LaSota Guided Math (My version of it!)

Hi Blogging friends!

I have taught using a guided math format for about 4-5 years.  For about 3-4 years I had three math rotations.  Due to the make-up of my class and the extra time needed for working on social skills- I moved to two guided math rotations.

Here is how I complete math:

In August, as I am working on reaching stamina and establishing rules and routines, I check my students on K skills.  I am in the process of creating these for the common core k standards.

Based on how my students did on the K assessment, I choose a 1st grade assessment and teach it whole group on Monday.

Then, I give my students the pre-assessment after the one lesson to determine what to do next.

Based on the results:

• If almost all students do well- I skip focusing on that skill.  I just add it to our math meeting review and the students that did not do well- earn that skill as their goal.
• If most students do not know the skill- I either teach it whole group or teach it in my small guided math groups even though it would be the same lesson.

I have a version of this on my Mimio.  This is our daily warm- up.

I send this home during the week that I am teaching the skill.

This year I had to move to two rotation groups.  I place students into groups based on their pre-assessment. 

• Math on My Own- This is usually a skill worksheet (in the laminated pouches) that students can check their answers.  When they finish- they go to math facts and practice their facts until I signal for the next rotation.

• Math with Teacher- Students meet me at the front carpet for a mini- lesson.  White boards are available for students to use.  When I finish with my lesson- they students who seem to "get" the lesson go to work on individual math goals.  The other students stay with me for a longer lesson.

I keep a variety of fun manipulative materials like fish stones, fuzzy pom-poms, jewels, beads etc.  The students may use these materials to work on their math facts.  It is interesting to watch what students choose to use.

We try to end Monday-Thursday with problem solving.  I hope to have a better schedule next year to make sure that I can always fit it in!  Regardless we meet back together and discuss what we learned.

I assess at the end of the week using a quarterly post skill assessment.  I also record if there was student mastery in student I Can notebooks. 

On Friday- I complete my post- assessment, fact assessments and also have math games and math art/ activity rotations.  We try to apply what we learned during the week into a game and an art or activity. 

We have favorite activities that we will pull out and play a couple times a month.

This is one more item that I am putting in my portfolio.  (I try to update it each year!)  :-)

For those of you that have your last week of school this week- enjoy it!  I don't know about you but I always get really sappy and cry on the last day!  :-( 

I always make my students a slide show and display recess, and special event pictures all year with fun and catchy songs.  The last song on the slide show is, My Wish.  I have their first day of school picture and then put a heart around it and it goes to their last week of school picture.  I always sob as I make this part each year.  I think that I have been putting off making this last part of the slide show because I am super emotional about this class already.  It has been like an emotional roller coaster this year.  I have a lot of time, thought and love poured into each of my students this year.  It was a challenging but a huge professional growth year because of my kiddos. 

I hope that you enjoy your little ones during the last few days too!  :-)