Making Maths Groups Work
I have always been a huge fan of maths groups. I find that Maths is by far for me the hardest subject to teach as students in class range in ability and the span is huge. So to make it work for me, I use maths groupings.
This way I can group similar abilities and differentiate my learning to better cater to my student’s needs.
Groups can be and should be fluid depending upon which topic I am teaching as well as regular assessing of students in order to move them up or down groups.
Other things I like to stick to;
Four or five groups is the maximum. No more.
If you can have support teachers or parent helpers in at this time; this better ensures students are on task.
Explain tasks explicitly as a whole class before anything else.
Ensure on-task behaviour is the expectation. Students should be making good learning choices.
Have felt mats if dice need to be rolled to lessen the noise impact.
Students should not get out of their seats until the bell signifying the end of the rotation is rung.
Once the bell is rung then students compile their activity, pack it up and make one line behind their leader before being asked to move to their next activity.
Have the timer displayed on the board.
I like to follow the MATHS acronym for my four groups. Each group work at their activity for ten to fifteen minutes before moving onto the next one. The idea is that students should complete all four tasks in the one maths session.
M- Working with The Teacher
A- At Your Seat; Individual Work
T- Technology
H- Hands On; Math Games
When students are working with the teacher, that is when the bulk of explicit teaching is happening, students then go back to their seats to complete an activity related to what they just learnt. Students may use their devices to play a maths game, practising a skill such as addition or times tables. The hand on maths games should also related to the topic of the day to consolidate their knowledge.
It is always a good idea to have a large collection of games that can be used in groups or individually. You can find fantastic maths printable games at;
Do you enjoy teaching maths in groups or as a whole class? Each to their own. For me, I feel our math learning is much more successful when it is completed in groups. Do you have a stockpile of maths games that your students love to play? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.
