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July 31, 2017

All About Math Tubs

Hello everyone!  I know, I know...I have ignored my blog since February.  I'm glad to be back.

I'm writing today to talk about one of my favorite topics- Math Tubs!  You might call it Math centers, Math stations, Math buckets, but really, they're all the same thing.  Do you use Math Tubs in your classroom?  I have used them for the past 16 years in my Kindergarten classroom, and I am dedicating this post to explaining how I use them.  Do you HAVE to use your tubs this way?  Of course not!  Do what works for you!


Why do I use Math Tubs?  They keep my kids engaged and moving through a lesson.  They give my kids the motivation to finish their independent work.  Once my students have finished their independent practice during each math lesson, they independently move to a tub. This gives me the opportunity to work with my students who need a little extra help, or provide small group or one on one intervention when needed.


In the picture below, some students are still working while others have moved to their Math Tub.



This is how I set up and run my tubs:


 The area circled in red are my Math Tubs.  We store them on top of my students' cubbies.  I use plastic dish tubs from Wal-Mart or Target.  I've had the same set for several years.  A quick wipe with a Magic Eraser keeps them clean and usable for several years. Any kind of plastic basket, box, or bin would work well too.  Store them in a place which is easily accessible for your students.  I label each tub with a number and a color.  This is for students who cannot identify numbers at the beginning of the year.  There are sooooo many cute labels out there, but I find they can be distracting to our young students.  Simple labels work best in my classroom.


Note- I KNOW it says Math Centers and not Math Tubs, but I was required to have Math Centers at my school a few years ago, but we still call them tubs.  I have a new chart this year, but I'll have to post a picture of it later.

As my students finish their work, they look at this chart to determine which tub to go to (I'm including two versions that I have used in the past).  Notice that the same colors and numbers are here.  



See how all of the labels match?  

I assign kids to the tubs, and they visit one tub each day.  I sometimes group the kids by ability level, kids that will actually work well together, a few quiet kids with a not-so quiet kid, or a few boys and a few girls.  The kids can spend anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes in a tub, depending on what is going on in our classroom that day.  I'll tell you how to prep your tubs so that your kids can be engaged the whole time a little later on in this post.  At the end of tub time, the kids place all of the materials back into the tub and put it away.  At the end of the school day, I switch the sticks- students in number one go to number two, number two goes to number three, and so on.  So by the end of the week ( or after 7 days), everyone has had a turn to visit each tub and complete each activity.


When setting up tubs, decide how many kids you can handle working in a group together.  When I have large classes, sometimes 5 kids end up being grouped together.  But honestly I prefer having 3-4 kids in a group.  Make sure you have enough tubs to fit your grouping preferences.



Decide where your kids are going to work with the tubs.  On each of my tables, I have the matching number and color so that the kids can see where the tub should go.  Some tubs are empty, and the kids are assigned to computers or iPads to work.  Sometimes I will put a picture of a computer or iPad on the tub as a visual reminder of where to go.



Now- onto the hard part (not really)-  What goes in the tubs?  

Do I change the materials in my tubs every week?  NO WAY!  Honestly, I usually change them once a month.  Sometimes the kids love a game or activity so much that they want multiple chances to play it.  One year, my kids loved a Christmas puzzle so much it stayed in a tub until May. If it's meaningful and engaging, why take it out?  


Before allowing your students to use a particular manipulative or game, MODEL MODEL MODEL!  Play it in class as a whole group if possible, or at least model how to play with a certain manipulative.  NEVER put something in a tub that you have never shown the kids.  Trust me- it will be a disaster!


For the first two weeks of school, we focus on Math Tub procedures- how to get the tubs out, how to figure out which tub you're in, how to share the toys, how to play with the toys, how to pick up the toys, and how to put the tubs away.  Since the focus is on procedures, there are toys in each tub.  Yep, I said it. TOYS!!!!  I put lacing beads and buttons, large bristle blocks, shape blocks, and linking shapes into the tubs.






After about two weeks, I start placing games and activities that mirror what we are learning into the tubs.  I try to also choose activities that may review things that we have learned.  There is always more than one activity in the tub.  One is a must-do, and then the students can repeat that activity, or choose another.  So for example, there may be a roll and color game which they must do first, but once they are done, they can play the game again or play with something else in the tub, such as linking cubes.  Does that make sense?  That's how you make your tubs last up to 30 minutes- multiple activities.




One of my tubs is almost always computer (the kids play on selected Starfall games) and another is almost always puzzles.  I put around 5-6 puzzles in this tub so that the kids can work independently or with a partner.  I allow this tub to work on the carpet so that they can spread out.




If you need some Math Tub activity ideas, be sure to visit my TpT store!  My Back to School Math Tub pack is available, as well as January-May packs.  I will be working on Fall/Halloween and Christmas Math Tub packs this fall and hope to have them up soon!


If you have any Math Tub questions, feel free to comment, or message me on Facebook or Instagram!

Don't forget- there is a TpT SALE August 1st and 2nd! Click on the picture below to be taken to my store!



I'll be back with a classroom tour soon!