Small Group Instruction: Questions for Upper Elementary

Click play below to hear questions about small group instruction:

Welcome back, friends! This is the third and final episode in this mini series about small group instruction. We’ve covered how to structure and support your students during small groups, but please know that there’s still so much to cover and many of you have more questions on this topic. So in today’s episode, I’m answering more of your questions about small group instruction.

Throughout the episode, I answer a variety of questions, but a lot have to do with the structure and formation of small groups. While I give tips and suggestions on how to form your small groups, unfortunately, there’s not one way to do it. As teachers, we like exact and definitive answers, but that’s not the case for this.

Instead, knowing your students is the key to your success with small groups. For example, one way to customize the structure of your groups is to base them off of the needs that your students have. A way to assess those needs are through data with various literacy assessments. I also provide more strategies to use in small group size, tasks to focus on within each group, and how to be successful with your time management.

There are still many questions about small group instruction that you may have. I want to acknowledge that teaching small group reading lessons is hard and challenging. However, small group instruction is just a small part of your teaching, so know you’re still an effective and amazing teacher! At the end of this mini series, my hope is that you feel empowered and excited to tackle small group lessons this upcoming school year!

Stay tuned for our next mini series starting in August where I’m going to cover word study for upper elementary students, how to put together an effective word study block, and activities that you can focus on.

In this episode on questions about small group instruction, I share:

Various questions that still remain regarding small group instruction
Examples of the variety of ways you can structure your small group lessons
How data can play a big part in the structure and formation of your small groups
Why it’s important to be realistic with your expectations and time management

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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.

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