Why Middle School Math Centers?

I have been thinking a lot lately about implementing centers in my math support classroom. I have been doing more and more research on the subject to prepare myself for implementing them this next school year. Although I do have a ways to go, here are a few things I have found out.

Retention is a very challenging problem that struggling students face. I saw this every day in math support. We would learn a new concept, and two days later students have already forgotten it. Therefore, we as teachers need to bring up those concepts often and further down the road. Centers can help you do this. For example, if you teach a concept on week one of a unit, on weeks two and three, you can include a center that practices that concept. You can also bring that same center out when you are reviewing for a unit test or for your state's high stakes testing. This teaches students not to brain dump information, because it will pop up again.

Centers is a strategy by which you can gain more small group time with struggling students. While all other students are busy practicing concepts in centers, you can pull 3-4 students aside for small group instruction. You can use any number of strategies for your small groups time, and you can pull students out for remediation or acceleration.

Centers build responsible people. During centers time, students will have to learn to rely on themselves or a partner because you will be busy doing small groups. They will have to pay attention to directions, remember directions, and find a buddy that they can ask for help.