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Calendar Math in the Classroom

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Calendar Math is one of many ways I review standards during math.  If you’ve read my blog before, you know I am all about “spiraling” standards in the classroom.  Spiraling just means that you teach, and continuously revisit standards throughout the year.  This teaching method gives students plenty of opportunities to master a skill, and keeps the standards “fresh” all year.

Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!

Besides my Spiral Math Homework, Calendar Math is one of my favorite ways to review the standards every day.  Basically, Calendar Math is a bulletin board of various math-related tasks that usually use the current date, or the number of days in school, in order to complete the activity.  The bulletin board is continuously built on throughout the year until students are completing all activities as a daily review.  Calendar Math can be done as a whole group, in small groups during centers, or independently.

 

Here is how Calendar Math works in my classroom…

On the first day of school (day 1), I begin teaching my students how to complete the tasks on our Calendar bulletin board.  I start off with the tasks I know they can complete at this point.  These are usually the skills they should have from the year before.

Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!
I take the first few weeks of school to continuously model the tasks, and get them used to the process.  Once I know they are ready, my students complete Calendar Math as one of their Math Centers.
If done correctly, this center is like a “well-oiled machine”.  I have a student who is in charge of updating the board daily, and all of the cards/supplies needed are right on the board.

 

Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!

 

Students use their Calendar Math Folders and Sheets to record their thinking and work.
Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!
The Calendar pieces are turned over daily to reveal the next object in the pattern.  Students analyze the pattern throughout the month, making predictions and observations about what they notice.

 

Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!

 

Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!
To make this board even more low-maintenance, I made cards that can simply be changed out each day on some of the activities.
Calendar math is the perfect review math center. See how I use it in my 5th grade classroom, and how calendar math helps my students review everything they learn!

 

If you don’t currently have Calendar Math in your classroom, or you are looking to update your bulletin board, you may want to check out my Calendar Math Bundle.   This bundle comes with everything you need to conduct Calendar Math ALL YEAR! (4th and 5th Grade)
If you are looking for more fun center ideas, check out my I CAN Math Games blog post!

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