2014 Guided Math Book Study

Guided math is one of my favorite things to discuss, so I was thrilled to see that Primary Gal was hosting a book study for Laney Sammons book Guided Math.  This will be the 3rd summer that I have participated in a study of this book, but I learn something new each time!
Here is a link to my post from last summer:
Guided Math Revisited

I'll be back next week when school is out to write a new post for the next chapter but in the meantime,
Laney has posed these questions on Amanda's blog.
1. What aspects of your current math instruction are successful?
2. What aspects of your current math instruction trouble you?

1.  Workstations!  My workstation set up was inspired by Deb Diller's book Math Work Stations.  I love that my kids work with a partner and have clearly defined tasks to complete at each station.  This year I was able to incorporate more technology by using our iPad and creating Symbaloos to use on the computers. Although it took several attempts, I finally have a rotation system that worked for me and allowed me to meet with each small group for guided math lessons at least twice during the week.
2.  Assessment still troubles me.  I would like to do more pre-assessing before beginning new units to help differentiate.  I also feel like I am still too dependent on worksheets.  Laney has a new book that I can't wait to dive into this summer, Guided Math Conferences, that should be helpful for using observation data and anecdotal records to help assess my students' progress.

If you have not read Guided Math yet, I highly recommend getting a copy NOW!