Making Math Centers Fun Helps Make Them Successful

It’s 12:30 in my second-grade classroom, and I tell my students it’s time for math centers. Believe it or not, that statement is met with an enthusiastic “Yay!” Literacy circles are fun. But math centers are their favorite. And they’re mine, too.

Whether centers come from a list in the curriculum or are purchased online, kids often find them too difficult or too uninteresting. And when students don’t engage, you know what happens. Loud talking. Arguing. Someone throws a block. A chair tips over. Kids start walking around aimlessly.

But making successful math centers is not as hard as it may seem. To do so, I make sure that every center has two specific qualities beyond addressing relevant learning. First: The kids have to be able to do the center. Second: They have to find the center sufficiently interesting.

Here are my recommendations for how to make that happen.

Make Centers Doable

Let’s look at the centers failure above little more closely. What happened? Students went to the tables, looked at the centers, saw that they didn’t understand, tried to do the centers anyway, and got into an argument—and everything went south from there.

Students have to be able to do the centers without your direct supervision. Look at the center kit and consider: What are the things they have to be able to do here? Some students in my class are not strong readers, so I can’t just put an instruction card in the basket and assume they’ll follow it.

Simplicity is key. Complicated games and processes with multiple steps during independent work can break down. What if a student can’t estimate? Or can’t count past 20? Or can’t find their measurement sheet?

Think simple. As simple as a center that involves one student doing math task flash cards (it could be facts or naming shapes) while a partner (or two) times them with a sand timer and counts the cards after a minute has gone by. This builds social interaction, counting, teamwork, and the ability to use math tools (cards and timers). That’s pretty good for independent work.

Make Centers Interesting

Kids love working in centers partly because they’re with their friends, and partly because it’s self-paced. But there can be a problem here, because if the center is really boring, they will just slow down and stop.

Successful math centers are interesting. Before you start, look at the center and think, “Will they want to do this?” Anything from graphing groups of buttons to review worksheets can work. I have one station where students use computers to access the school’s online math curriculum. Sometimes I buy a puzzle from the thrift store. In second grade, some students can do 100- or 200-piece puzzles. This activity builds concentration, teamwork, and spatial awareness.

Fishbowl the Centers

In order to increase the number of kids who understand and can do a center, I “fishbowl” the centers one at a time.

Fishbowling is a technique in which the teacher puts the class in a circle on the carpet. The teacher then gets in the middle and demonstrates the center with a student or students, allowing the others to watch (the center demonstration is the fishbowl). If a picture is worth a thousand words, a demonstration’s value is infinite.

After the fishbowl, I have the class do the newly learned center task in pairs or trios, and I walk around and help. This is the moment of truth. If it’s blowing up already, if only half the class can really do it, it’s probably not a good choice—unless I can modify the procedures or tasks to make it easier for the students.

Don’t Trade Out Centers Too Soon

Some instructional plans say you should trade out the centers every week or every two weeks. However, I observe the kids and determine when they’re becoming less engaged or have mastered the objective. On average, with good centers, that takes four to six weeks. So use observation and judgment to decide when to move into new centers.

When It Works, It’s So Good

I have to say that my most effective strategy for math is the use of math centers. During this time, I pull small math groups at the teacher table or go over exit tickets from the lesson, correcting misunderstandings and building skills.

If you design the centers with interest and ability in mind, the students will love the opportunity to play math games with their peers, and you will be able to drill down with the students who are stuck.

In my second grade, math centers provide a moment to take a breath, to settle down, to go deeper, to work in pairs or one-on-one. If you create the right centers and teach the procedures, you too can enjoy the relaxing and exciting island in the middle of the school day that is math centers.