Click play below to learn steps on small group reading instruction:
Thank you for joining me for another episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast! We talk a lot about how to effectively use our literacy block, and today is no exception. One of the best ways to use that time is through small group reading instruction.
A big reason being a reading teacher is so challenging is because you’re responsible for successfully teaching a whole group, small group, and including reading conferences with each student, all while continuing to practice an abundance of different skills pertaining to literacy. And the cherry on top? Each student has a different reading skill they struggle with!
That’s where small group reading instruction comes in! Incorporating small group instruction during your literacy block allows you to not only focus on fewer students, but provide an opportunity for guidance and support in a specific reading objective they would benefit from. Remember, this is a time to reinforce and reteach, not for your students to learn something new.
Providing effective small group reading instruction can sometimes sound like an impossible and challenging task. There’s so much to prepare for, such as the lesson plans, structure of the instruction, having a grasp on classroom management, finding relevant resources, knowing what to do with your other students, how to assess their success, and so much more! Trust me, I’ve been there!
However, I have come up with 6 easy steps to make your small group reading instruction a success! Whether you’ve already established your small group reading instruction this year, it hasn’t been on your radar, or you’re somewhere in between, I’m here to tell you now’s the time to start!
In this episode on small group reading instruction, I share:
- The process of a successful small group reading instruction
- A 4T model on how to structure your small group time
- How to make small group reading instruction more engaging
- The best ways to find effective resources
- Encouragement and simple strategies to get started TODAY
Related Resources:
- Check out the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership
- Purchase my Reading Comprehension Strategy Cards
- Reading Comprehension Small Group Lessons for Fiction Bundle
- If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!
Related episodes and blog posts:
- Episode 67, What to do When You Have a Student Who Struggles with Reading
- Episode 30, My Top 9 Favorite Reading Centers for Upper Elementary
- Reading Small Groups: Are You Using These 3 Types?
- Independent Reading Time: 4 Easy Ideas to Hold Students Accountable
Connect with me:
- Join my newsletter
- Shop my TPT store here
- Instagram: @thestellarteachercompany
- Facebook: The Stellar Teacher Company
More About Stellar Teacher Podcast:
Welcome to the Stellar Teacher Podcast! We believe teaching literacy is a skill. It takes a lot of time, practice, and effort to be good at it. This podcast will show you how to level up your literacy instruction and make a massive impact with your students, all while having a little fun!
Your host, Sara Marye, is a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world pass on their love of reading to their students. She has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Sara has made it her mission to create high quality no-fluff resources and lesson ideas that are both meaningful and engaging for young readers.
Each week, Sara and her guests will share their knowledge, tips, and tricks so that you can feel confident in your ability to transform your students into life-long readers.
Tune in on your favorite podcast platform: Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review, and follow!
Podcast (stellar-teacher-podcast): Play in new window | Download
Thank you so much for this episode! Question for you…. I agree with making reading fun but how do you respond to the idea that not everything can be fun. For example, testing… so if I make everything fun all the time, then come test time, they aren’t having fun, students don’t want to put forth their best effort 🙁 Advice please….
Hey Cristina,
This is such a good question and I might even end up recording a podcast on it! You’re so right that not everything can be fun, and students are definitely asked to do things in reading that are not fun like state testing. While we can’t get rid of things like state testing, I think it’s important that we try to make test prep and other institutionalized requirements as fun, engaging, and authentic for our students as possible. Here are a few things that I have done in the past that can help make those not-so-fun times a little more enjoyable. 1. really be intentional about incorporating movement and collaboration into your instruction. I did an entire podcast episode on how to incorporate movement into your literacy block (episode #53 if you want to check it out). Anytime students can work with a partner it is going to make the activity more fun and engaging and I also think collaboration/partner practice is a great test prep strategy since students can hear what another student is thinking. Goal-setting can also be helpful to make test prep more fun and engaging. If students have set a goal they are really motivated to achieve then it can help encourage them through the doldrums of test prep. (I talk about goal setting in episode #34). Doing some mindset work can also be helpful during test prep season. It can be a chance to work on grit, stamina, and positive self-talk. I also think simply acknowledging that test prep isn’t fun and also isn’t the type of reading they will be doing for the rest of their lives can be helpful too. Reminding students that testing is part of our educational system and while we want to do our best on it, it’s not what real reading looks like… and small little external motivators can help to. Play music, let students use fun pencils, let them choose where they sit, give them positive little notes, let them take breaks, let them encourage their classmates, let them discuss and talk about the test… all of those things can help make test prep just a little more fun. Hopefully some of those things are helpful!
This podcast was helpful to me! I loved the ideas that could be implemented tomorrow in my small group instruction. I have gotten in a rut with my small groups and these ideas are perfect to jump start a fresh approach! Thanks!
Hey Kristen,
I’m so glad that you found this podcast helpful! We’ve all experienced a small group rut before and I’m glad that you’re feeling inspired to try something new. Thanks so much for reaching out to let me know!
Hi. Do you follow science of reading SOR?
Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out. I have done some research on the Science of Reading and am always trying to keep up with the latest trends/research. I especially love the focus on vocabulary, language structures, and text structure for upper elementary. Definitely all so important to helping students be successful.