How to Teach Elementary School Math With Groups

If you are an elementary school teacher, you probably realize that most children do not have the same level of math abilities. Some students excel at math, and some struggle with every lesson. Other children are above average in certain math topics like geometry, but they may have problems memorizing their multiplication facts. Gifted students are bored, and the struggling students are lost. Read on to see how to teach elementary school math with groups.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Preassessments
• Math objectives

1. Read over your math objectives for your unit of study. Create a preassessment, which tests these objectives.

2. Give the pretest to your students. Explain to them that they are not supposed to know everything on the test. The test is designed to show how much the students already know about the math topic. Ask them to do their best but not to get upset if they don't know the answers to the test questions.

3. Grade the pretests, and group the students according to their ability level and how well they have already mastered the objectives. Try to put the students in three to four groups. It is hard to manage more than four math groups. Three groups in one classroom is actually a perfect number for elementary school math groups.

4. Meet with your lowest group every day during math time. Meet with them first. The same kids will not always be in this lowest group. The groups are flexible, depending on the unit of study. While you meet with your lowest skilled group, your other two or three groups should be working on a project that pertains to this unit of study. For example, if you are teaching a multiplication unit, the students could be constructing a multiplication board game in pairs or creating a store where people have to buy more than one product at a time, and so must use multiplication facts. At the "grocery store," a problem might be: One egg costs 12 cents. How much does it cost for two dozen eggs?

5. Make a schedule for your other groups. Maybe you will decide to meet with each group every day if you have an extended math time. Maybe you will meet with your middle group 3 days a week, and your highest group 2 days a week. The important thing to remember is that students are not just working on homework or worksheets while they are working on their own. They should be doing a project with other classmates that pertains to your unit of study.

6. Give a post-test at the end of the unit. This assessment may not be the same for each group, depending on the objectives you had for each group.

Tips & Warnings

• With the first math unit, you will also need to teach classroom management skills. How do you want students to let you know they have a question when you are teaching another group? How should students talk with each other when you are trying to get another group to focus? These are some rules and guidelines you will need to think about and teach your students, so that math groups run smoothly.
• Every unit does not have to be taught with groups. If there is a new skill that most children don't know, like an introduction to long division, then you can teach that unit to the whole group. If some students catch on quicker than others, you could have some side projects for them to work on once you feel they have mastered the current skill.

Resources

• Margo Dill's website

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