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(Unit 2) Topic 5: Math for Young Children

2 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Math Center How To

​Topic 5 Page 11

You’ve decided to include or upgrade your program’s math center, but now what?
​Let’s take a step by step approach to designing a math center!

First things first: ​

What are your goals?
Similar to creating a lesson plan, you should begin with the objective. Often teachers will change the math center materials in their program to fit the concepts that they are focusing on throughout the school year. If your goal is to begin the year with opportunities for number, shape, and color recognition then materials should support these concepts.

Second: ​

Math centers will look different for each age group. Infants and toddlers benefit from math activities as well.

Where will the center be?
Successful math centers have child-accessible materials on a low shelf as well as plenty of floor and table space for multiple children to comfortably occupy. Another consideration to be made for location is in the surrounding area. The math center should be situated far away from centers that contain quieter activities.

Third: ​

How many children? 
An important consideration to make is in the amount of children that can use the center at once. Typically a small group of 4-5 children use a center at one time. Often these children are part of a regular group that rotates to each center together after a set amount of time. This doesn’t have to be the case, however, children should be encouraged to use the math center during free time as well.

Apply developmentally appropriate practices when planning math activities. A math lesson for infants is as simple as stackable cups of different colors and shapes.

Fourth: ​

Where will the teacher be during the math center?
​Think back to the objectives of the center and the groups using them. Ideally a teacher would be floating around the room observing and guiding the groups as they work at the centers. 

There will be times, however, when teachers find a particularly prime opportunity to work with a specific small group at the math center. This may be due to a group whose math understanding is behind the rest of the class a bit so they need a little extra assistance, or it may be because these children are advanced. Be flexible to meet the needs of the children in each group.

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(Unit 2) Topic 5: Math for Young Children * Navigation Menu