Using Centers in the Math Classroom

New York educator Nina Gribetz is an experienced middle school math teacher who has served as the math department chair at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School for six years. A leading math curriculum specialist, Nina Gribetz has completed several notable fellowships for recognized organizations such as Algebra for All and Math for America. She supports her colleagues’ professional development by sharing her expertise in assessment, lesson planning, and instructional methods. 

Math centers are an instructional method that can be an alternative to traditional whole group teaching. Rather than providing an example on the board and students working on the same problem together, during a math centers lesson, children work in small groups that focus on math concepts taught in previous classes. Math centers give teachers the ability to work individually or in small groups with struggling students while keeping more advanced students challenged. 

Teachers should explain each center to the class and leave written instructions at each math area. Students can then cycle through these centers, doing one about every 10 minutes, so that each child has an opportunity to work on the problem, puzzle, or game set up at each area. These activities usually incorporate manipulatives such as counters, dice, and unifix cubes.