Are you an upper elementary math teacher looking for effective and engaging instruction strategies? Have you tried guided math? What is guided math? Guided math is a structured set of math instructional strategies that allow for targeted instruction, student engagement, and deep understanding of math concepts.
This article is the second in an 10 part series all about GUIDED MATH IN THE UPPER ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM. You can find the first post here. Check it out by clicking the image below:
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What is Guided Math in the Upper Elementary Classroom?
So, what exactly is guided math anyway?
Guided math is the careful planning and implementation of a systematic method of math instruction designed to foster a deep understanding of mathematical concepts using a variety of instructional techniques.
That is a wordy way of saying “guided math uses lots of different types of resources and teaching methods to help all students be successful in learning math skills”.
Components of Guided Math
You may have searched for ideas about how to implement guided math in your classroom and come up with a list of instructional strategies & activities, with terms like differentiation, small groups, and intervention thrown in.
But what does all of that mean for your upper elementary classroom? In this section I am going to break down the 13 components that I believe are essential to an effective guided math schedule. While that may sound like a lot, it all flows together smoothly and could be paired down to what would seem like less “components”, but I like to be very thorough in my explanation!
Keep in mind that this post was written for UPPER ELEMENTARY teachers, so while some of the ideas expressed may be suitable for lower elementary students, not all of the strategies are developmentally appropriate for younger learners.
Each of these components will be broken down further throughout the series.
1: Whole Class Instruction With Guided Note Taking
Guided math in the upper elementary classroom should always begin with whole group instruction and guided note taking. Students are introduced to a new math skill during this time, while the teacher provides them with notes and examples to reference in the future as they are working to master the skill.
2: Guided Practice
Immediately following the introduction of the new skill during whole group instruction, the teacher should provide students with the opportunity to practice the new skill. Guided practice allows students exposure to the new skill in a sheltered environment as the teacher is working through the activity with them.
3: Independent Practice
The next set of practice activities that follows guided practice will logically be independent practice. This component of guided math allows students to practice similar type problems independently that they previously practiced with teacher guidance. Independent practice is designed to mimic examples that students have already seen and been successful with solving to build their confidence with the skill.
4: Same Day Formative Assessment (Exit Ticket)
Arguably one of the most important components of guided math is the quick formative assessment that is given at the end of the first whole group lesson. This assessment is commonly known as an “Exit Ticket” because it is given to students at the end of a lesson before they “exit” the class.
The benefits of using an exit ticket are that the teacher gets a quick snapshot of the students’ understanding and comprehension of the new math skill. With the data from the exit ticket, the teacher can formulate a plan for the next day’s mini math lesson.
5: Mini Math Lesson With More Guided Practice
After the teacher reviews student responses from the exit ticket after the introduction to the new math skill, a plan can be created to review the new skill during a mini lesson. The math mini lesson in a guided math classroom is designed to review the new math skill concept, provide further examples, and opportunity for guided practice.
6: Emphasis on Vocabulary
An often overlooked important piece of the guided math classroom is the importance of vocabulary introduction and contextual use of math vocabulary. Upper elementary students should be regularly given the opportunity to use math specific words in context as they are mastering a new skill.
7: Lesson Warm Ups
Math warm up activities are brief (3-4 questions) that get students thinking mathematically before the math block officially begins. These should be questions that the student feels comfortable working independently and after about 5-10 minutes of independent work time the teacher will lead the students in reviewing the answers to the brief questions.
8: Small Group Instruction
This is where the magic happens! Small group instruction as part of guided math in the upper elementary classroom is an integral part of math instruction that provides the teacher the opportunity to observe and assess students in a way unlike a written assessment.
The guided math lesson should include a review of the focus math skill, a demonstration of the activity, and a chance for students to participate in a hands on learning activity independently, with a partner (or group of 3), or with the full small group. The ideal small group is no more than 7 students.
9: Hands On Learning
In addition to the hands on learning that should be presented during the small group guided math lesson, students should also be given the freedom of other hands on activities while they are not with the teacher during a small group.
This set of activity choices is typically referred to as “Math Stations”, “Math Centers”, or “Math Rotations“. This portion of guided math instruction can be set up in a number of ways which will be discussed in further detail later in the series.
10: Assessment
As with most forms of instruction, the guided math classroom is not complete without assessment. The skilled teacher will be continuously assessing students through observation, guided instruction, independent execution of the skill, and formal assessment after a period of instruction and practice.
11: Application Activity
Students should be given the opportunity to put a newly learned math skill into practice through some type of application activity. These activities can come in the form of a mystery, a real world challenge, or something similar. Participation in this type of engaging activity challenges students to think beyond the typical worksheet.
12: Spiral Review
Spiral review is a part of the guided math classroom that must not be overlooked, or left out. It is vital to student mastery of difficult math concepts, especially in upper elementary grades. Spiral review is the frequent revisiting of previously learned skills in an effort to solidify mastery of the skill.
13: Intervention
The final component of guided math in the upper elementary classroom is math intervention based upon results of a skill check assessment of a single skill. Students are given a quick skill assessment and the teacher uses the results to determine the need for skill intervention.
Intervention involves a skill focused review or reteaching of the skill and targeted practice until the student reaches mastery of the skill.
Benefits of Guided Math in the Upper Elementary Classroom
There are many benefits to making guided math your primary method of math instruction in your classroom, including:
- Ability to deliver targeted and differentiated instruction
- The opportunity for built in spiral review
- Lots of room for assessment
- A structured schedule to build student expectations
- Flexible grouping (groups can changed based on student need)
- Ability for students to develop a deep understanding of math concepts
- Engaging for students!
Guided math in the upper elementary classroom is a valuable asset for a teacher, as it instills a set of expectations for students, develops a deeper understanding of math concepts because it is engaging, and provides students with the opportunity to continuously grow through targeted instruction.
Join me in the next part of the series for a look at how to plan your math block to implement guided math in your upper elementary classroom. Check it out by clicking the image below:
