Small Group Instruction
Small group instruction is used to:
● teach, reinforce, or clarify concepts or skills
● build relationships - teacher-student and student-student
● provide immediate feedback
● show what students know and can do and reflect upon their learning
● make students feel valued and gain confidence while taking ownership of their learning
Teacher: Planning before Small Group Instruction
● Assess students to group students with similar learning targets
● Develop mini-lessons to scaffold learning in a way that supports students’ meeting their learning targets.
● Establish independent work routines and expectations that support small group instruction in the classroom
What the teacher is doing
● Providing learning experiences for groups of students, with similar learning targets, based on collected assessment information and observations
● Providing instruction, feedback, and assessment opportunities that reflect students' needs within the groups
● Reviewing configuration of groups on an ongoing basis
● Ensuring students have a plan for next steps as part of their accountability
What the students are doing
Those receiving small group instruction
● Participating in the teacher’s modeling of the task
● Practising the skills, strategies, or concepts that were the focus of the small group instruction
● Engaging in discussion
Those not receiving small group instruction
● Engaging in independent practice related to the explicit instruction, in pairs or small groups
● Working within the classroom's established small group instruction protocols
Teacher: Reflecting on Small Group Instruction
● Based on student learning in small groups, determine how to support individual students in their learning through planning the next steps for instruction.
● Consider if adjusting the makeup of small groups is appropriate based on learning needs
● Determine if there is a need for individual instruction or conferring
According to the research,
Students experience increased achievement when:
● groups are based on targeted skill practice rather than text level. Groups should change as students need to learn from peers with different skills
● the teacher facilitates small-group discussions to foster positive classroom social experiences with peers. This has been shown to increase students’ academic performance
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