How to Set Up Math Stations

Setting up engaging and effective math stations doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Having a collection of low-prep math activities, games, review tasks, morning work, homework and early finisher options ready to go can make your math block run smoothly and keep students actively learning.

This comprehensive math bundle includes over 300 pages of hands-on games and activities designed to help first and second grade students build confidence and strengthen essential math skills throughout the year. Students can practice everything from math facts and subitizing to number ordering, addition and subtraction, place value, word problems, multiplication arrays and so much more!

How to Set Up Math Stations

Year Long Math BUNDLE

Here are 10 steps to setting up math stations in a classroom:

1. Identify Math Learning Objectives: Determine the specific math skills or concepts you want your students to work on in the math stations. Align these objectives with your curriculum.
2. Allocate Space: Designate specific areas, tables or spaces in your classroom where each math station will be set up. Ensure there’s enough space for students to move and work with ease.
3. Gather Materials: Collect all the math materials required for each station, such as manipulatives, math worksheets, task cards, markers and have them placed in a basket or trolley at the math station for easy access.
4. Explicit Instructions: Provide explicit instructions and teacher modeling of the what, how, why of each math station. Display a poster on math bulletin board or interactive whiteboard, outlining the tasks and expectations of each math station.
5. Group Students: Group students into like-ability small groups. I sometimes switch the grouping around to include more mathematically able students working with struggling students, so that there is opportunity for ‘at risk’ students to learn from peers.
6. Establish Rotations: Create a rotation schedule that specifies how long each group will spend at each station. Decide whether students will rotate individually or as a group.
7. Set a timer for transitions: Timers are a great visual and aural cue so students know it’s time to start packing away quietly and leave the math station respectfully (we always rotate in a clockwise direction just so there’s never any confusion about where students need to transition to!)
8. Monitor Student Progress: I usually run a teacher-guided station to consolidate a new concept that we’re learning. However I always include a ‘math monitor walk’ to check students’ progress and let them know that they are accountable and responsible for their math learning.
9. Review and Reflect: After the math stations are completed, we gather as a whole class on the carpet and do a math review of the day’s learning objective, talk  about what we’ve learned, what we need to still focus on and share math strategies. This is a valuable time for review, reflection and reinforcement of key concepts.
10. Exit Pass: Oh yes, we love finishing our math session with an Exit Pass relating to the day’s math learning!

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Math skills, strategies and concepts covered in this bundle include:

• Math Strategies
• Learning Objectives
• Math Bulletin Board
• Calendar
• Days of the Week
• Represent Numbers
• Ten Frames
• Order Numbers
• Basic Math Facts
• Count On
• Count Back
• Friends of Ten
• Fast Facts
• Doubles
• Near Doubles
• 2D Shapes
• 3D Shapes
• Partitioning
• Place value
• Tally marks
• Number Sentences
• simple word problems
• writing numerals in words
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Skip Counting
• Mental Strategies
• Written Strategies
• Word Problems (2 & 3 Step)
• Repeated Addition
• Multiplication
• Arrays
• Math Puzzles
• Problem Solving Task Cards
• Fractions
• Math Journal Prompts (Interactive Math Journal)
• Mathematical Vocabulary
• Reflections/Plenary
• Revision
• Assessment
• Math Craftivity

How to Set Up Math Stations

How to use this resource:

• Print all contents and place in your ‘Teacher Math Toolbox Binder.’
• Print selected worksheets or activities according to your scope and sequence
• Print selected worksheets and use as assessment to assess your students at the end of a math unit
• Laminate task cards and math puzzles for durability and place in math centers

Foster problem solving skills with these addition word problems within 20. Create mathematical thinkers who can solve in 4 different ways! Students are required to read the word problem, use concrete materials to build their understanding, draw on the inbuilt ten frames and finally create a picture to match the number story.

A Math Think-Board is a mathematical graphic organizer that gives students to the opportunity to problem solve in 4 different ways.

Suitable for:

• First Grade (teaching word problems)
• Second Grade (reviewing word problems)
• Third Grade (math intervention)

This printable pack consists of the following 4 Math Think-Boards:

• How to use this resource / Teacher Notes
• One addition word problem to 10
• One addition word problem to 20

Ideal for:

• Whole Class Explicit Teaching
• Math Centers
• Math Small Group Targeted Teaching
• Independent work
• Assessment

Ideal for:

• Whole Class Explicit Teaching
• Math Centers
• Math Small Group Targeted Teaching
• Independent work
• Fast Finishers
• Morning Work
• Assessment

How to Set Up Math Stations

This Worksheet Pack is perfect for math centers, math review or morning work! Students will practice addition and subtraction, friends of 10, doubles and near doubles, two step word problems, fast facts and math vocabulary and much more! Simply print these no prep worksheets individually or into super fun math booklets (cover pages provided!)

This worksheet pack consists of the following: 

• Teacher Notes: ‘How To Use This Resource’
• 10 Problem Solving Think Boards (great for differentiation!)
• 10 pages of Fluency worksheets
• 10 pages of Reasoning worksheets
• 10 pages of Mathematical Vocabulary worksheets
• 3 pages of mathematical reflections!

Skills covered:

• Friends of Ten
• Fast Facts
• Doubles
• Near Doubles
• Mental Math
• Word Problems (addition and subtraction)
• Addition
• Subtraction
• 2D Shapes
• 3D Shapes
• Mathematical Vocabulary
• Reflections/Plenary

Ideal for:

• Math Centers
• Independent Desk Work
• Early Finisher Task
• Morning Review Work
• Homework

How I use this resource:

I use these worksheets both as stand alone individual activities and in booklet form because my students LOVE booklets! The following front cover pages are also included in this product:

• My Mathematical Fluency Booklet
• My Mathematical Problem Solving Booklet
• My Mathematical Reasoning Booklet

This Multiplication Arrays Worksheets and Activities are the ideal math resource when teaching the concept of multiplication using fun arrays and repeated addition activities. Create a Multiplication Center where students can learn with interactive array puzzles and engaging worksheets!

This printable pack consists of the following activities:

• 4 puzzles (matching repeated addition, picture and multiplication sum
• 10 worksheets

Foster strong problem solving skills with these math word problem task cards! Firstly, use it as a whole class PowerPoint slideshow as part of your math lessons to explicitly teaching strategies when solving two step word problems. Then print the 36 addition, subtraction, multiplication and  division task cards for targeted practice during math centers or small groups. A BONUS printable 30 page student work booklet is also included!

Included in this resource are:

• 32 whole class PowerPoint slides
• 36 word problem task cards (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
• 30 page student booklet ‘My Working Out Booklet’

To read more about how to teach word problems, read this blog here!

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