Social Distancing Math Centers: A How-To Guide

Y’all, this blog post seriously breaks my heart to write. I really hate that social distancing is a reality for classrooms all over the world right now. It’s just sad. Math stations are one of my favorite parts of the day, and losing that student to student interaction is a huge loss.

I know so many of you are struggling to grasp what a socially distant classroom is even going to look like. I don’t have many answers for you, but I have been brainstorming to come up with a way to still make math stations work in the classroom.

Side note - this blog post is for teachers who will be in a face-to-face classroom - if you’ll be distance learning, I have another post in the works for you!

The Set-Up

Planning for math stations is going to look different - obviously. You can still use a rotations chart to show students which station they’ll be working on during each rotation. Plus this helps you ensure they get time to work on each station during the week, it’s a great way to still make sure you all stay on track! Math stations also sound like a little more fun for students rather than just assigning them some desk work each day. Now let’s chat about different things you can put in your math stations to make them meaningful and challenging!

What students are working on

Math Menus

Math menus are basically choice boards - students can select an activity to work on from a menu. These can be used as enrichment for your high-flyers, but I like to give all of my students a chance to tackle at least one of these challenges during a math unit. These contain 9 out-of-the-box tasks for students to complete on a math topic (Place value, Geometry, etc.). Giving students choices is so powerful in the classroom - they are automatically more engaged, excited and apply themselves more. Best part?! You just print it and give it to them at the start of the unit, and that’s IT!

Social Distancing ideas: Just print a menu for each student that they can keep in their notebook or folder. When their math menu station rolls around, they just pull out the folder and get to work. My math menus come with printables that you can provide for extra support, or students can complete them in their math notebooks.

Games

Games?! I know you’re wondering what I could mean by that in a social distancing classroom. Sadly, students won’t get to play many games in groups or with partners. But - set them up with a kit with some dice and cards and they can definitely play some solo! Also, whole-group games like Bingo and I Have, Who Has can still be played!

Social Distancing ideas: Give students a game kit to keep at their desk - include dice, a timer, and a deck of cards from the dollar tree. You can search for different game ideas on Google or Teachers Pay Teachers!

math pbl project build a zoo

Project Based Learning

A student and teacher favorite. I absolutely love Project Based Learning because it makes math more tangible to students and they start to see see how math relates to the real-world. Y’all, students LOVE these math projects - and there is so much MATH for them to explore. Long-term projects will make your life easier and students will be engaging in more meaningful math! I have a short one you can get started with, but I also have much longer ones available that can last weeks at a time.

Social Distancing ideas: Just print each student a copy of their math project to keep in a folder at their desk!

Technology

If you are lucky enough to have some technology in your classroom, use it! This is an easy set-up for you, and students love it! Plus it’s so easy to control exactly what skills your students are working on. BOOM Cards are an amazing tool to try out if you haven’t already! They’re basically interactive and self-checking task cards, and you can find sets for nearly any math topic you’re teaching. You can try out this set for free!

Social Distancing ideas: Let students use their own iPad or computer at their desk, or set-up dividers between computer stations.

BUILDING

I love hands-on, kinesthetic learning centers. We know this is super important for all of our students, but especially some who may be struggling with a topic. Students can go deeper with a topic using manipulatives, and this is also disguised as fun. Challenge students while letting students build towers and zoos with place value blocks, there are so many easy ways to differentiate a center like this!

Social Distancing ideas: Give each student their own set of manipulatives. Place them in a labeled baggie or pencil box. They can keep these at their desk to use during their Build station. You can have them pre-write the challenges in their math notebook at the start of the unit, or write 2-3 a day on the board for them to follow. Alternatively, you can make this a technology activity where students can drag and drop manipulatives on the screen.

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Reading & Writing

When students can write about their math thinking, it takes their learning to a new level. Let them explain their answers and thinking while they solve problems. If possible, you can even have them turn and share what they wrote with their neighbor (while staying apart, of course!). Or have them bring it to you in a small group setting to share their thinking with you and their group.

Social Distancing ideas: You can easily pass out journal prompts at the beginning of the week and have students glue them in and date them. Or display the prompts on a SmartBoard or whiteboard for students to reference during their writing station.