Middle School Math Centers - Specifics

Centers sound like an awful lot of work to put together. There is one very huge thing that you can do to make them easy though.

Find the common denominator

What types of centers can you do that can be used with multiple concepts?

What are centers that practice basics math skills that students will need for the real world?

What are some basic centers that will help students be successful in math class? 

Here's how I found the common denominator:

I took a unit from each grade level (since I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th), and for each standard I wrote down vague ideas for centers. I noticed that I could use a lot of the same types of centers with different concepts. All I'd have to do is change up the types of problems, and maybe tweak the directions for some of the centers. 

Here are my common denominator centers:

1. A vocabulary center - crosswords, word searches, vocabulary charts, vocabulary sorts, etc
2. A comprehension center - Short writing prompts, sorts, anything where students have to take the basic vocabulary and apply it 
3. A practice center (you can do multiples of this one) - white boards, card games, real-world problems, etc
4. A small groups instruction center 

If you are interested in starting math centers in your own classroom, I have a few low-cost TpT products that will get you started (below). I will definitely be posting more about my lessons learned as I implement math centers throughout the year.

Math Center Templates

Math Center Icons or Labels