Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may make a commission from qualifying purchases at absolutely no cost to you. Read our full Disclosure Policy here.
Feeling Overwhelmed Trying to Fit Everything Into Your Math Block?
We’ve all been there.
Between teaching new concepts, reviewing past skills, assessing student progress, managing centres, and differentiating instruction, fitting everything into a daily math block can feel impossible.
Maybe you have a 60-minute math period and feel like you’re constantly running out of time. Or maybe you have 90 minute math block but still struggle to fit in small groups, hands-on learning, and meaningful discussions.
The good news? You don’t need more time—you just need a clear, repeatable structure.
In this post, I’ll break down the 6 key components of an effective math block, with sample schedules for both 60-minute and 90-minute math periods.
Want to save time with a ready-made elementary math program?
And if you want all of this done-for-you—with ready-to-use lesson plans, math centres, and assessments—you can check out our Full-Year Math Bundles here.
Everything in this post is included in all our math units with teacher notes and answer keys! We have poured literally hundreds of hours into creating these huge bundles so we KNOW you will be saving a huge amount of time and stress!
Table of Contents
PLANNING YOUR ELEMENTARY MATH BLOCK SCHEDULE
This post is specifically geared toward a junior math classroom as that is the bulk of my teaching experience. However, it could easily be used in primary or intermediate grades. You may make small changes to the timing based on student attention spans but not much else would need to change.
Each of these components should be included in your daily math activities to give students plenty of opportunities to learn, practice and review math concepts in a variety of ways.
The 6 Key components of a Strong Math Block
After years of experimenting with different math schedules, I’ve found that these six components are non-negotiable for a well-balanced, effective math program:
- Warm-Up (Spiraled Review & Number Sense)
- 3-Part Math Lesson (Minds On, Action, Consolidation)
- Direct Instruction (When Needed)
- Independent Practice & Math Centres
- Guided Math & Small Group Support
- Formative Assessment
Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements and how they fit into your daily schedule.
Warm-Up (Spiraled Review & Number Sense)
A math warm-up sets the tone for your lesson and helps transition students into thinking mathematically.
This should be a quick (5-10 minute) activity that:
✔️ Reviews previous skills to reinforce retention.
✔️ Builds number sense and mathematical fluency.
✔️ Encourages students to think mathematically from the moment class starts.
Examples of effective warm-up activities:
✅ Number Talks
✅ Mental Math Challenges
✅ Quick review questions from past units (spiraling!)
✅ Estimation tasks
👉 How our math program helps: The full year bundles for grades 4-6 include bellwork to reinforce number sense.
TIP: This is a perfect time to review and reinforce Number Sense concepts throughout the year and/or build in some math spiraling!
3-Part Math Lesson (Minds on, Action, Consolidation)
This is the heart of your math block and focuses on conceptual understanding through inquiry-based learning. I love 3-part lessons as they are more focused on students building a solid understanding of the foundational math concepts through exploring and experimenting, struggling and discovering. They are so much more powerful than simply teaching students the steps to complete a procedure (which they will promptly forget).
MINDS ON (5-10 min): A short task to activate prior knowledge and get students thinking.
ACTION (20-30 min): Students work collaboratively to explore a rich problem, developing their own strategies.
Students need a chance to collaborate and discuss with classmates. The days of spoon-feeding students the algorithms (or steps) to complete a math operation for them to memorize are long gone!
Students should be presented with an open-ended problem and then allowed to work in partners or small groups to develop their own strategies and overcome the challenges they face in doing so. This is how students develop a deeper understanding of the content being taught.
The challenge as the teacher is to allow your students to struggle. We all want them to do well and be happy, but the struggle is where the learning happens! Guide them with thoughtful questions, lead them a little if they are getting too frustrated but don’t just tell them what to do or how to do it. I cannot stress this enough.
This isn’t a test. Wrong answers and mistakes do not equal failure. Drill it into your students that asking questions and making mistakes is what successful students do – it’s how we learn. So many kids arrive in the junior grades with the idea that these are signs of not being smart or failing.
CONSOLIDATION (15-20 min): Whole-class discussion where students share strategies, correct misconceptions, and formalize learning.
This is, I find, the hardest part to do well as the teacher but is the most important element of your math block. Consolidation usually happens in the form of a whole class discussion. Students share their strategies in solving the problem, challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
The teacher’s role is to facilitate this with meaningful guiding questions. This is also the spot where you get to actually show students how to complete problems, rather than letting them explore.
Why this works: Instead of just teaching a procedure, students discover why math works—leading to deeper understanding.
👉 How our math program helps: Our 3-part math lessons include everything you need—engaging Minds On tasks, open-ended inquiry problems, and built-in discussion prompts for consolidation.
Direct Instruction
There’s a common misconception that inquiry-based math means never explicitly teaching concepts. That’s not true!
There are times when direct instruction is necessary—especially when introducing a new concept or clearing up misconceptions after an inquiry task.
Best practices for direct instruction:
✔️ Keep it short and focused (5-10 minutes).
✔️ Use it to clarify key concepts, not just demonstrate procedures.
✔️ Follow up with student discussion and reflection.
👉 How our math program helps: Lessons includes step-by-step teacher notes to guide direct instruction when it’s needed.
Math Centres & Independent Practice
Hands-on practice is essential for mastery. But worksheets alone aren’t enough!
A well-structured math block includes:
✅ Math Centres – Games, partner tasks, and problem-solving challenges that reinforce learning.
✅ Independent Practice – Short practice tasks that allow students to solidify skills.
✅ Choice & Differentiation – Open-ended problems that allow students to work at their own level.
👉 How our math program helps: Every unit includes balanced math centres that are ready to print & use—so you don’t have to plan them yourself!
Guided Math & Small Group Support
Small group instruction is where the magic happens.
Why guided math is essential:
✔️ Allows you to work closely with students who need extra support.
✔️ Gives advanced students opportunities for deeper learning.
✔️ Encourages meaningful math discussions in a low-pressure setting.
👉 How our math program helps: Our lessons include small group instructional strategies and targeted practice activities for intervention.
Well-organized math centres will allow you to run small guided math groups or even individual intervention during class. This is the best time to work with students in need of a little extra practise, help with a challenging concept or students with IEPs (Individual Education Plans).
We all know that small groups are far more effective for teaching than whole groups yet they can be so hard to manage. My balanced math centres allow me to work with 1 or 2 small groups or individuals during each round of centres without interruption and have truly become the most effective part of my math programming.
Formative Assessment
Assessment isn’t just about giving tests. The best math programs assess student understanding daily.
How to build assessment into your math block:
✔️ Observation & conferencing – Listen to student discussions to gauge understanding.
✔️ Exit tickets – A quick written response to check for mastery.
✔️ Math journals – Have students reflect on their learning.
👉 How our math program helps: Every unit includes exit tickets, observation checklists and math journal prompts to make assessment easy.
ELEMENTARY MATH BLOCK SCHEDULE EXAMPLES
Now you’ve figured out the components of your math block, how will you fit all the pieces into your schedule? I’ll give you a few options depending on how much time you have each day for your mathematics program.
90 Minute Math Block Schedule (Lesson and Centres Every Day)
This is my ideal schedule. It allows for a full 3-part lesson and math centres with small groups every day. (NOTE: I actually have a 100 minute math block but you know 10 minutes is lost to transitions each day anyway…)
- 0-5 min: Bellwork
- 5-10 min: Minds On activity
- 10-30 min: Action
- 30-50 min: Consolidation
- 50-60 min: Formative Assessment
- 60-90 min: One or two rounds of centres depending on time (each with a teacher-led, small guided math group)
90 Minute Math Block (Lesson Only)
Time management is not my strongest skill and, despite my best efforts, I struggle to complete the 3-part lesson in 60 minutes. Depending on my students that year, it may be downright impossible. If you are like me, this schedule may be more realistic:
Monday to Thursday
- 0-10 min: Bellwork
- 10-20 min: Minds On activity
- 20-40 min: Action
- 40-60 min: Consolidation
- 60-80 min: Formative assessment
- *The remaining 10 minutes can be used for catch-up, practice questions, or often simply gets lost in transitions!
Friday
- 0-10 min: Bellwork
- 10-30 min: Centre rotation 1
- 30-50 min: Centre rotation 2
- 50-70 min: Centre rotation 3
- 70-90 min: Centre rotation 4
- 90-100 min: Clean up
60 Minute Math Block Schedule
I get it, not all schedules allow for 100 minutes of daily math (I urge you to really try and make it happen though!). This option fits in all the important elements of an elementary math block in just 60 minutes a day.
Monday to Thursday
- 0-10 min: Warm Up / Minds On
- 10-30 min: Action
- 30-50 min: Consolidation
- 50-60 min: Formative Assessment
Friday
- 0-10 min: Warm Up / Minds On
- 10-35 min: Centre Rotation 1
- 35-60 min: Centre Rotation 2
Want to Save Time? Get a Ready-Made Math PROGRAM!
Feeling overwhelmed trying to plan all of this yourself? We’ve got you covered!
Our Full-Year Math Bundles include everything you need for a complete, effective math block—so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching.
Organizing Elementary Math Block
How do you schedule your math block? What do you consider the most essential elements of a math lesson? Comment below to share your ideas with others!
Did you find this post helpful? Click an image below to save to Pinterest so you won’t lose it!
