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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Computation Stations

Hi All!  We have 7 more days of school and I have to say, I'm feeling a little crispy around the edges.  For those of you who do not know me, that means I'm burnt out.  I wanted to share something we do in our first grade.  Each Friday we have Computation Stations.  Computation Stations is a 1 hour rotation of math games and activities.  Some of the games/activities we do during this time have been posted on this blog.  I try to make sure the games/activities are hands-on, fun, and quick to do.  The children have 15 minutes to complete each station before moving on to the next.  One station is on the computers and SmartBoard.  The other stations are on the floor or at tables.  I set my timer and off they go!  I give them a five minute warning and then a one minute tidy time to ready the station for the next team.  Most of the stations focus on computation, but I also rotate in stations that focus on the current concept (time, money, geometric shapes, etc.).  The children love it and complete a ton of math in a short time.  They have so much fun and don't seem to realize how hard they are working.  Well, these sweet little friends asked if we could do "every single Computation Station we ever did!"  I have to say, it was a proud moment for me!  As a "special treat" they wanted to do HOURS of math!  I just love those learners!  Well, there are too many stations to set up in our classroom so we will need to move to the gymnasium for the day.  I can't wait for Computation Station Marathon!  It should be great fun and a fantastic way to close our math learning for first grade!  I hope the end of your year inspires you, too!