Guided Math and Guided Reading

Guided Math is different from Guided Reading.

That is one of the hardest components for teachers to figure out.  In guided reading like Daily 5 students can read to self when they are not with the teacher.  But what about math?  They can’t just go back and do math by themselves, right?!

Students can rotate through stations.  One station in guided math is the teacher guided group.  But that is where the similarities end.

Another station is a math fact station.  During this station, students practice number sense or math facts, depending on their grade level.

These two students are playing engaged guided math activities in a Guided Math classroom.

In this picture, students demonstrate engaged math activities or math centers.  In my classroom students can play these activities by themselves or with a partner.  Choose activities with simple directions that practice Common Core State Standard concepts.

The last rotation is a skills review station. This is where students practice skills that they already learned.  Because these are concepts that were previously mastered, students can practice these pages without help. In addition, this station allows for continual review of skills throughout the year so student show progress.  Just think–gone are the days of the “One and Done” method of teaching, teaching the concepts once during the chapter in the book and then the students are done with it.  In guided math, teachers teach the concept.  Students then continue to practice the skill each month in a variety of ways like in story problem form, chart form, and in algebraic form.