Do you utilize math rotations in your classroom? Math centers are a great way to incorporate independence and corporative learning skills. It gives you time to work with students one on one or in small groups with skills they are struggling with. I know it can be overwhelming to get started with centers, especially if you are a new teacher. Time can be a huge struggle. Time to prep the centers, and time to teach students how to use the centers. I have three tips for you to save time.

Tip 1 – Use a practice page

Can you incorporate part of the lesson into a math center? Often times lessons come with worksheets that can incorporated into one of your centers. They may also include activities that can be used as center. My current math program often has activities where students roll a dice and build the number. I already have centers that practice this same skill. There might be an activity where they match numbers to quantities. I have a game for that. Look at the lesson and see what activities can be taught with a center that you have already prepped. Plus, this will shorten your whole group lesson, giving you more time more small groups.

My biggest time saver is to keep your centers organized. I have two ways to store my centers. I have monthly buckets for my thematic centers, and I have two buckets for year round centers. One is for number sense activities and one is for addition and subtraction activities. I check centers for missing pieces when I put them away, not when I take them out. This way, if something goes missing, I can print and laminate the pieces of the next week or so, rather then being rushed to get it together the week (and sometimes day) I want it. You may choose to organize your individual centers in bags, photo boxes, or just toss them in a bucket (haha, I do NOT recommend you toss them in a bucket without a bag or small container). The math centers above are from my Back to School Math Centers. I store them in the photo box with the links so it is less to prep when I use them.

I use these drawers from Michael’s to organize my math centers. I can pull out an entire month’s worth of centers using these drawers. I do math rotations 4 days a week (there are enough drawers to do 5). The first week of the month, we do the pink numbers. The second week, we do the yellow numbers. It is so much faster to pull out a month’s worth of centers in one day. This is a HUGE time saver. It takes me less then an horu to put away one month and get out the next months centers.

I put everything the students need for the activity inside of the drawer. Then I take the drawer out and set it at their table for the group to share. I know what your thinking for this year – NO SHARING. This year, instead of each drawer being a group, it could be an individual student. Put four different activities in the drawer for the week. I would recommend if you do that, choose 4 similar activities (all snap cubes or all dominos) so that there are less activities to choose from. The domino activity in the drawer comes from my Low Prep Math Centers (another way to save time, low prep centers).

As a great way to stay organized, I created the FREE Math Tool Kit. It actually comes in two sizes. One is a full size, which I used to put in a ziplock bag. This year, to simplify, I made a smaller version that fits in my favorite photo boxes from Michael’s.

Tip 3 Make It Fun

How can you keep your centers engaging? Make it fun. Add manipulatives. I LOVE Seasonal centers. They are so fun and the kids get so excited when you take them out….but it takes a lot of time to explain them. I like to include both seasonal centers and year round that centers. I will use the same Unifix Cubes Center once a month so I don’t have to explain it over and over again. I look for centers that start with number sense and then build towards addition and subtraction.

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these Mini-Eraser Math Centers. They can be used with ANY eraser that you find at Target. I don’t know about you, but I am always buying random erasers at Target that I’m not sure what to do with but they are just so darn cute. These centers can be prepped and put into photo cases. Then, you just have to change out the erasers every month. the kids will feel like they are getting brand new centers without all the work of cutting and printing new centers

Bonus Tip and Freebie

Many of us have to prepare individual centers. I have a few ideas. You stack individual trays like the above one from Target. The Dollar Tree has a variety of containers, including square trays and containers with lids. I really like the photo box containers from Michaels (shown above). You can be erasers, cubes, or links in there with them. A lot of full size pages can be printed 4 to a page and they will fit in there.