Math Mats: A Game-Changing Tool to Help Students Persevere

I am always on the lookout for resources that will support productive struggle as our math learners persevere through challenging concepts.

Sometimes, all it takes is the right kind of tool to provide a springboard into solving a difficult problem.

And math mats are one of my absolute favorite tools that provide exactly this kind of support.

These open-ended, interactive models include:

• number charts
• grid paper
• dot matrix paper
• place value charts
• fraction models
• bar models
• open number lines
• decimal/fraction grids

And more!

Math mats are an excellent resource for math intervention or targeted instruction in small math groups in the classroom.

We use these mats for everything, from number paths when rounding to the nearest ten:

To open number lines when rounding to the nearest hundred:

And mats designed to acquire new algorithms, such as addition with partial sums:

(this is a free math mat you can download here)

Math mats have been such a success with my math intervention groups, I’ve started working to get them into our classrooms for all of our students (more on this below!).

How Do Math Mats Help Students Persevere?

The open-ended nature of the mats makes them easy to use with any math concept. They provide a clear visual for students and provide an excellent entry point when students are stuck on a problem.

Math Mats with Manipulatives

I designed our math mats to be used with manipulatives, so students can build right onto them:

This helps students use manipulatives with purpose, as they are organized on the mats (such as place value disks):

As well as one of my favorite manipulatives to use across so many many concepts every day: color tiles.

Math Mats as Reference Charts

Our students also use the mats as reference charts, to make observations, solve problems, and identify key patterns:

Math Mats As Models

Finally, these interactive mats can be used to help students draw visual models to represent their thinking:

Ideas to Set Up Math Mats

There are several ways math mats can be set up for daily use:

• dry erase pockets
• spiral bound booklets
• student binders

Dry Erase Pockets
For small groups, I like to keep several in one dry erase pocket, so we can just shift to a new mat whenever needed. We use these built-in tabs to pull the mats out to find what we need quickly:

Spiral Bound Booklets
When using mats for an entire class it is helpful to create a spiral bound booklet, using a binding machine and sheet protectors.

I use my binding machine and binding combs. Then I punch holes in the sheet protectors, print the pages on card stock, and slip the mats right in:

Having a little flip book of them provides an easy way for students to access any supports they may need while problem solving.

Student Binders
No access to a binding machine? No problem!

We’ve also used binders to store our math mats. Students can find what they need with ease and even pull individual mats out to work with.

Get Started Today

Grab a set below and watch your students become empowered to tackle any problem in math: