediately grabbed their dry erase markers and began to solve their problems.
What are you looking for?
As students are busy working and solving, I am walking around the room collecting data. What exactly am I looking for? Patterns!!!
Analyze Your Data
Which students are missing basic addition skills? Which ones can’t figure out a missing addend? Which students can’t produce two parts to equal the whole that I provided? How many students missed them all? How many students got them all right? When you answer these questions, you have formed your math groups. It is quick, easy and can be completed in less than 5 minutes once you do this a few times.
What if my groups need to be rearranged?
It will happen! Maybe a student was going too quickly when they were solving the “Math Fairy’s” questions. No prob! Just move the student to the correct group after the first or second day! This will happen, but for the most part, the groups should be leveled appropriately. Now rock out those small group activities and lessons! Keep it fun and engaging!
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