ABSTRACT
Guided math is a small-group instructional strategy that teaches students in their zone of proximal development around the priority standards. There are so many standards, but every state has priority focus standards. Guided math groups can be used to remediate, to teach on grade-level concepts, and to address the needs of students that are working beyond grade level. Guided math groups can be heterogeneous or homogeneous. It depends on what students are trying to do. Guided math groups can occur in all types of classrooms. Typically, they are part of a Math Workshop. The other students should be engaged in some type of independent practice. They can be working alone, with partners, or in small groups. They could be rotating through stations based on a designated schedule or they could be working from a menu of Must Do’s and Can Do’s. Differentiating workstations helps to purposefully plan for the learning of all students.
